Integration of GIS,AHP and TOPSIS for earthquake hazard analysis

Worldwide, earthquakes and related disasters have persistently had severe negative impacts on human livelihoods and have caused widespread socioeconomic and environmental damage. The severity of these disasters has prompted recognition of the need for comprehensive and effective disaster and emergency management (DEM) efforts, which are required to plan, respond to and develop risk mitigation strategies. In this regard, recently developed methods, known as multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), have been widely used in DEM domains by emergency managers to greatly improve the quality of the decision-making process, making it more participatory, explicit, rational and efficient. In this study, MCDA techniques of the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), integrated with GIS, were used to produce earthquake hazard and risk maps for earthquake disaster monitoring and analysis for a case study region of Küçükçekmece in Istanbul, Turkey. The five main criteria that have the strongest influence on the impact of earthquakes on the study region were determined: topography, distance to epicentre, soil classification, liquefaction and fault/focal mechanism. AHP was used to determine the weights of these parameters, which were also used as input into the TOPSIS method and GIS (ESRI ArcGIS) for simulating these outputs to produce earthquake hazard maps. The resulting earthquake hazard maps created by both the AHP and TOPSIS models were compared, showing high correlation and compatibility. To estimate the elements at risk, population and building data were used with the AHP and TOPSIS hazard maps for potential loss assessment; thus, we demonstrated the potential of integrating GIS with AHP and TOPSIS in generating hazard maps for effective earthquake disaster and risk management.     

Parametric rolling behaviour of azimuthing propulsion-driven ships

The study investigates the experimental and numerical analysis of the occurrence of auto-parametric rolling for large, high-speed pod-driven ships in waves. Considering unique design and performance targets, the aim here is to exploit susceptibility to auto-parametric rolling behaviour and to identify probable design and operational precautions. In order to achieve this aim, an existing non-linear time-domain software to simulate capsizing and other critical manoeuvring behaviours of slow- to medium-speed conventional and podded ships in waves is being enhanced for fast pod-driven vessels and then compared against the dedicated model test conducted in long-crested regular and random waves for a large, pod-driven containership model. This paper includes the presentation of current numerical modifications for pod-driven ships and the verification analysis.     

Series approximation of the Kirchhoff method for wavefield computation on a rough subsurface

ABSTRACT Computation of the wavefield due to reflection from an irregular surface is carried out for subsurfaces with large radii of curvature. The Kirchhoff approximation is proved to be sufficiently accurate provided that the acoustic wavelength is sufficiently small with respect to the asperities of the rough surface. For cases where the irregular surface does not fulfil this condition, a series solution is proposed. The first term of this series appears to be the result obtained by conventional Kirchhoff approximation. The series, initially developed in the space–wavenumber domain by Meecham, is transformed into the space–time domain, and the general expression for the series is obtained by calculation of the normal derivative of the field function. The series solution, restricted to the first two terms, is illustrated by application to three synthetic examples. Applications show that the series approximation obtained by the Kirchhoff method contributes significantly to the modelling of narrow, steep and deep structures and consequently it appears that the second term in the series cannot be ignored in the computation of the wavefields arising from a rough surface.     

Distribution of ciliates in relation to environmental factors along the coastline of the Gulf of Gabes, Tunisia

We studied the seasonal distribution of the ciliate community coupled with environmental factors along the coast at three stations sampled (from March 2006 to February 2007) in the Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia, Eastern Mediterranean Sea). A total of 56 species belonging to 11 orders, were identified. Harbor of Gabes station was more diversified (45 species) than both Tabia (26 species) and Karboub (31 species) stations. The ciliate assemblage was numerically dominated by Spirotrichea in Tabia (82% of the total abundance), in the Harbor of Gabes (86% of the total abundance), whereas, in Karboub, Spirotrichea represented only 40% of the total abundance. The unexpected lower quantitative importance of Spirotrichea in Karboub station was apparently the result of the high salt concentration found in water samples throughout the study, probably originating from the saline area surrounding Karboub station, known as Sabkha. The distribution of species in the nearshore of the Gulf of Gabes seemed most likely influenced by the combined effects of temperature, salinity and hydrographic conditions.     

A reconnaissance report for the Romanian earthquake of 4 March 1977

The engineering aspects of the 4 March 1977 Romanian earthquake are presented. They are based upon a field investigation conducted by the writers in Bucharest and in southern Romania in collaboration with members of the Building Research Institute of Romania, during the period 25–31 March 1977. This report covers general observations, data and evaluation on the character of the earthquake, structural damage inflicted by it, performance of different types of buildings during the earthquake and relief operations.     

Utilizing Natural Liner Materials for Heavy Metal Removal in Simulated Landfill Conditions

Inorganic industrial waste landfills have the potential to contaminate subsurface groundwater supplies through migration of leachates down to the water table and into groundwater aquifers, despite the use of compacted low permeability clay or polyethene liners. This paper aims the removal of Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ in the leachate from an industrial waste landfill using natural materials (natural zeolite, expanded vermiculite, pumice, illite, kaolinite, and bentonite) as a liner material. Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ concentrations for all treatments decreased during the process. Of all the different natural materials, natural zeolite, expanded vermiculite and pumice, with bentonite, were effective in removing Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ present in the leachate. However, the use of illite and kaolinite with bentonite as liner materials could be of disadvantage in Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ removal from leachate. The adsorption kinetic models were also tested for the validity. The second order kinetics with the high correlation coefficients best described adsorption kinetic data.     

Vecteur de la pollution metallique du bassin versant de l’Oued El Bey vers le Golfe de Tunis (Tunisie)

Résumé

L’Oued El Bey, qui draine 60% de la charge polluante hydrique de plusieurs agglomérations urbaines du Nord-Est de la Tunisie, est un exemple représentatif du transfert des métaux lourds résultant de l’activité industrielle et urbaine. Il fournit une indication sur le devenir et la répartition des métaux lourds dans le Golfe de Tunis. Dans la fraction dissoute, Cd, Pb, Co et Hg ne sont pas détectés mais Zn varie entre 0,01 et 0,07 μg/L. Les concentrations du Mn, Zn, As, Ni, Pb, Cu et du Cd sont très élevées dans la fraction particulaire par rapport à la fraction dissoute, avec un coefficient de partage Kd de l’ordre de 10⁶, ainsi que dans les sédiments du lit de l’oued pour Pb et Zn. La pollution par les métaux la plus élevé de l’Oued El Bey a été trouvée pour Zn, Pb et Cu: les concentrations variaient respectivement entre 1698,9 et 14575, de 0 à 2153,7 et de 0 à 3431,8 μg/g. La variation spatiale des teneurs en métaux lourds confirme l’effet des eaux usées rejetées dans l’Oued El Bey. Les teneurs de ces métaux lourds dans les trois phases dissoute, particulaire (MES) et sédiments confirment que la MES constitue le vecteur de transport principal via la Sebkha Soliman vers le golfe. L’examen des rapports des différents éléments (Pb, Cu et Cd) par rapport au Zn dans les sédiments de l’oued montre une augmentation au niveau de la confluence de l’Oued El Bey et de son affluent l’Oued El Meleh, ce qui signifie que les apports sédimentaires de cet affluent contrôlent la signatutue chimique des sédiments de l’Oued El Bey.

Editeur Z.W. Kundzewicz; Editeur associé B. Touaibia

Citation Khadhar, S., Mlayah, A., Chekirben, A., Charef, A., Methammam, M., Nouha, S., et Khemais, Z., 2013. Bassin versant Oued El Bey: vecteur de transport de la pollution métallique vers le Golfe de Tunis (Tunisie). Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (8), 1803–1812.