Effective environmental factors in the distribution of vegetation types in Poshtkouh rangelands of Yazd Province (Iran)

The objective of this research was to study the relationships between environmental factors and vegetation in order to find the most effective factors in the separation of the vegetation types in Poshtkou rangelands of Yazd province. Sampling of soil and vegetation were performed with randomized-systematic method. Vegetation data including density and cover percentage were estimated quantitatively within each quadrat, and using the two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN), and vegetation was classified into different groups. The topographic conditions were recorded in quadrat locations. Soil samples were taken in 0–30 and 30–60 cm depths in each quadrat. The measured soil variables included texture, lime, saturation moisture, gypsum, acidity (pH), electrical conductivity, sodium absorption ratio, and soluble ions (Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl⁻, CO₃²⁻, HCO₃⁻ and SO₄²⁻). Multivariate techniques including principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) were used to analyse the collected data. The results showed that the vegetation distribution pattern was mainly related to soil characteristics such as salinity, texture, soluble potassium, gypsum, and lime. Totally, considering the habitat conditions, ecological needs and tolerance range each plant species has a significant relation with soil properties.     

Chemical evolution of an inland sabkha: a case study from Sabkha Matti,Saudi Arabia

Hydrogeology Journal - Sabkha Matti is a potential discharge point for regional groundwater systems in the Rub’ al Khali topographic basin of Saudi Arabia. The hydrogeochemical evolution of...     

Central Antarctic provenance of Permian sandstones in Dronning Maud Land and the Karoo Basin: Integration of U-Pb and TDM ages and host-rock affinity from detrital zircons

In conjugate SE Africa and Antarctica, Early Permian sandstones of the Swartrant Formation of the Ellisras Basin, Vryheid Formation of the Karoo Basin, and Amelang Plateau Formation of Dronning Maud Land (DML) were deposited after Gondwanan glaciation on a westward paleoslope. We analysed detrital zircons for U-Pb ages by a laser ablation microprobe-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (LAM-ICPMS) and attached age significance only to clusters of three or more overlapping analyses. We analysed Hf-isotope compositions by a multi-collector spectrometer (LAM-MC-ICPMS) and trace elements by electron microprobe (EMP) and ICPMS. These analyses indicate the rock type and source (whether crustal or juvenile mantle) of the host magma, and a “crustal” model age (T_DM^C). The integrated analysis gives a more distinctive, and more easily interpreted, picture of crustal evolution in the provenance area than age data alone.Zircons from the Ellisras Basin are aged 2700-2540 Ma with minor populations about 2815 Ma and 2040 Ma, which correspond with the ages of the upslope parts of the proximal Kaapvaal Craton and Limpopo Belt. Mafic rock is the dominant host rock, and it reflects the Archean granite-greenstone terrane of the Kaapvaal Craton.The three Karoo Basin samples and the two DML samples have zircons with these common properties: (1) 1160-880 Ma, host magma mafic granitoid (< 65% SiO₂) derived from juvenile depleted mantle sources (ε_Hf positive) at 1.65 Ga and 1.35 Ga, with T_DM^C of 2.0-0.9 Ga; (2) 760 to 480 Ma, host magma granitoid and low-heavy rare earth element rock (?alkaline rock-carbonatite), derived from mixed crustal and juvenile depleted mantle sources (ε_Hf positive and negative) at 1.50 Ga and 1.35 Ga, with T_DM^C of 2.0-0.9 Ga.Together with similar detrital zircons in Triassic sandstone of SE Australia, these properties reflect those in upslope central Antarctica, indicating a provenance of ∼ 1000 Ma (Grenville) cratons embedded in 700-500 Ma (Pan-Gondwanaland) fold belts. Detrital zircons in Cambrian sediments of the Ellsworth-Whitmore Mountains block and Cambrian metasediments of the Welch Mountains with comparable properties suggest that the central Antarctic provenance operated also in the ∼ 500 Ma Cambrian.     

