Characteristic features of salt tectonics offshore North Sinai, Egypt

Salt tectonic along offshore North Sinai was studied using seismic reflection data. The study revealed and identified various types of salt tectonics and structures in the study area. The triggering mechanism of salt tectonics was attributed to the pressure regime initiated from overloading sediments on the Messinian evaporites. The sediment load of 3,000?m exceeds the critical load (more than 1,000?m) and hence creates a pressure zone. The salt-generated structures resulted from thin-skinned extension that is driven by gravity gliding of the overloading sediments above the Messinian evaporite boundary, which acts as a detachment layer. These structures comprise normal growth faults and keystone grabens, trending roughly perpendicular to the slope of the continental margin. Salt tectonics in the study area were also triggered by the deformation of the movement of evaporite layer that causes stretching and fragmentation of the evaporite layer. Moving salt layer took place laterally and vertically, causing lateral and vertical pressures inside the Pliocene sediments. These movements of sediments led to the formation of salt rollers, salt weld, salt diapirs, rollover structures, and fault blocks. The interpretation of seismic data illustrates that the evaporite layer was switched off between the famous reflector M at its top and another reflector N at its base. M reflector is present and can be traced across the whole study area, while the N reflector pinched out in some parts of the study area.     

The use of seismic interpretation for delineating the characteristic features of Messinian channels in the north Nile Delta, Egypt

Abu Madi Messinian Formation occupied a prominent issue as the most exploratory target in the search for natural gas in the Nile Delta. Interpretation of the available onshore seismic reflection data of the northeastern part of the Nile Delta reveals that there is a series of troughs, depressions, and mounded structures within the Abu Madi Formation (Messinian time). Onlap, downlap, and truncation relationship of reflections were observed very close to fault locations in the Miocene time. Many channels have been imaged clearly and described on the seismic reflection data of the onshore Nile Delta. The depths to these channels range between 2.5?s in the southeast to 3.1?s (t.w.t.) while their width ranges from 1?km to more than 5?km. These channels were formed by two factors: (1) submarine erosion and redeposition, during the relative sea level falls and (2) tectonic effect. Many of these channels followed more or less the trends of the historic branches of the ancient Nile Delta. The classification of these channels is based on some factors: (1) channel morphology (depth and width), (2) channel shape, and (3) tectonic effect.     

Digital Identification of Ecosystem Structure in the F?rt?na Valley of the Ka?kar Mountains in the Rize City of Turkey

Identifying the structure of protected mountain ecosystems is an important task for understanding conservation sustainability. The study area, the F？rt？na Valley, located in the Rize City on the Eastern Blacksea Coast, is one of the biological hotspots and a National Park of Turkey. In order to identify the structure of mountain ecosystems, we generated a GIS database for the main environmental parameters of the study area, including elevation, slope and aspect layers for topographic structure, 10 year mean values of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index（NDVI）, data for vegetation structure, annual mean temperature and precipitation layers for climatic structure, main soil groups for soil structure and stream flow accumulation, stream flow length and stream order layers for hydrological structure .To identify the complex relations among environmental factors in the study area a data reduction method is applied with Principal Component Analysis （PCA）. PCA is performed using data of 16 layers from Geographical Information Systems （GIS）. PCA analysis reduced 16 dimensions into 5 dimensions containing 75% of the variation in all data. It is also revealed that the topographic structure, mainly altitude, dominates the ecosystems of the F？rt？na Valley, but it should be considered that the interactions of environmental factors in an ecosystem dynamics are very complex. The ecosystem structure is determined by the environmental factors direct or indirect effects on energy regulation of an ecosystem. Therefore the relationship between topographic elements and other abiotic-biotic elements in the Fcrtcna Valley are important for environmental assessment and sustainability of a protected area, and these effects are explained in this study.     

