Fate of drilling waste discharges and ecological risk assessment in the Egyptian Red Sea: an aquivalence-based fuzzy analysis

Egypt is located in the Northeast of Africa where oil and gas (O&G) are produced offshore from the Gulf of Suez and the Southeast part of the Mediterranean. The O&G production in Egypt is distributed as follows: 70% from Gulf of Suez, 16% from Western desert, 8% from the Sinai Peninsula and 6% from Eastern desert. Past O&G activities, refining and transport have resulted in chronic pollution in Egyptian offshore and numerous environmental programs have been initiated to protect new development areas from the environmental impacts. The offshore drilling process uses drilling fluids (mud) and generates waste fluids and cuttings, which could be the largest discharges going into the receiving water bodies. There are several options to manage offshore drilling wastes: offshore discharge, offshore down-hole injection and onshore disposal. Water-based drilling fluids (WBF) are commonly employed for drilling in Egyptian offshore because of their expected environmental benign behavior. The main objective of this paper is to develop a methodology to determine the fate of heavy metals associated with WBF drilling waste in the marine environment and estimate the associated ecological risks. Proposed contaminant fate model is based on an aquivalence approach, which has been integrated with fuzzy-based analysis to study the uncertainties. This research concluded that the impacts of heavy metals associated with the drilling waste discharges in the receiving waters are minimal.     

Reservoir-system simulation and optimization techniques

Reservoir operation is one of the challenging problems for water resources planners and managers. In developing countries the end users are represented by the water sectors in most parts and conflict over water is resolved at the agency level. This paper discusses an overview of simulation and optimization modeling methods utilized in resolving critical issues with regard to reservoir systems. In designing a highly efficient as well as effective dam and reservoir operational system, reservoir simulation constitutes one of the most important steps to be considered. Reservoirs with well-functional and reliable optimization models require very accurate simulations. However, the nonlinearity of natural physical processes causes a major problem in determining the simulation of the reservoir’s parameters (elevation, surface-area, storage). Optimization techniques have shown high efficiency when used with simulation modeling and the combination of the two methods had given the best results in the reservoir management. The principal concern of this review study is to critically evaluate and analyze simulation, optimization and combined simulation–optimization modeling approach and present an overview of their utility in previous studies. Inferences and suggestions which may assist in improving quality of this overview in the future are provided. These will also enable future researchers, system analysts and managers to achieve more precise optimal operational system.     

Discrete element method simulations of the seismic response of shallow foundations including soil‐foundation‐structure interaction

A novel three‐dimensional particle‐based technique utilizing the discrete element method is proposed to analyze the seismic response of soil‐foundation‐structure systems. The proposed approach is employed to investigate the response of a single‐degree‐of‐freedom structure on a square spread footing founded on a dry granular deposit. The soil is idealized as a collection of spherical particles using discrete element method. The spread footing is modeled as a rigid block composed of clumped particles, and its motion is described by the resultant forces and moments acting upon it. The structure is modeled as a column made of particles that are either clumped to idealize a rigid structure or bonded to simulate a flexible structure of prescribed stiffness. Analysis is done in a fully coupled scheme in time domain while taking into account the effects of soil nonlinear behavior, the possible separation between foundation base and soil caused by rocking, the possible sliding of the footing, and the dynamic soil‐foundation interaction as well as the dynamic characteristics of the superstructure. High fidelity computational simulations comprising about half a million particles were conducted to examine the ability of the proposed technique to model the response of soil‐foundation‐structure systems. The computational approach is able to capture essential dynamic response patterns. The cyclic moment–rotation relationships at the base center point of the footing showed degradation of rotational stiffness by increasing the level of strain. Permanent deformations under the foundation continued to accumulate with the increase in number of loading cycles. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Neoproterozoic podiform chromitites in serpentinites of the Abu Meriewa–Hagar Dungash district, Eastern Desert, Egypt: Geotectonic implications and metamorphism

