Preferential solution of234U from recoil tracks and234U/238U radioactive disequilibrium in natural waters

A mathematical model to calculate the²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratio (AR) in an aqueous phase in contact with rock/soil is presented. The model relies on the supply of²³⁸U by dissolution and that of²³⁴U by dissolution and preferential release from radiation damaged regions (recoil tracks). The model predicts that values of²³⁴U/²³⁸U AR>1 in the aqueous phase can be obtained only from weathering “virgin” surfaces. Thus, to account for the observed steady-state supply of²³⁴U excess to the oceans by the preferential leaching model, ‘virgin’ rock/soil surfaces would have to be continually exposed and weathered. The²³⁸U concentration and²³⁴U/²³⁸U AR in continental waters allow us to estimate the exposure rates of “virgin” rock/soil surfaces.     

Effect of clayey media parameters on the negative response of a coincident loop1

The aim of this work is to consider the phenomenon of negative response and its detectability in a polarizable half-space formed of Clay-water mixture which commonly exists in water aquifers and which can be used as a simple indicator of the presence of Underground water. We make use of an analytical treatment for the transient voltage induced in a coincident loop lying on a half-space as a basis for our computations. A Cole-Cole model is used to represent the Clay with appropriate parameters. As saturated Clay is characterized by high conductivity and moderate chargeability, it is hardly detectable relative to the practical noise level. However, there are optimum Clay parameters that offer a maximum negative response. It is also observed that for a very short time constant τ in the Cole-Cole model, the amplitude of the negative response decreases with the decrease of the time constant due to the fast decay of the polarization current. Finally, it is found that there is an optimum value for the loop radius which gives the largest value of the negative response and this loop radius depends on the model parameters.     

ANALYSIS OF SURFACE AIR TEMPERATURE RECORDED IN LAHORE AND MIANWALI OVER THE PAST THREE DECADES

Surface air temperatures recorded over the past three decades at the weather stations located in Lahore (anindustrialized and densely populated city) and Mianwali (a small and sparsely populated city) were analyzed in order tostudy their climatic trend.Lahore,where meteorological data are recorded at two weather stations (city station and air-port station) indicates a cooling trend,of about 0.5℃ per record period of 1953—1992,for the airport station (31°31′N,74°24′E) and a slight warming trend,of about 0.2℃,for the city station (31°33′N,74°20′E) for the record period of 1950—1992.The Mianwali weather station (32°33′N,71°31′E) also shows a slight cooling trend,of about 0.4℃ per recordperiod of 1959—1992.The climatic variability at these stations was studied by computing seasonal and annual tempera-ture anomalies.The results are explained in terms of the local environmental conditions.     

The origin of tensile fracture lineaments

Fracture-controlled lineaments, commonly seen where brittle basement is exposed at the earth's surface, are generally restricted to a small number of sets, with angles of 45–90° between sets. The length-frequency distribution of lineaments in each set follows a truncated Poisson function. Such lineaments usually show almost no shearing offset, suggesting a tensile origin. A simple mechanical model of tensile fracturing is used to explain the spacing, directions, and length of lineaments, as well as their depth-frequency distribution. Results suggest that the penetration depth of tensile fractures which produce lineaments at the earth's surface is directly related to their length and that the fracture density is inversely proportional to fracture depth. Finally, the angles between lineament sets may be controlled by the ratio of strength of unfractured rock to that of pre-existing fractures, which might heal with time. The most likely source of tension is tectonic uplift. Fractures due to typical uplifts of 0.5–1 km over distances of 10–100 km may penetrate as brittle fractures to several kilometres into the crust, perhaps to the depth at which seismic activity ceases.     

Interpretation of Gravity Anomalies with the Normalized Full Gradient (NFG) Method and an Example

The Normalized Full Gradient (NFG) method which was put forward about 50 years ago has been used for downward continuation of gravity potential data, especially in the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. This method nullifies perturbations due to the passage of mass depth during downward continuation. The method depends on the downwards analytical continuation of normalized full gradient values of gravity data. Analytical continuation discriminates certain structural anomalies which cannot be distinguished in the observed gravity field. This method has been used in various petroleum and tectonic studies. The Trapeze method was used for the determination of Fourier coefficients during the application of this method. No other techniques for calculating these coefficients have been used. However, the Filon method was used for the determination of Fourier coefficients during the application of the NFG method in this work. This method, rather than the Trapeze method, should be preferred for indicating abnormal mass resources at the lower harmonics. In this study, the NFG method using the Filon method has been applied the first time to theoretical models of gravity profiles as example field at the Hasankale-Horasan petroleum exploration province where successful results were achieved. Hydrocarbon presence was shown on the NFG sections by the application of NFG downward continuation operations on theoretical models. Important signs of hydrocarbon structure on the NFG section for field and model data at low harmonics are obtained more effectively using this method.     

