Geotechnical handicap of travertine with different lithotype levels as foundation material

Two major earthquakes occurred on October 23rd, 2011 (M=7.1) and November 9th, 2011 (M=5.6) in Tabanli and Edremit districts of Van province in Turkey, respectively. New settlement areas for Van city were determined after these destructive earthquakes. One of the most important areas for new settlements to be built was Edremit region, consisting travertine where nearly 80% of new housing units (12.384) were built by TOKI (Housing Development Administration of Turkey). Travertines have different lithotypes depending on their depositional process such as crystalline crust, shrub, reed which can affect mechanical and engineering properties of travertine and each level has different handicaps. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between lithotype and physico-mechanical properties of travertines. According to the results, lithotype has an effect on physical, mechanical and rock mass properties of travertine. It is ascertained by several research methods that various handicaps may occur on such areas when the active tectonic structure of the area is evaluated along with the karstic cavities within the travertine and different lithotype qualities.     

Chemostratigraphy of the Cenomanian-Turonian shallow-water carbonate: new correlation for the rudist levels from north Sinai,Egypt

The present study aims to provide carbon-isotope curves for the Cenomanian to Turonian rudist-dominated successions in north Sinai. The high-resolution carbon-isotope curves obtained from north Sinai sections provide new insight for calibrating the age of rudists as well as for evaluating the effects of the oceanic anoxic event 2 (OAE2) on rudist communities. The primary goals are (1) to provide a high-resolution sequence stratigraphic framework for the Cenomanian-Turonian succession, (2) to use rudist and ammonite biostratigraphic data to distinguish the stratigraphic levels of the rudist species, and (3) to integrate the chemostratigraphic (δ¹³C) profile and the rudist levels to improve the biostratigraphy based on the rudist distributions and the carbon-isotope data. The recognition of three ammonite zones through the Cenomanian-Turonian succession was utilized to identify four temporally significant rudist levels indicative of the Lower Cenomanian, Middle Cenomanian, Upper Cenomanian, and Middle Turonian, respectively. Most of the rudists occur in the highstand deposits of medium-scale sequences. Carbon- and oxygen-isotopic analyses were carried out on both rudists and surrounding carbonate units. Based on the variations in the carbon-isotope signals, 12 chronostratigraphic segments were identified in the studied sections. The Cenomanian carbon-isotope segments (C23–C30) were obtained from the Halal Formation at Gabal Yelleg and Gabal Maaza sections, while the Turonian segments (C30–C34) were measured from the Wata Formation at Gabal Yelleg section. The carbon-isotope record from the studied sections is consistent with the trends documented in previous studies of the Tethyan realm. The Cenomanian-Turonian boundary is placed at the onset of falling carbon-isotope values (δ¹³C) from 2.61 to ?0.25‰ in the upper part of OAE2 with the carbon-isotope segment C30 at Gabal Yelleg. The negative shift in δ¹³C values (C33) occurred in the Middle Turonian lowstand deposits characterizing the global sea level fall during this interval.     

Estimation of the responses of axisymmetric bodies in spread irregular waves

A method is presented of estimating the responses of axisymmetric bodies floating in spread irregular seas, using a Laplace transfer-function formulation of a floating body time-domain model. A general-case spread-wave model is formulated, using separate wave excitation transfer functions, and a simplification of this approach is proposed, reducing both model complexity and computation time. Responses are computed using both approaches and a comparison made to assess the circumstances in which the simplified approach may be used effectively. The results are also interpreted to highlight the implications of using an equivalent unidirectional wave as an approximation to a spread wave.     

Determining optimum tilt angles of solar surfaces in Sakarya,Turkey

Climate change constitutes a major challenge for high productivity in wheat, the most widely grown crop in Germany. Extreme weather events including dry spells and heat waves, which negatively affect wheat yields, are expected to aggravate in the future. It is crucial to improve the understanding of the spatiotemporal development of such extreme weather events and the respective crop-climate relationships in Germany. Thus, the present study is a first attempt to evaluate the historic development of relevant drought and heat-related extreme weather events from 1901 to 2010 on county level (NUTS-3) in Germany. Three simple drought indices and two simple heat stress indices were used in the analysis. A continuous increase in dry spells over time was observed over the investigated periods from 1901–1930, 1931–1960, 1961–1990 to 2001–2010. Short and medium dry spells, i.e., precipitation-free periods longer than 5 and 8 days, respectively, increased more strongly compared to longer dry spells (longer than 11 days). The heat-related stress indices with maximum temperatures above 25 and 28 °C during critical wheat growth phases showed no significant increase over the first three periods but an especially sharp increase in the final 1991–2010 period with the increases being particularly pronounced in parts of Southwestern Germany. Trend analysis over the entire 110-year period using Mann-Kendall test revealed a significant positive trend for all investigated indices except for heat stress above 25 °C during flowering period. The analysis of county-level yield data from 1981 to 2010 revealed declining spatial yield variability and rather constant temporal yield variability over the three investigated (1981–1990, 1991–2000, and 2001–2010) decades. A clear spatial gradient manifested over time with variability in the West being much smaller than in the east of Germany. Correlating yield variability with the previously analyzed extreme weather indices revealed strong spatiotemporal fluctuations in explanatory power of the different indices over all German counties and the three time periods. Over the 30 years, yield deviations were increasingly well correlated with heat and drought-related indices, with the number of days with maximum temperature above 25 °C during anthesis showing a sharp increase in explanatory power over entire Germany in the final 2001–2010 period.     