Podiform chromitites hosted in serpentinites (after harzburgite and dunite) and talc‐carbonate rocks from the Abu Meriewa–Hagar Dungash district (MHD), Eastern Desert of Egypt, together with metagabbros, pillow metavolcanics, and metasediments, form an ophiolitic mélange formed during the Neoproterozoic Pan‐African Orogeny. The chromitites show massive, disseminated, and nodular textures. Chromite cores in chromitites have high and restricted ranges of Cr# (0.65–0.75) and Mg# (0.64–0.83), implying primary compositions not affected by metamorphism. Therefore, they are used as reliable indicators of parent magma composition and tectonic affinities of these highly metamorphosed rocks. On the contrary, the altered rims are high‐Cr, low‐Fe³⁺ spinel (rather than ferritchromit) enriched in Cr, Fe, and Mn, and depleted in Al and Mg (Cr# = 0.75–0.97, Mg# = 0.29–0.79), due to equilibration with interstitial silicates during regional metamorphism up to transitional greenschist–amphibolite facies at about 500–550°C. The primary chromite compositions suggest derivation from a high‐Mg tholeiitic, to possibly boninitic, parental magma in a supra‐subduction zone (arc–marginal basin) environment, similar to the spatially associated metavolcanic rocks. The MHD chromitites are most probably formed by melt–rock interaction mechanisms. The high Cr# of the investigated chromites suggests high degrees of partial melting of a depleted harzburgite source by interaction with primitive basaltic melt of deeper origin followed by mixing. Such Cr‐rich chromites are common in chromitites from the Eastern Desert of Egypt, implying broad thermal anomalies, possibly linked to an important geodynamic feature of the Arabian–Nubian Shield (ANS) evolution. This could revive interest in models that involve asthenospheric uprise, related to plume interaction or most probably due to oblique convergence of arc terranes during early evolution of the ANS.     

Environmental and Health Impacts of Successive Mineral Fertilization in Egypt

Excessive amounts of mineral fertilizers are unnecessarily applied to agricultural soils in Egypt to increase crop yield. The current study aims at assessing the impacts of fertilization with different mineral fertilizers for different cultivation periods on the accumulation of heavy metals in soils and plants grown thereon. In addition, human risks resulted due to the exposure to these metal ions through ingestion, and dermal routes were evaluated. Soil and plant samples were collected from several locations in El‐Behira Governorate, Egypt and their heavy metal contents were measured. The result indicated that there is a continuous accumulation of heavy metals in the soils and the plants grown thereon. Calculation of the hazard index (HI) revealed that humans, especially children, have a potential health risk for both Pb and Cd, which have levels greater than the safe level (1). Finally, the obtained results showed that the continuous application of mineral fertilizers containing high levels of heavy metals pose a potential health threat.     

An Enhanced Remote Sensing Procedure for Material Mapping in the Western Desert of Egypt: A Tool for Managing Urban Development

Recently, both the Egyptian government and private sector have been interested in developing low desert zone areas. The low desert zones are located between the recent Nile flood plain and the limestone plateau, from the east and west sides, and represent an important source of aggregate materials. The development of these areas, however, will reduce the supply of aggregate materials so that new sources must be identified. This study describes several processing methods, applied to a Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus image of 2001, to develop a reliable method to map the aggregate materials. By using different enhancement techniques with the help of a supervised classification method, it was found that decorrelation stretch and principal component analysis are the most suitable methods to discriminate between different types of aggregates, as well as to isolate these aggregates from the surrounding materials. Field and laboratory investigations indicated that two types of aggregates were recognized, confirming the remote sensing findings.     