East Antarctic sources of extensive Lower–Middle Ordovician turbidites in the Lachlan Orogen,southern Tasmanides,eastern Australia

Lower to upper Middle Ordovician quartz-rich turbidites form the bedrock of the Lachlan Orogen in the southern Tasmanides of eastern Australia and occupy a present-day deformed volume of ～2–3 million km³. We have used U–Pb and Hf-isotope analyses of detrital zircons in biostratigraphically constrained turbiditic sandstones from three separate terranes of the Lachlan Orogen to investigate possible source regions and to compare similarities and differences in zircon populations. Comparison with shallow-water Lower Ordovician sandstones deposited on the subsiding margin of the Gondwana craton suggests different source regions, with Grenvillian zircons in shelf sandstones derived from the Musgrave Province in central Australia, and Panafrican sources in shelf sandstones possibly locally derived. All Ordovician turbiditic sandstone samples in the Lachlan Orogen are dominated by ca 490–620 Ma (late Panafrican) and ca 950–1120 Ma (late Grenvillian) zircons that are sourced mainly from East Antarctica. Subtle differences between samples point to different sources. In particular, the age consistency of late Panafrican zircon data from the most inboard of our terranes (Castlemaine Group, Bendigo Terrane) suggests they may have emanated directly from late Grenvillian East Antarctic belts, such as in Dronning Maud Land and subglacial extensions that were reworked in the late Panafrican. Changes in zircon data in the more outboard Hermidale and Albury-Bega terranes are more consistent with derivation from the youngest of four sedimentary sequences of the Ross Orogen of Antarctica (Cambrian–Ordovician upper Byrd Group, Liv Group and correlatives referred to here as sequence 4) and/or from the same mixture of sources that supplied that sequence. These sources include uncommon ca 650 Ma rift volcanics, late Panafrican Ross arc volcanics, now largely eroded, and some <545 Ma Granite Harbour Intrusives, representing the roots of the Ross Orogen continental-margin arc. Unlike farther north, Granite Harbour Intrusives between the Queen Maud and Pensacola mountains of the southern Ross Orogen contain late Grenvillian zircon xenocrysts (derived from underlying relatively juvenile basement), as well as late Panafrican magmatic zircons, and are thus able to supply sequence 4 and the Lachlan Ordovician turbidites with both these populations. Other zircons and detrital muscovites in the Lachlan Ordovician turbidites were derived from relatively juvenile inland Antarctic sources external to the orogen (e.g. Dronning Maud Land, Sør Rondane and a possible extension of the Pinjarra Orogen) either directly or recycled through older sedimentary sequences 2 (Beardmore and Skelton groups) and 3 (e.g. Hannah Ridge Formation) in the Ross Orogen. Shallow-water, forearc basin sequence 4 sediments (or their sources) fed turbidity currents into outboard, deeper-water parts of the forearc basin and led to deposition of the Ordovician turbidites ～2500–3400 km to the north in backarc-basin settings of the Lachlan Orogen.     

Applying ultrasonic waves to evaluate the volumetric block proportion of bimrocks

As a result of civilization, a lot of underground and surface structures have been constructed on or within complex rocks such as mélange and lahars. There are many engineering problems related to this group of rocks called block-in-matrix rocks (bimrock). In the literature, the more important parameter controlling the geomechanical characteristics of bimrocks is volumetric block proportion (VBP), and there is much uncertainty related to estimated VBP applying sieve or image analysis. So, in this research, to develop a relation between the VBP and ultrasonic wave velocities and find how the fractal dimension and maximum block size affect the P and S wave velocities, 90 large-scale cubic samples were fabricated and the P and S wave velocities were measured in three perpendicular directions inside the physical samples. The fabricated samples were almost isotropic, and there was a direct relation between ultrasonic wave velocities and VBP. The difference between the evaluated VBP and the real one was in the range of ?10 to +15% when the real VBP was equal or less than 60% and up to +25% when the real VBP was equal to 75%. In general, the fractal dimension had an indirect relation with ultrasonic velocities and there was no dominant trend for ultrasonic wave velocity variation versus the maximum block size.     

