The effect of the Zagros Mountains on the formation and maintenance of the Iran Anticyclone using RegCM4

Iran anticyclone is one of the main features of the summer circulation over the Middle East in the middle and upper troposphere. To examine the effect of the Zagros Mountains on the formation and maintenance of the Iran anticyclone, an experiment was conducted by Regional Climate Model (RegCM4) in an area between 22°?C44°N and 35°?C70°E with a 40?km horizontal grid spacing. The NCEP/NCAR re-analysis data set were used to provide the initial and lateral boundary conditions in a control run and in a simulation run by removing the Zagros Mountains. The result reveals that the Zagros Mountains have an important effect on the formation and maintenance of the low-level cyclonic circulation and mid-level anticyclonic circulation in summer. Examining the diabatic heating shows that the elimination of the Zagros Mountains causes a significant change in the heating values and its spatial distributions over the study area. Comparing the diabatic heating terms, the vertical advection term has the main contribution to the total heating. In the absence of the Zagros Mountains, the vertical advection and the mid-troposphere anticyclonic circulation are apparently weak and, therefore, the Iran subtropical anticyclone vanishes over the west of Iran. The study indicates that the Zagros Mountains as an elevated heat source have the main impact in the formation of a thermally driven circulation over the Middle East.     

A note on the wave-passage effects in out-of-plane response of long structures to strong earthquake pulses

Elementary consequences of the wave-passage effects are described for out-of-plane response of long structures, excited by SH wave earthquake ground motion pulses propagating along their longitudinal axis. For the passage times in the range of 0.005–0.10 s, the maximum column drifts can increase several folds due to the combined action of out-of-plane and torsional response. Because most of the seismic wave energy do not arrive at a site vertically, the common engineering assumption that it does, leads to nonconservative response estimates.     

Effect of addition of organic residues on phosphorus release kinetics in some calcareous soils of western Iran

We investigated the effects on phosphorus (P) release of the addition of potato, wheat, and sunflower residues and fruit compost to five calcareous soils. Residue was added at the rate of 20 g kg⁻¹. After 2 months of incubation, P values in control and amended soils were used for kinetic studies and fractionated by a sequential extraction procedure. The relative contribution of available P fraction (KCl-P) increased from 1.4% in control soils to 1.8%, 1.9%, 2.2%, and 2.3% in soils amended by fruit, wheat, potato, and sunflower residue addition, respectively, indicating that organic residues increased P in this fraction. In soils amended with different residues, the percentage of Olsen-P released over 86-h successive extractions with 0.01 M CaCl₂ ranged from 57.6% for fruit residue addition (average of five soils) to 60.5% for potato residue addition. The ability of residues to release P depended on the soil properties, with 21.9 mg kg⁻¹ (average of all residues) released to soil 2 and 77.4 mg kg⁻¹ released to soil 4. Also residues behaved differently, with 31.5 mg kg⁻¹ (average of five soils) released by fruit residues and 40.0 mg kg⁻¹ released by sunflower residues. Release of P was best described by a parabolic diffusion model. The corresponding rate constant (mg kg⁻¹ h^−1/2) for P release for amended soils, defined as the release rate averaged for five soils, was found to decrease in the order: potato (2.73) > sunflower (2.61) > wheat (2.56) > fruit (2.50). The present study demonstrates that addition of residues improves P availability of these calcareous soils by increasing extractable P and the release rate and could be an alternative, indigenous source of P. However, the increase in P availability and the release rate following organic residue application suggests high potential mobility to water sources.     

Competitive adsorption of trace elements in calcareous soils as affected by sewage sludge,poultry manure,and municipal waste compost

The competitive adsorption of trace elements is a key issue in assessing the mobility of trace elements in calcareous soils and can be affected by disposal of sewage sludge, municipal waste, and poultry manure. The effect of municipal sewage sludge, poultry manure, and municipal waste compost on the sorption of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and nickel (Ni) in surface samples of three calcareous soils was studied. As the applied concentrations increased, Cu and Cd adsorption increased, while Zn and Ni adsorption decreased in all treatments. Based on the distribution coefficient (K _d) values and proportion of increase or decrease in metal adsorption, the selectivity sequence in control and amended soils found was Cu ≫ Cd ≫ Ni > Zn and Cu ≫ Cd ≫ Zn > Ni, respectively. In general, among control and amended soils, control soils showed the highest K _d for Cd, Cu, and Ni, while sludge, poultry manure, and composted waste-amended soils had lowest K _d for Cd, Cu, and Ni, respectively. In the case of Zn, composted waste-amended and control soils had highest and lowest K _d, respectively. The present experimental results indicated that the addition of organic amendments to these calcareous soils reduced the sorption of Cd, Cu, and Ni. Thus, the effects of preferential adsorption and organic matter should be considered in assessing the risk associated with applying sewage sludge, poultry manure, and composted material to calcareous soils.     

