Late Oligocene–Early Miocene palaeoecology based on pollen data from the Kalkım-Gönen Basin (Northwest Turkey)

Radiometric and palynological data of the Upper Oligocene–Lower Miocene Soma Formation from the Kalk?m-Gönen Basin yield new results related to age and palynological contents. In this study, Upper Oligocene strata from the Dani?ment and Linfa areas and Lower Miocene strata from the Bengiler area were sampled palynologically and for radiometric dating. The Dani?ment assemblage, which is older than the Linfa assemblages, mainly contains coniferous and evergreen to deciduous mixed mesophytic forest elements. Relatively high quantities of the altitudinal plants Picea and Abies, indicate a cooler palaeoclimate. The Linfa associations mainly include coniferous and riparian elements. Pollen of the riparian plant Alnus and Taxodiaceae indicative for the swamp forest community was predominant, probably as a result of a high lake level. There is a hiatus during the Oligocene–Miocene transition, probably showing a non-depositional phase and sea-level fall indicating the Mi-1 glaciation event. Higher in the sequence, the Aquitanian Bengiler sediments include high amounts of coniferous forest elements as well as components indicative for the evergreen and deciduous mesophytic forest and also riparian forest and swamp forest. Due to presence of thermophilous taxa Reveesia, Mastixiaceae and Arecaceae, a warm and humid palaeoclimate is inferred according to quantitative analyses using the Coexistence Approach.     

Determining the impact of climate change on land suitability for rice paddy cultivation using GIS and RS on FAO maximum limitation approach

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - In the present study, we aimed to understand the current condition of land suitability and how climate change will affect its suitability for rice paddy...     

Preconcentration by Coprecipitation of Copper and Nickel with Mo(VI)/Triazole Derivative System and Their Determinations by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry in Food and Water Samples

A new separation and preconcentration technique based on coprecipitation of Cu(II) and Ni(II) ions by the aid of Mo(VI)/di‐tert‐butyl{methylenebis[5‐(chlorobenzyl)‐4H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐3,4‐diyl]}biscarbamate (BUMECTAC) precipitate has been established. The Mo(VI)/BUMECTAC precipitate was dissolved by concentrated HNO₃ and the solution was completed to 5.0 mL with distilled/deionized water. The levels of the analyte ions were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometer. The effects of experimental conditions like HNO₃ concentration, amount of BUMECTAC and Mo(VI), sample volume, etc. and also the influences of some foreign ions were investigated in detail on the quantitative recoveries of analyte ions. The preconcentration factors were found to be 40 for Cu(II) and 100 for Ni(II) ions. The detection limits for Cu(II) and Ni(II) ions based on 3σ (N:10) were 0.43 and 0.70 µg L^?1, respectively. The relative standard deviations were found to be lower than 4.0% for both analyte ions. The accuracy of the method was checked by spiked/recovery tests and the analysis of two certified reference materials (Environment Canada TM‐25.3 and CRM‐SA‐C Sandy Soil C). The procedure was successfully applied to sea water and stream water as liquid samples and baby food as solid sample in order to determine the levels of Cu(II) and Ni(II) ions.     

Time‐variant sustainability assessment of seismically vulnerable bridges subjected to multiple hazards

In the design and assessment of structures, the aspects regarding the future performance are gaining increased attention. A wide range of performance measures is covered by ‘sustainability’ to reflect these aspects. There is the need for well established methods for quantifying the metrics of sustainability. In this paper, a framework for assessing the time‐variant sustainability of bridges associated with multiple hazards considering the effects of structural deterioration is presented. The approach accounts for the effects of flood‐induced scour on seismic fragility. Sustainability is quantified in terms of its social, environmental, and economic metrics. These include the expected downtime and number of fatalities, expected energy waste and carbon dioxide emissions, and the expected loss. The proposed approach is illustrated on a reinforced concrete bridge. The effects of corrosion on reinforcement bars and concrete cover spalling are accounted. The seismic fragility curves at different points in time are obtained through nonlinear finite element analyses. The variation of the metrics of sustainability in time is presented. The effects of flood‐induced scour on both seismic fragility and metrics are also investigated. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.