Spatio-temporal variation of transition probability of bursting events over the ripples at the bed of open channel

In this study, the turbulent flow structure over the ripples at the bed of open channel was investigated experimentally. An analysis of bursting process was used to recognize the susceptible regions for sediment entrainment and deposition over the ripples. Two artificial ripples were built according to the ripples, formed by nature. Three different configurations of ripples were used by changing the wavelength. According to analysis of bursting event it was found that at the stoss side of ripples, quadrants (II) and (IV) were dominant to the quadrants (I) and (III) and at the lee side of the ripple it was vice versa. Also the transition probabilities of the bursting events were determined. The results showed that stable organizations of each class of the events had highest transition probabilities whereas cross organizations had lowest transition probabilities. Additionally, an effort was made to find the average inclination angle of the bursting events in quadrants (II) and (IV). The results showed that the mean angle of events in quadrants (II) and (IV) increases at the downstream of stoss side to the crest in each experimental test. Also, at the lee side where the sediment particles were deposited, the inclination angles had the highest values.     

Vulnerability evaluation of a coastal aquifer via GALDIT model and comparison with DRASTIC index using quality parameters

In recent years, environmental assessments of groundwater resources have resulted in the development of models that help identify the vulnerable zones. An aquifer is investigated using both GALDIT and DRASTIC indices. The GALDIT model is developed to determine the vulnerability of coastal aquifers in terms of saltwater intrusion whereas the DRASTIC model is generally applicable to all aquifers. Having compared the results of both the GALDIT and DRASTIC models with quality parameters, the salinity model proved to be more appropriate in identifying the vulnerability of coastal aquifers. The results show a Pearson correlation coefficient between TDS and the GALDIT vulnerability map of 0.58 while the corresponding value for the DRASTIC index is 0.48.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis

ASSOCIATE EDITOR A. Fiori     

Research Note: A unifying framework for the widely used stabilization of potential field inverse problems

We present a brief review of the widely used and well-known stabilizers in the inversion of potential field data. These include stabilizers that use L₂, L₁ and L₀ norms of the model parameters and the gradients of the model parameters. These stabilizers may all be realized in a common setting using two general forms with different weighting functions. Moreover, we show that this unifying framework encompasses the use of additional stabilizations which are not common for potential field inversion.     

Time-history responses on the surface by regularly distributed enormous embedded cavities:Incident SH-waves

The time-history responses of the surface were obtained for a linear elastic half-plane including regularly distributed enormous embedded circular cavities subjected to propagating obliquely incident plane SH-waves. An advanced numerical approach named half-plane time-domain boundary element method(BEM), which only located the meshes around the cavities, was used to create the model. By establishing the modified boundary integral equation(BIE)independently for each cavity and forming the matrices, the final coupled equation was solved step-by-step in the timedomain to obtain the boundary values. The responses were developed for a half-plane with 512 cavities. The amplification patterns were also obtained to illustrate the frequencydomain responses for some cases. According to the results,the presence of enormous cavities affects the scattering and diffraction of the waves arrived to the surface. The introduced method can be recommended for geotechnical/mechanical engineers to model structures in the fields of earthquake engineering and composite materials.     

A Geographic Information System‐based site selection experience for the construction of a geomagnetic observatory in Kerman Province,Iran

In recent years, the necessity of constructing new geomagnetic observatories in Iran has been discussed from various aspects. Improper site selection of such important data centres can significantly affect the quality of their recorded data. In this research, site selection studies were performed to find the most favourable location to construct a geomagnetic observatory in Kerman Province, southeast of Iran. Having defined 11 site selection criteria for geomagnetic observatories, all the data layers were prepared for the whole province. After detection of seven promising regions using analytical hierarchy process and fuzzy logic method in geographical information system, Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution was used for ranking of the suitable areas. The most favourable region was finally detected southwest of Kerman Province, located between the cities of Baft and Sirjan. Detailed land surveys can be focused in this region to decide on the optimum area for the construction of the geomagnetic observatory.