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.     

Surface complexation model of boron adsorption by calcareous soils

This study aimed to evaluate boron (B) adsorption and the capacity of a surface complexation model for simulating this process in calcareous soils. Ten surface soils were collected from different land use areas in Hamedan, Western Iran, to characterize B sorption by soils. The mean B adsorbed by the sample soils varied from 8.9 to 32.8 %. Two empirical models including linear and Freundlich equations fitted well to the experimental data. The linear distribution (K _d) values varied from 1.32 to 6.86 L kg^?1, while the parameters of Freundlich equation including n and K _Fr ranged from 1.16 to 1.33 and 3.31–16.81, respectively. The comparison of two empirical models indicated that B adsorption followed a nonlinear pattern. The soil organic matter had positive correlations with Freundlich and linear distribution coefficients. However, empirical models were not suitable for explaining the mechanism of B adsorption, so a surface complexation model was used to simulate and predict the B adsorption process. B adsorption modeling was conducted using Visual MINTEQ and PHREEQC, based on the assemblage of major surface components (hydrous ferric oxides, aluminum hydroxides, calcium carbonate, and humic acids). B adsorption was successfully modeled by surface complexation. The significant contribution of organic matter to B complexes was resulted from both experimental data and mechanistic modeling.     

Release kinetics and distribution of boron in different fractions in some calcareous soils

The aim of this study was to evaluate the release kinetics, speciation, and fractionation of boron (B) in some calcareous soils of western Iran. Ten surface soil samples were incubated with 100 mg B kg^?1 for a week at field capacity moisture. After air drying of samples, the trend of B release was experimented using sequential extraction with 10 mM CaCl₂. B speciation in soil solution was calculated for the first and the last steps of extraction by the visual MINTEQ program. The distribution of B among five fractions including exchangeable (F1), specially adsorbed (F2), bound by Fe–Mn oxides (F3), organically bound (F4) and residual (F5), was determined in control and spiked soils. The results indicated that the release rates were initially rapid followed by a slower reaction and the main proportion of the added B was extracted by CaCl₂. The release kinetics of B was described well with Elovich, parabolic diffusion, power function, and first-order equations. The speciation results revealed that the uncharged boric acid (H₃BO ₃ ⁰ ) was the dominant species in soil solutions. In control soils, B concentration in different fractions decreased in the following order: F5 > F1 > F2 > F3 > F4. In spiked soils, however, the largest and the smallest fractions were exchangeable and residual, respectively. This implies that B transformation from soluble to less mobile and non-labile forms is not a rapid process and requires more than a week. The significant relationship observed between kinetic parameters of power and parabolic equations and organically bound B fraction and OM content indicated that organic matter played an important role in B adsorption and release in calcareous soils.     

Using high-resolution satellite imagery to provide a relief priority map after earthquake

After the earthquake occurrence, collecting correct information about the extent of damage is essential for managing critical conditions and allocating limited resources. The prepared building damage maps sometimes bring about waste of time required for rescuing individuals under the rubble by wrongly conducting rescue teams toward regions with a lower rescue priority. In this research, an algorithm based on using a proposed standard at database level was developed to prioritize damaged buildings by considering five key elements of land use type, the degree of damage to buildings, the land use differentiation index, time of the highest population density in each land use, and time of disaster’s incidence. The steps of the proposed method which was implemented in the MATLAB environment include: detecting buildings on the pre- and post-event imagery, implementing texture features for each candidate building, choosing the optimal features by genetic algorithm, determining the degree of building damage in three classes of negligible damage, substantial damage, and heavy damage by using the difference between chosen features as inputs of the designed neurofuzzy inference system. Data collected from field observations were compared to the output obtained from the proposed algorithm. This comparison presented a general accuracy of 88% and Kappa coefficient of 79% in the classification of buildings into three damage classes. The proposed standard then was used for classifying damaged buildings into relief priorities of high, medium, and low. Findings revealed that the relief priority map could be a basis for correct guidance of relief and rescue teams during crucial times following earthquakes.     

Geochemistry of major and rare earth elements in garnet of the Kal-e Kafi skarn,Anarak Area,Central Iran: Constraints on processes in a hydrothermal system

Grossular-andradite (grandite) garnets, precipitated from hydrothermal solutions is associated with contact metamorphism in the Kal-e Kafi skarn show complex oscillatory chemical zonation. These skarn garnets preserve the records of the temporal evolution of contact metasomatism. According to microscopic studies and microprobe analysis profiles, the studied garnet has two distinct parts: the intermediate (granditic) composition birefringent core that its andradite content based on microprobe analysis varies between 0.68–0.7. This part is superimposed with more andraditic composition, and the isotropic rim which its andradite content regarding microprobe analysis ranges between 0.83–0.99. Garnets in the studied sample are small (0.5–2 mm in diameter) and show complex oscillatory zoning. Electron microprobe analyses of the oscillatory zoning in grandite garnet of the Kal-e Kafi area showed a fluctuation in chemical composition. The grandite garnets normally display core with intermediate composition with oscillatory Fe-rich zones at the rim. Detailed study of oscillatory zoning in grandite garnet from Kal-e Kafi area suggests that the garnet has developed during early metasomatism involving monzonite to monzodiorite granitoid body intrusion into the Anarak schist- marble interlayers. During this metasomatic event, Al, Fe, and Si in the fluid have reacted with Ca in carbonate rocks to form grandite garnet. The first step of garnet growth has been coeval with intrusion of the Kal-e Kafi granitoid into the Anarak schist- marble interlayers. In this period of garnet growth, change in fluid composition may cause the garnet to stop growing temporarily or keep growing but in a much slower rate allowing Al to precipitate rather than Fe. The next step consists of pervasive infiltration of Fe rich fluids and Fe rich grandite garnets formation as the rim of previously formed more Al rich garnets. Oscillatory zoning in the garnet probably reflects an oscillatory change in the fluid composition which may be internally and/or externally controlled. The rare earth elements study of these garnets revealed enrichment in light REEs (LREE) with a maximum at Pr and Nd and a negative to no Eu anomaly. This pattern is resulted from the uptake of REE out of hydrothermal fluids by growing crystals of calcsilicate minerals principally andradite with amounts of LREE controlled by the difference in ionic radius between Ca⁺⁺ and REE³⁺ in garnet x site.