Seismotectonic database of Turkey

Turkey is located in one of the most seismically active regions in the world. Characterizing seismic source zones in this region requires evaluation and integration of geological, geophysical, seismological and geodetical data. This first seismotectonic database for Turkey presented herein was prepared, under the framework of the National Earthquake Strategy and Action Plan—2023. The geographic information system (GIS)-based database includes maps of active faults, catalogues of instrumental and historical earthquakes, moment tensor solutions and data on crustal thickness. On the basis of these data, 18 major seismotectonic zones were delineated for Turkey and the surrounding region. The compilation and storage of the seismotectonic data sets in a digital GIS will allow analyses and systematic updates as new data accrete over time.     

A statistical analysis of seismo-ionospheric TEC anomalies before 63 <Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis><Subscript>w</Subscript> ≥ 5.0 earthquakes in Turkey during 2003–2016

In this study, pre-seismic and post-seismic total electron content (TEC) anomalies of 63 M_w?≥?5.0 earthquakes in Turkey (36°–42°N, 26°–45°E) were statistically investigated. The largest earthquake that occurred in Turkey during 2003–2016 is the M_w 7.1 Van earthquake on October 23, 2011. The TEC data of epicenters is obtained from CODE-GIM using a simple 4-point bivariate interpolation. The anomalies of TEC variations were determined by using a quartile-based running median process. In order to validate GIM results, we used the GPS-TEC data of available four IGS stations within the size of the Van earthquake preparation area. The anomalies that are detected by GIM and GPS-TEC show a similar pattern. Accordingly, the results obtained with CODE-GIM are reliable. The statistical results show that there are not prominent earthquake precursors for M_w?≤?6.0 earthquakes in Turkey.     

Automated morphological classification of galaxies based on projection gradient nonnegative matrix factorization algorithm

The development of automated morphological classification schemes can successfully distinguish between morphological types of galaxies and can be used for studies of the formation and subsequent evolution of galaxies in our universe. In this paper, we present a new automated machine supervised learning astronomical classification scheme based on the Nonnegative Matrix Factorization algorithm. This scheme is making distinctions between all types roughly corresponding to Hubble types such as elliptical, lenticulars, spiral, and irregular galaxies. The proposed algorithm is performed on two examples with different number of image (small dataset contains 110 image and large dataset contains 700 images). The experimental results show that galaxy images from EFIGI catalog can be classified automatically with an accuracy of ～93% for small and ～92% for large number. These results are in good agreement when compared with the visual classifications.     

Response evaluation of interconnected electrical substation equipment using real‐time hybrid simulation on multiple shaking tables

In an attempt to quantify the conductor cable effect on substation electrical equipment, real‐time hybrid simulation (RTHS) is conducted on interconnected equipment using two shaking tables. For this purpose, the existing RTHS system with advanced control capabilities at the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center structural laboratory is enhanced to accommodate the simultaneous use of two shaking tables. An experimental parametric study is conducted to investigate the conductor cable effect using this system with a two‐table RTHS setup. Post insulators of disconnect switches, important components of substations that are usually tested with conventional methods for evaluating their seismic performance, are utilized as experimental substructures for realistic representation of the electrical equipment. Various global and local response parameters, including accelerations, forces, displacements, and strains, are considered to evaluate the effect of the tested conductor cable configuration for a wide range of support structure configurations, which are modeled in the computer as analytical substructures. The experimental parametric study results indicate that the conductor cable has a significant effect on the response of the interconnected equipment over the whole range of investigated support structures and needs to be explicitly considered for seismic testing of electrical equipment. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization on arsenic sorption and mobility of the sediments of Chia-Nan Plain, where Blackfoot disease occurred

Higher levels of arsenic in the aquifers of Chia-Nan Plain in southwestern Taiwan were attributed to the cause of Blackfoot disease in the area half a century ago. Although extensive studies were conducted on the occurrence, speciation, mobility, and transport of arsenic in the region, the relationship between arsenic adsorption by different aquifer materials and the concentration and speciation of arsenic in these aquifers was poorly delineated. This study focused on characterization of sediments in the region, as well as determination of relations between arsenic adsorption and other geochemical and clay mineralogical properties of the sediments. The arsenic adsorption capacity was positively related to the clay minerals, Fe, and Mn contents in the sediments. The higher arsenic adsorption capacity of the sediments served as a sink for the arsenic during its transport from the central mountains to the coast and as a source for its release under reduced environment and in the presence of humic substances.