Temporal dynamics,meteorological effects,secondary organic aerosol estimation,and source identification of size-segregated carbonaceous aerosols

During the period 2019–2020, size-segregated aerosol samples containing elemental and organic carbon (EC and OC) were investigated. These samples were collected weekly using an eight-stage cascade impactor from an urban site located at Aksaray University, Aksaray. The quantification of EC and OC was carried out through a thermal-optical transmission device. The results revealed consistent size distribution attributes of EC and OC between winter and summer. Although EC accounted for an insignificant percentage (4.4%) of particulate matter (PM) in the PM_9.0–10.0 fraction during winter, a more substantial portion of OC in the same fraction (13.4%) comprised EC. Seasonal variations were distinct for EC but not significant for OC. Strong correlations between OC and EC were observed in coarse particle fractions, indicating a common source, with weaker correlations in fine particles. The highest OC/EC ratio was in the PM_0.43–0.65 fraction, followed by PM_2.1–3.3. The ratio of OC to EC in fine PM exceeded the threshold of 15 consistently. The observation indicates that as particle size increases, there is a noticeable decline in the OC to EC ratios. Secondary organic aerosols (SOA) accounted for 60.8% (winter) and 89.8% (summer) of OC values, emphasizing the substantial impact of SOA on Aksaray's atmosphere. Both seasons exhibited a multimodal distribution of ambient OC. In winter, the EC distribution was dominated by fine particles, with a bimodal pattern (PM_1.1–2.1 and PM_0.43–0.65 peaks). Common pollutant sources, including traffic emissions, road dust, biogenic emissions, and coal combustion, were identified for both seasons in coarse and fine particle fractions. These findings underscore the importance of emission control strategies targeting fine PM in Aksaray.     

Estimation of site amplifications from shear-wave velocity profiles in Yeşilyurt and Avcılar,Istanbul, by frequency–wavenumber analysis of microtremors

During the M_w = 7.4 Izmit earthquake of 17 August 1999, the Yeilyurt district of Istanbul underwent damage despite the epicentral distance of 90 km. At Avclar (20 km west of Yeilyurt), the ground motion was even stronger and has caused heavy damage and fatalities. We investigate whether the observed ground motions can be explained by theoretical site amplifications calculated from one-dimensional (1-D) shear-wave velocity models. For this purpose, microtremors recorded with sensor-arrays set up at two sites were analyzed to obtain phase velocity dispersion curves using both the conventional and the Capon frequency–wavenumber (f–k) methods. At the Yeilyurt site, the conventional f–k method offered reliable phase velocity estimations whereas the Capon method showed scatter in the estimations. At the Avclar site, on the other hand, the Capon method provided a higher resolution than the conventional method and hence, allowed estimation of wavelengths up to seven times the array size. At the Yeilyurt site, the shallow shear-wave velocity profile that is correlated with the lithology obtained from boreholes yields a ground motion amplification factor of about 3 at the frequency of 1 Hz. At the Avclar site, the phase velocity dispersion curve is comparable with the one previously obtained using the spatial autocorrelation method. The site amplification factors calculated from the 1-D shear-wave velocity model are around 2–3 at the frequencies of 0.4, 1.2 and 2.3 Hz, which are about 2–3 times smaller than the amplifications obtained from reference-site techniques using weak/strong motion records of earthquakes. We suggest that the discrepancy may be caused by a 2- or 3-D effect introduced by surface and/or bedrock topography not accounted for by the horizontally stratified model considered here.     

Modeling Monthly Mean Flow in a Poorly Gauged Basin by Fuzzy Logic

The estimation of the monthly mean flow is a critical issue in many water resource development projects. However, in practice the mean flow is not easily determined in ungauged and poorly gauged basins. Therefore, in the literature, various flow estimation methods have been developed recently for mountainous regions which are generally ungauged or poorly gauged basins. In this study a fuzzy logic model based on the Mamdani approach was developed to estimate the flow for poorly gauged mountainous basins. This model was applied to the Solakli Basin which is located in the Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey. Limited rainfall and flow data are available for this basin. In addition to these variables, the stream and time coefficients were introduced and used as variables for modeling. The data was divided into training and testing phases. The model results were compared with the measured data. The comparison depends on seven statistical characteristics, four different error modes and the contour map method. It was observed that the fuzzy model developed in this study yielded reliable results.     

Effects of the North Atlantic Oscillation and groundwater use on the contraction of Sultansazligi Wetland, Turkey

The Sultansazligi Wetland, an internationally important aquatic site in Turkey, has suffered from a severe contraction since the early 1990s. To determine the factors affecting contraction, temporal variations of climatic and hydrogeologic variables have been investigated. Both the long-term climate change and the increasing surface and groundwater use are found to be responsible. Hydrologic analyses reveal an apparent correlation between increasing use of water resources and contraction in the wetland. Particularly, increasing use of groundwater and complete capture of springs and effluent streams once feeding the wetland are found to be the prime factors. Furthermore, a strong coherence is found between the temporal trend of the North Atlantic Oscillation and local precipitation, which is the main source of the basin??s water excess and supplies the wetland. Future existence of the wetland depends on the application of thrifty water-use polices in irrigation.     

The combined RUSLE/SDR approach integrated with GIS and geostatistics to estimate annual sediment flux rates in the semi-arid catchment,Turkey

Quantitative evaluation of the spatial distribution of the erosion risk in any watershed or ecosystem is one of the most important tools for environmentalists, conservationists and engineers to plan natural resource management for the sustainable environment in a long term. This study was performed in the semi-arid catchment of the Saraykoy II Irrigation Dam, Cankiri, located in the transition zone between the Central Anatolia Steppe and the Black Sea Forests of Turkey. The total area of the catchment is 262.31 ha. The principal objectives were to quantify both potential and actual soil erosion risks by the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and to estimate the amount of sediments to be delivered from the hillslope of the catchment to the reservoir of the dam using the sediment delivery ratio (SDR) in combination with the RUSLE model. All factor and sub-factor calculations required for solving the RUSLE model and SDR in the catchment were made spatially using DEM, GIS and Geostatistics. As the main catchment was divided into twenty-five sub-catchments, the predicted actual soil loss (by the model) was 146,657.52 m³ year^?1 and the weighted average of SDR estimated by areal distribution (%) of the sub-watersheds was 0.344 for whole catchment, resulted in 50,450.19 m³ year^?1 sediment arriving to the reservoir. Since the Dam has a total storage capacity of 509 × 10³ m³, the life expectancy of the Dam is estimated as 10.09 year. This estimation indicated that the dam has a relatively short economic life and there is a need for water-catchment management and soil conservation measures to reduce erosion.