Broad-band calibration of marine seismic sources used by R/V Polarstern for academic research in polar regions

Air guns and air-gun arrays of different volumes are used for scientific seismic surveys with R/V Polarstern in polar regions. To assess the potential risk of these research activities on marine mammal populations, knowledge of the sound pressure field of the seismic sources is essential. Therefore, a broad-band (0–80 kHz) calibration study was conducted at the Heggernes Acoustic Range, Norway. A GI (2.4 l), a G (8.5 l) and a Bolt gun (32.8 l) were deployed as single sources, 3 GI (7.4 l), 3 G (25.6 l) and 8 VLF™ Prakla-Seismos air guns (24.0 l) as arrays. Each configuration was fired along a line of 3–4 km length running between two hydrophone chains with receivers in 35, 100, 198 and 263 m depth. Peak-to-peak, zero-to-peak, rms and sound exposure levels (SEL) were analysed as functions of range. They show the typical dipole-like directivity of marine seismic sources with amplitude cancellation close to the sea surface, higher amplitudes in greater depths, and sound pressure levels which continuously decrease with range. Levels recorded during the approach are lower than during the departure indicating a shadowing effect of Polarsterns's hull. Backcalculated zero-to-peak source levels range from 224–240 dB re 1 μPa @ 1 m. Spectral source levels are highest below 100 Hz and amount to 182–194 dB re 1 μPa Hz^–1. They drop off continuously with range and frequency. At 1 kHz they are ∼30 dB, at 80 kHz ∼60 dB lower than the peak level. Above 1 kHz amplitude spectra are dominated by Polarstern's self-noise. From the rms and sound exposure levels of the deepest hydrophone radii for different thresholds are derived. For a 180 dB rms-level threshold radii maximally vary between 200 and 600 m, for a 186 dB SEL threshold between 50 and 300 m.     

The Stability of Tide Gauges in the South Pacific Determined from Multiepoch Geodetic Levelling, 1992 to 2010

Tide gauge data is important for determining global or local sea level rise with respect to a global geocentric reference frame. Data from repeated precise levelling connections between the tide gauges and a series of coastal and inland benchmarks, including Continuous GPS (CGPS) benchmarks, are used to determine the stability of tide gauges at 12 locations in the South Pacific. The method for determining this stability is based on a constant velocity model which minimises the net movement amongst a set of datum benchmarks surveyed since the installation of the tide gauges. When assessed at a 95% confidence interval, and with the exception of the Solomon Islands, none of the tide gauges were found to be in motion relative to their CGPS benchmarks. The Solomon Islands estimate is considered to be unreliable since the CGPS benchmark was recently established and has been surveyed fewer than three times. In Tonga and Cook Islands, the tide gauges were found to be disturbed or affected by survey errors whereas the Vanuatu results were affected by earthquakes.     

Using Na/K Ratios to Identify the Potential Impacts of Sewage Effluent on Groundwater Quality in Sohag,Egypt

Improper disposal of wastewater is an important source of groundwater contamination, as it poses serious threats to the environment and human health. In this case study, 18 groundwater and 3 sewage effluent samples were collected from the area adjacent to a wastewater treatment plant in Sohag, Egypt. These samples were subjected to detailed chemical and bacteriological analyses to quantify the potential impact of sewage effluent on the groundwater quality using geochemical indicators. The groundwater aquifer in the study area is represented by the highly permeable Qena Sands that are composed of sands and gravels. The bacteriological analyses indicated the presence of fecal coliform in groundwater at wells nearby the wastewater ponds and farm lands. NH₄ concentration of the contaminated groundwater samples ranged from 0.36 to 5.70 mg/L (78% of the samples > 1.20 mg/L) and the NH₄ in the non‐impacted samples ranged from 0.40 to 2.23 mg/L (22% > 1.20 mg/L). Variations in NH₄ concentrations are due to the transformation processes occurring in the aquifer. The groundwater samples were categorized based on the Na/K ratio into two classes. The first class shows the Na/K ratios vary from 2.52 to 12.19 for sewage effluent and contaminated samples, while in the second class they range from 12.85 to 31.60 for non‐impacted samples. As a result, the Na/K ratio in combination with other chemical and microbiological indicators is a useful screening tool for assessing possible sewage influence on shallow groundwater from shallow wells.