Temperature inversion and mixing height: critical indicators for air pollution in hot arid climate

Natural Hazards - Boundary layer temperature inversion and mixing heights are important parameters in understanding the atmospheric dispersion of air pollution. Surface and elevated inversions were...     

Probabilistic depth–damage curves for assessment of flood-induced building losses

Natural Hazards - To investigate the propagation of meteorological droughts to agricultural and hydrological droughts, the relationship between droughts was analyzed using observed precipitation...     

Petrology,geochemistry, radioactivity,and M–W type rare earth element tetrads of El Sela altered granites,south eastern desert,Egypt

Acta Geochimica - The southern part of the Eastern Desert of Egypt—about 30 km southwest of Abu-Ramad city—is mainly covered by ophiolitic rocks (Sul Hamed), island arc...     

Bayesian Estimation of Earth’s Undiscovered Mineralogical Diversity Using Noninformative Priors

Recently, statistical distributions have been explored to provide estimates of the mineralogical diversity of Earth, and Earth-like planets. In this paper, a Bayesian approach is introduced to estimate Earth’s undiscovered mineralogical diversity. Samples are generated from a posterior distribution of the model parameters using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations such that estimates and inference are directly obtained. It was previously shown that the mineral species frequency distribution conforms to a generalized inverse Gauss–Poisson (GIGP) large number of rare events model. Even though the model fit was good, the population size estimate obtained by using this model was found to be unreasonably low by mineralogists. In this paper, several zero-truncated, mixed Poisson distributions are fitted and compared, where the Poisson-lognormal distribution is found to provide the best fit. Subsequently, the population size estimates obtained by Bayesian methods are compared to the empirical Bayes estimates. Species accumulation curves are constructed and employed to estimate the population size as a function of sampling size. Finally, the relative abundances, and hence the occurrence probabilities of species in a random sample, are calculated numerically for all mineral species in Earth’s crust using the Poisson-lognormal distribution. These calculations are connected and compared to the calculations obtained in a previous paper using the GIGP model for which mineralogical criteria of an Earth-like planet were given.

     

Particle escape probability for inhomogeneous medium

The particle escape probability from a non-multiplying slab containing an internal source is defined in terms of a functional relation for the scattering function for the diffuse reflection problem. The Padé approximation technique is used to obtain numerical results for particle escape probability for inhomogeneous medium. Numerical results for homogenous and inhomogeneous media are given.     

Cenozoic sedimentary dynamics of the Ouarzazate foreland basin (Central High Atlas Mountains, Morocco)

Cenozoic continental sedimentary deposits of the Southern Atlas named "Imerhane Group" crop out (a) in the Ouarzazate foreland basin between the Precambrian basement of the Anti Atlas and the uplifted limestone dominated High Atlas, and (b) in the Aït Kandoula and Aït Seddrat nappes where Jurassic strata detached from the basement have been thrust southwards over the Ouarzazate Basin. New biostratigraphic and geochronological data constraining the final Eocene marine regression, the characterization of the new "Aït Ouglif Detrital Formation" presumed to be of Oligocene age, and the new stratigraphic division proposed for the Continental Imerhane Group clarify the major tectonogenetic alpidic movements of the Central High Atlas Range. Four continental formations are identified at regional scale. Their emplacement was governed principally by tectonic but also by eustatic controls. The Hadida and Aït Arbi formations (Upper Eocene) record the major Paleogene regression. They are composed of margino-littoral facies (coastal sabkhas and fluviatile systems) and reflect incipient erosion of the underlying strata and renewed fluvial drainage. The Aït Ouglif Formation (presumed Oligocene) had not been characterized before. It frequently overlies all earlier formations with an angular unconformity. It includes siliciclastic alluvial deposits and is composed predominantly of numerous thin fining-upward cycles. The Aït Kandoula Formation (Miocene-Pliocene) is discordant, extensive, and represents a thick coarsening-upward megasequence. It is composed of palustro-lacustrine deposits in a context of alluvial plain with localized sabkhas, giving way to alluvial fans and fluviatile environments. The Upper Conglomeratic Formation (Quaternary) is the trace of a vast conglomeratic pediment, forming an alluvial plain and terraces. The second and third formations correspond to two megasequences engendered by the uplift of the Central High Atlas in two major compressive phases during late Oligocene and Miocene-Pliocene times. These two geodynamic events were separated by a tectonically calm phase, materialized by palustro-lacustrine sedimentation (Görler et al. 1988). Tectono-sedimentary analysis of the two megasequences shows that the basin structure and depositional processes were controlled by the compressive tectonic context generated by the collision of North Africa and Iberia in Tertiary times (Jacobshagen et al. 1988). The Quaternary Formation was apparently controlled by a tectonic continuum and by climatic variations.     

Water chemistry of Mansar Lake (India): an indication of source area weathering and seasonal variability

The chemistry of major elements (Ca, Mg, Na, K and Si) and anions (HCO ₃, SO ₄ and Cl) in the water of Mansar Lake was studied, based on seasonal data. The results show that total dissolved solid (TDS) concentration in a particular season is similar, but varies slightly in different seasons with a variation factor of less than 2. This is because the collections were made in the dry seasons and the Ca-precipitation is the cause for the seasonal variability. The major element chemistry of Mansar Lake is mainly controlled by rock weathering, with HCO ₃ and Ca dominating the major ion composition because of the abundance of carbonate rocks in the basin. The results also indicate that the lake water is saturated with respect to calcite and/or dolomite during the spring season whereas it is undersaturated in the summer season. This contrast brings out seasonal variability. The lake shows disequilibrium with atmospheric CO ₂ as a result of carbonate dissolution in the drainage basin. The study also shows that physical weathering/erosion is dominant and that chemical weathering is incipient. This is consistent with the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) data.     

Geochemistry and Sedimentology of Jhill Limestone of Gaj Formation,in Cape Monze and Adjoining Area,Karachi

Among several lithostratigraphic subdivisions of the Gaj Formation of Miocene age, the Jhill limestone is entirely different with respect to its colour, texture and structures. This limestone unit has been evaluated to elaborate its geochemical and sedimentological characteristics. The distribution of various elements in the acid-soluble fraction has been studied in order to determine their mineralogy, sedimentary environment, facies and diagenesis. Mineralogy, recrystallization and other diagenetic changes are the main factors affecting the distribution of trace elements and their mutual relationships in the limestones. Samples of the Jhill limestone show depletion in large-sized ions (Sr, Pb & K) and also in the ions that are not compatible with calcite space group. Elements (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu & Co) having distribution coefficient (D) above unity for natural calcites, are more enriched. Microscopic and X-ray studies revealed nearly complete conversion of aragonite into stable low-Mg calcite. An attempt has also been made to verify the reefal conditions for these limestones on the basis of geochemical studies. The plots of Sr and other facies-indicator elements show that the majority of the beds belong to forereef flank facies with some algal banks. Low Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios suggest that a phreatic diagenetic environment prevailed after the deposition. High concentrations of Cr, Ni, and Co in the Jhill limestone show a positive correlation with a higher amount of insoluble residue, which reflects a relatively high rate of influx of terrigenous material.     

古新世特提斯北缘前黑海地区盆地的演化与油气远景

此文为研究特提斯北缘前黑海地区盆地地质发展史的成果。结论是：携带有北方大陆碎屑物质的河流是其沉积作用中的主要因素。油气远景与古河流扇影响的地带有关，在那些地带出现碎屑储层的斜坡沉积。这已为古顿河—库班河和古多脑河—第聂伯尔河先三角洲的大量野外发现所证实。