Bearing capacity of soft soil model treated with end-bearing bottom ash columns

Granular column technique is a soil improvement method used to increase the bearing capacity of a soft soil area by replacing the soil with a group of granular column materials. The by-product utilisation is a worldwide interest for sustainable infrastructure development. Bottom ash, which is a combustion deposit derived from coal burning, is a potential by-product that could be used alternatively to sand or aggregate as a green granular column material. This research is to study the potential use of the bottom ash column-improved soft clay by conducting a series of small-scale physical modelling test. The bearing capacity behaviour and failure mode of soft clay improved with end-bearing group of bottom ash columns with and without geotextile encasement are investigated. The bearing capacity of soft clay is significantly enhanced by the inclusion of bottom ash columns; that is, 239% of bearing capacity improvement is observed with only 13% of improvement area. The bulging of the bottom ash column is transferred to buckling failure with higher bearing capacity when the bottom ash column is encased by geotextile. The outcome of this research leads to the usage of bottom ash by-product as a granular column material in sustainable soil improvement technique.     

Residual impact of biochar on cadmium uptake by rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> L.) grown in Cd-contaminated soil

Cadmium (Cd) is the family member of toxic heavy metals, and its accumulation in food crops has become a global environmental constraint. Biochar potentially minimizes the metal contents in plants, but limited work has been reported on its residual effect on subsequent crops. The residual effect of various biochar levels (0, 1.5, 3.0, and 5.0% w/w) on Cd accumulation in rice has been investigated in this study. Biochar treatments enhanced the rice growth, photosynthesis, and antioxidant enzymes, whereas diminished the Cd contents and oxidative stress in rice. Cadmium concentration in shoots decreased by 24.4, 36.6, and 57.5% in 1.5, 3.0, and 5.0% biochar treatments over the control. Biochar supply enhanced the soil pH and electrical conductivity, whereas diminished the soil bioavailable Cd. Overall, the results depicted a significant residual impact of rice straw biochar on rice growth attributes and Cd uptake. However, studies are still needed to explore the long-term sustainability of biochars prepared from different feedstocks on bioavailability of toxic metals in soils and uptake by food crops under field conditions.     

Differential cobalt-induced effects on plant growth,ultrastructural modifications,and antioxidative response among four <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis> (L.) cultivars

Despite the increasing environmental threat of cobalt in the modern era, less is known as its phytotoxicity behavior. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to assess the toxicity effects of cobalt and to understand the associated physio-biochemical response in Brassica napus, an economically important plant crop species. Five-day-old seedlings of four cultivars (Zheda 619, Zheda 622, ZS 758, and ZY 50) were exposed to five different levels of cobalt under hydroponic conditions. Results showed a concentration-dependent inhibition of plant growth, accompanied by notable chlorophyll loss, protein degradation, and accumulation of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde. Further, Co contents in different plants parts were found to be higher in Zheda 622 than all other cultivars. In all cultivars, the contents of enzymatic activities (SOD, POD, GR, and GSH) were markedly increased following cobalt exposure; by contrast, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activities declined with increased cobalt concentration in medium, which was also, echoed by the pattern of enzymes-related mRNA levels. Morphological observations, supported by ultrastructural analysis revealed clear differences in cobalt sensitivity among cultivars, with ZS 758 identified as less sensitive cultivar, and Zheda 622 the most sensitive one. In addition to revealing genotypic differences in cobalt sensitivity in B. napus, findings suggest the mechanisms of cobalt tolerance in this specie could, at least partially, in relation with the ability of plant to sustain the activity of superoxide dismutase and guaicol peroxidase and to maintain glutathione reduced pool through the action of glutathione reductase.     

Sequence stratigraphic evolution of the syn-rift Early Cretaceous sediments,West Beni Suef Basin,the Western Desert of Egypt with remarks on its hydrocarbon accumulations

The Beni Suef Basin is a petroliferous rift basin straddling the River Nile containing a thick Mesozoic–Paleogene succession. The Kharita Formation is formed in the syn-rift phase of the basin formation and is subdivided into the Lower and Upper Kharita members. These two members are regarded as two third-order depositional sequences (DSQ-1 and DSQ-2). The lowstand systems tract (LST-1) of the DSQ-1 is represented by thick amalgamated sandstone bodies deposited by active braided channels. Mid-Albian tectonic subsidence led to a short-lived marine invasion which produced coastal marine and inner-shelf facies belts during an ensuing transgressive systems tract (TST-1). At the end of the mid-Albian, a phase of tectonic uplift gradually rose the continent creating a fall in relative sea level, resulting in deposition of shallow marine and estuarine facies belts during a highstand systems tract (HST-1). During the Late Albian, a new phase of land-rejuvenation commenced, with a prolonged phase of fluvial depositional. Fluvial deposits consisted of belts of amalgamated, vertically aggraded sandstones interpreted as braided and moderately sinuous channels, in the lower part of the Upper Kharita Member lowstand stage (LST-2). The continuous basin filling, coupled with significant lowering in the surrounding highlands changed the drainage regime into a wide belt of meandering river depositing the transgressive stage (TST-2). The history of the Kharita Formation finalized with a Cenomanian marine transgressive phase. Economically, the TST-1 and HST-1 play a significant role as source rocks for hydrocarbon accumulations, whereas LST-2 act as good reservoir rocks in the Early Cretaceous in the Basin.     