Photometric solution of the eclipsing binary system EF Boötis

The EF Boo eclipsing binary system is studied in the context of optical light curves and radial velocity curves published in the literature. The best‐solution leads to an over‐contact configuration of W–subclass of WUMa systems with a fill‐out factor of 28%. Absolute parameters based on simultaneous solution of light and radial velocity curves are presented. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A photometric study of BO Canum Venaticorum

Photometric BV light curves of BO CVn obtained in 1992 and new times of minima are presented. The primary minimum shows a transit, whereas the secondary minimum, shows an occultation. The system may be classified as an A‐type W UMa system. A complete study of minima allows one to detect a possibly increasing period by about 0.037 s/yr. This indicates that the conservative mass transfer rate from the less massive component to the more massive one is 1.57 10^—10M_⊙ /yr. Because of the variable period, the new ephemeris is determined for future observations. Using the Wilson‐Devinney code a simultaneous solution of the B and V light curves is also performed. The analysis shows that the system is in a contact configuration with q = 0.205 ± 0.001 and fillout factor (f) = 0.18, T₁ = 7240 K (fixed), T₂ = 7150± 10 K. The high orbital inclination i = 87°.54 ± 0.26 was con firmed by photometric observations of the secondary minimum.     

The Manyas fault zone (southern Marmara region,NW Turkey): active tectonics and paleoseismology

The Manyas fault zone (MFZ) is a splay fault of the Yenice Gönen Fault, which is located on the southern branch of the North Anatolian Fault System. The MFZ is a 38 km long, WNW–ESE-trending and normal fault zone comprised of three en-echelon segments. On 6 October 1964, an earthquake (Ms = 6.9) occurred on the Salur segment. In this study, paleoseismic trench studies were performed along the Salur segment. Based on these paleoseismic trench studies, at least three earthquakes resulting in a surface rupture within the last 4000 years, including the 1964 earthquake have been identified and dated. The penultimate event can be correlated with the AD 1323 earthquake. There is no archaeological and/or historical record that can be associated with the oldest earthquake dated between BP 3800 ± 600 and BP 2300 ± 200 years. Additionally, the trench study performed to the north of the Salur segment demonstrates paleoliquefaction structures crossing each other. The surface deformation that occurred during the 1964 earthquake is determined primarily to be the consequence of liquefaction. According to the fault plane slip data, the MFZ is a purely normal fault demonstrating a listric geometry with a dip of 64°–74° to the NNE.     

Effects of biosolid application on soil properties and kiwi fruit nutrient composition on high-pH soil

Macro- and micronutrient availability in high-pH soil is a major constraint in crop production especially for the sensitive plants, such as kiwi fruit. A field study was conducted to investigate the multiyear effects of biosolid application on nutrient availability of agricultural soil and elemental sufficiency in kiwi fruit. Solar-dried biosolid applied at 0, 25, 50, 100 and 200 t ha^?1 annually for successive 2 years. The considered soil properties included pH, EC, organic matter, N, P, K, macro–microelements, heavy metals and DTPA-extractable elements were determined. Results showed that biosolid addition significantly reduced to initial soil pH from 8.2 to 7.8 at higher application doses. Optimization of pH resulted in increased levels of soluble elements in all treatments studied. Biosolid application particularly increased Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn and B concentrations to sufficient levels. Among the other elements analyzed, were not significantly affected by biosolid application. Biosolid addition also increased soil DTPA-extractable elements, especially Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn. Significant increases in DTPA-extractable elements occurred for increasing application rates at 50, 100 and 200 t ha^?1 compared to control. We conclude that municipal biosolid applied at an annual rate at or less than 200 t ha^?1 can be safely used for kiwi fruit production on high-pH soils.     

Evaluation of the short-term periodicities in the flare index between the years 1966–2002

The short-term periodicities of the flare index are investigated in detail using Fourier and wavelet transforms for the full disc and for the northern and the southern hemispheres of the Sun separately over the epoch of almost 4 cycles (1966–2002). The most pronounced power peaks were found by the Fourier transform to be present at 25.6, 27.0, 30.2, and 33.8 days. The wavelet transform results show that the occurrence of periodicities of flare index power is highly intermittent in time. A comparison of the results of the Fourier transform and the time-period wavelet transform of the flare index time series has clarified the importance of different periodicities, whether they are or are not the harmonics of the basic ones, as well as the temporal location of their occurrence. We found that the modulation of the flare index due to the 27-day solar rotation is more pronounced during the declining portion of solar cycle than during the rising portion.     

Heavy metal pollution and acid drainage from the abandoned Balya Pb-Zn sulfide Mine,NW Anatolia,Turkey

This study was conducted to determine the effects of the waste-rock dump (WRD) of the underground polymetallic Balya Mine on the Kocacay River and eventually on Lake Manyas in Turkey. Data presented in this paper include geochemical characteristics of various kinds of water (mine, surface and groundwater) and of suspended-particle samples in the vicinity of Balya. The more polluted mine waters have low pH and high conductivity, while high concentrations of Zn, Cd, Mn tend to be found in the dry and wet seasons. High concentrations of Pb, As, Cr, Cu and S appear only in the wet season. The sources of the heavy metal concentration within the Kocacay River are leached waste, surface run off, and overflow from the spillway of the WRD. To minimize the formation of acids and dissolved metal, and for the remediation of the harmful effects of extreme contamination conditions, it is recommended that lime or alkali materials and organic carbon be added to simulate the action of sulfate-reducing bacteria.