Importance of aquatic macrophyte for invertebrate diversity in large subtropical reservoir

The abundance and preferences of individual invertebrate populations (including zooplankton) closely associated with the substrates provided by aquatic plant structures and open-water areas of Lake Nasser were quantified in this study in order to gain understanding of the importance of submerged macrophyte for invertebrate diversity, and their relation to water properties. The following water parameters were measured: temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), total dissolved salts, electrical conductivity, turbidity, total suspended solids, carbonate, bicarbonate, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, sulphate, silica, potassium, total hardness, calcium and magnesium.Five macrophyte species were recorded: Myriopyllum spicatum, Najas horrida, Potamogeton schweinfurthii, Potamogeton pectinatus and Vallisneria spiralis. In total 67 invertebrate species were recorded, comprising 39 Rotifera, 12 Cladocera, 4 Copepoda, 4 Insecta, 2 Protozoa, 2 Ostracoda and one species of Turbellaria, Tardigrada, Annelida and Nematoda. Thirty-seven species were exclusively epiphytic, 11 species were collectively planktonic and 19 species were found in both habitats. The greatest abundance of epiphytic invertebrates occurred in association with N. horrida-P. schweinfurthii community.The results indicated that total suspended solids (TSS), TH and NO₂ are the most influential water variables on the distribution of the aquatic macrophyte samples and their invertebrate communities. Also, the study indicates that water variables have a higher impact on the aquatic macrophytes than on the associated invertebrate populations. P, NO₃, K, Na, Mg, Cl and DO were the most influential water variables that dictate the distribution of invertebrate groups recorded in the open-water zone. Water temperature, electric conductivity, pH, NO₂, SO₄⁻⁻, SiO₃⁻, CO₃⁻⁻ and turbidity have a lesser influence of the distribution of the invertebrates recorded in this zone.     

Ophiolite emplacement by strike-slip tectonics between the Pontide Zone and the Sakarya Zone in northwestern Anatolia, Turkey

Northwestern Anatolia contains three main tectonic units: (a) the Pontide Zone in the north which consists mainly of the Gstanbul-Zonguldak Unit in the west and the BallLda<-Küre Unit in the east; (b) the Sakarya Zone (or Continent) in the south, which is juxtaposed against the Pontide Zone due to the closure of Paleo-Tethys prior to Late Jurassic time; and (c) the Armutlu-OvacLk Zone which appears to represent a tectonic mixture of both zones. These three major tectonic zones are presently bounded by the two branches of the North Anatolian Transform Fault. The two tectonic contacts follow older tectonic lineaments (the Western Pontide Fault) which formed during the development of the Armutlu-OvacLk Zone. Since the earliest Cretaceous, an overall extensional regime dominated the region. A transpressional tectonic regime of Coniacian/Santonian to Campanian age caused the welding of the Gstanbul-Zonguldak Unit to the Sakarya Zone by an oblique collision. In the Late Campanian, a transtensional tectonic regime developed, forming a new basin within the amalgamated tectonic mosaic. The different tectonic regimes in the region were caused by activity of the Western Pontide Fault. Most of the ophiolites within the Armutlu-OvacLk Zone belong to the Paleo-Tethyan and/or pre-Ordovician ophiolitic core of the Gstanbul-Zonguldak Unit. The Late Cretaceous ophiolites in the eastern parts of the Armutlu-OvacLk Zone were transported from Neo-Tethyan ophiolites farther east by left-lateral strike-slip faults along the Western Pontide Fault. There is insufficient evidence to indicate the presence of an ocean (Intra-Pontide Ocean) between the Gstanbul-Zonguldak Unit and the Sakarya Zone during Late Cretaceous time.     

Pore fluid pressure effects in anisotropic rocks: Mechanisms of induced seismicity and weak faults

Many observations and studies indicate that pore fluid pressure in the crustal rocks plays an important role in deformation, faulting, and earthquake processes. Conventional models of pore pressure effects often assume isotropic porous rocks and yield the nondeviatoric pressure effects which seem insufficient to explain diverse phenomena related to pore pressure variation, such as fluid-extraction induced seismicity and crustal weak faults. We derive the anisotropic effective stress law especially for transversely-isotropic and orthotropic rocks, and propose that the deviatoric effects of pore fluid pressure in anisotropic rocks not only affect rock effective strength but also cause variation of shear stresses. Such shear stress variations induced by either pore pressure buildup or pore pressure decline may lead to faulting instability and trigger earthquakes, and provide mechanisms for the failure of crustal weak faults with low level of shear stresses. We believe that the deviatoric effects of pore fluid pressure in anisotropic rocks are of wide application in studies of earthquake precursors and aftershocks, oil and gas reservoir characterization, enhanced oil recovery, and hydraulic fracturing.