Euler-Euler two-phase flow simulation of tunnel erosion beneath marine pipelines

In this study an Euler-Euler two-phase model was developed to investigate the tunnel erosion beneath a submarine pipeline exposed to unidirectional flow. Both of the fluid and sediment phases were described via the Navier-Stokes equations, i.e. the model was implemented using time-averaged continuity and momentum equations for the fluid and sediment phases and a modified k−ε turbulence closure for the fluid phase. The fluid and sediment phases were coupled by considering the drag and lift interaction forces. The model was employed to simulate the tunnel erosion around the pipeline laid on an erodible bed. Comparison between the numerical result and experimental measurement confirms that the numerical model successfully predicts the bed profile and velocity field during the tunnel erosion. It is evident that the sediments are transported as the sheet-flow mode in the tunnel erosion stage. Also the transport rate under the pipe increases rapidly at the early stage and then reduces gradually at the end of the tunnel erosion beneath pipelines.     

A reappraisal of active faults in central-east Iran (Kerman province)

Fault lineaments are the main input data in earthquake engineering and seismology studies. This study presents a digitally-based active fault map of the Kerman region in central-east Iran which experienced several devastating earthquakes on poorly exposed and/or not identified active faults. Using Landsat 8 data, we have carried out the image-based procedures of fault mapping, which include applying the contrast stretching technique, the principal component analysis, the color composite technique, the spectral rationing, and creating the false-color composite images. Besides, we have cross-checked the resulting map with the geological maps provided by the Geological Survey of Iran to decrease the associated uncertainties. The resulting map includes 123 fault segments, still, a part of which has been expressed in the previously compiled active-fault maps of Iran. Indeed, the new one is mapping the poorly exposed active faults, so-called secondary faults, which are able to produce strong events. These faults are primarily associated with poorly defined areas that accommodate low levels of seismicity; however, sporadic strong events are likely to occur. It has also been investigated that these kinds of faults are seismogenic and are able to produce destructive events. In total, the outcome of this study can also be jointed with seismic studies for investigating parts of the earthquake activity in central-east Iran, in particular for the fault-based approaches in impending earthquake-resistant buildings.     

An analytical solution to wave dissipation induced by interacting waves and currents with muddy deposits

Ocean Dynamics - The present study aims to provide a straightforward analytical solution to wave-current-mud interaction by considering the mean shear stress effects in the water layer. A direct...     

Application of K-means and PCA approaches to estimation of gold grade in Khooni district (central Iran)

Grade estimation is an important phase of mining projects, and one that is considered a challenge due in part to the structural complexities in mineral ore deposits. To overcome this challenge, various techniques have been used in the past. This paper introduces an approach for estimating Au ore grades within a mining deposit using k-means and principal component analysis (PCA). The Khooni district was selected as the case study. This region is interesting geologically, in part because it is considered an important gold source. The study area is situated approximately 60 km northeast of the Anarak city and 270 km from Esfahan. Through PCA, we sought to understand the relationship between the elements of gold, arsenic, and antimony. Then, by clustering, the behavior of these elements was investigated. One of the most famous and efficient clustering methods is k-means, based on minimizing the total Euclidean distance from each class center. Using the combined results and characteristics of the cluster centers, the gold grade was determined with a correlation coefficient of 91%. An estimation equation for gold grade was derived based on four parameters: arsenic and antimony content, and length and width of the sampling points. The results demonstrate that this approach is faster and more accurate than existing methodologies for ore grade estimation.     

North Qorveh volcanic field,western Iran: eruption styles,petrology and geological setting

Mineralogy and Petrology - In the metamorphic Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone of western Iran, the “North Qorveh Volcanic Field” is constituted by Pleistocene scoria cones and associated deposits....