Understanding the impact of droughts in the Yarmouk Basin,Jordan: monitoring droughts through meteorological and hydrological drought indices

This article assesses drought status in the Yarmouk Basin (YB), in northern Jordan, using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), the Standardized Water-Level Index (SWI), and the Percent Departure from Normal rainfall (PDNimd) during the years 1993–2014. The results showed that the YB suffers from frequent and irregular periods of drought as variations in drought intensity and frequency have been observed. The SPI results revealed that the highest drought magnitude of ??2.34 appeared at Nuaimeh rainfall station in 1991. This station has also experienced severe drought particularly in years 1995, 1999, 2005, and 2012 with SPI values ranging from ??1.51 to ??1.59. Some other rainfall stations such as Baqura, Ibbin, Khanasiri, Kharja, Mafraq police, Ramtha, Turra, and Umm Qais have also suffered several periods of drought mostly in 1993. The SWI results show the highest extreme drought events in 2001 in Souf well while other extreme drought periods were observed at Wadi Elyabis well in 1994 and at Mafraq well in 1995. As compared to SPI maps, our SWI maps reflect severe and extreme drought events in most years, negatively impacting the groundwater levels in the study area.     

Petrography,geochemistry, and U–Pb geochronology of pegmatites and aplites associated with the Alvand intrusive complex in the Hamedan region,Sanandaj–Sirjan zone,Zagros orogen (Iran)

International Journal of Earth Sciences - The Alvand intrusive complex in the Hamedan area in Iran is in the Sanandaj–Sirjan zone of the Zagros orogen. It consists of a wide range of plutonic...     

The Response of Macrobenthic Communities to Environmental Variability in Tropical Coastal Waters

The relative contributions of spatial and temporal fluctuations are different in shaping natural communities in a tropical coastal/estuarine system. Understanding how coastal communities respond to these fluctuations is still equivocal, and thus, available data are rare. Here, multiple analytical approaches were used to identify key spatial and temporal factors, and to quantify their relative roles in shaping a macrobenthic community through space (contamination degree, physical parameters, and sediment characteristics) and time (climatic factors, season, and year). A dataset of eight sampling times was analyzed over a period of 2 years, in which macrobenthic species abundances were sampled. A total of 33 species were identified, including 18 bivalves, 5 gastropods, and 4 crustaceans. The other taxa were less diverse. The results show that there were no significant temporal changes of macrobenthic community structure, but spatial changes were significant and synchronized with environmental factors (i.e., sediment characteristics, water depth, and the distance from anthropogenic sources). This study demonstrates that spatial factors played a primary role in structuring of macrobenthic assemblages, whereas the influence of temporal factors appeared less across geographically distinct sites. Thus, temporal variation of a coastal macrobenthic community appears to be controlled by partly different processes at different scales.     

Estimating Menard pressuremeter modulus and limit pressure from SPT in silty sand and silty clay soils. A case study in Mashhad,Iran

The Menard pressuremeter test is a relatively expensive in situ test, which generates useful information about the strength and deformation properties of any soil and weak rock, which is carried out in some projects. On the other hand, the SPT test is a rather inexpensive, simple and typical in situ test used to determine the engineering properties of silt, clay, sand, and fine gravel which is utilised in almost all projects.

In this study SPT blow counts (N₆₀) were correlated with pressuremeter modulus (E_PMT) and limit pressure (P_L) and empirical equations were proposed to estimate P_L and E_PMT from N₆₀ in silty sand and silty clay soils separately. These tests have been conducted during subway geotechnical investigation in Mashhad, Iran.

Moreover, in order to verify these empirical equations, they were compared with similar equations that have been proposed by other researchers. These comparisons display that in all equations a linear relationship exists between N₆₀ - E_PMT and N₆₀ - P_L. However, the line slopes are different so it can be concluded the line slopes are related to soil type and geological condition of an area. Thus, for each area a separate empirical equation must be presented.