Response of Mollusk Assemblages to Environmental Conditions: A Case Study from the Burullus Lagoon,Egypt

The identified mollusks from the Burullus lagoon of Egypt (Eastern Mediterranean) are represented by four bivalve species and four gastropod species. Sources of heavy metals pollution in the Burullus lagoon include phosphate fertilizers, sewage and oil spills from fishing boats.The Cerastoderma glaucum species has a wide distribution in the central part of the studied area with satisfying criteria required for good bio-monitors of pollution. High concentrations of heavy metals are found in water, at the eastern side of the lagoon, while low concentrations were detected in the central and western sides of the lagoon. Pirenella conica constitutes the total gastropods assemblages, reflecting this species tolerance to the high concentration of heavy metals. Meanwhile, the total pelecypods in bottom lagoon sediments are completely absent in the eastern parts of the lagoon, which may be due to the sensitivity of pelecypods to the accumulation of heavy metals.     

Contribution of remote sensing and GIS to analysis of the risk of flooding in the Zat basin (High Atlas-Morocco)

Natural Hazards - Despite the controversy regarding their use, school buildings are often assigned as emergency evacuation shelters, temporary accommodation and aid distribution hubs following...     

Modeling and Simulating Ground Motion from Potential Seismic Sources to Kuwait: Local and Regional Scenarios

Geotectonics - The urban development in Kuwait is growing rapidly in the past few years. Recently, a large number of new bridges, tall buildings and other infrastructures are constructed in Kuwait....     

Forecasting Copper Prices Using Hybrid Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System and Genetic Algorithms

Natural Resources Research - An accurate forecasting model for the price volatility of minerals plays a vital role in future investments and decisions for mining projects and related companies. In...     

Upgrading of Oil Shale by Flotation Without Collector

Natural Resources Research - Oil shale impurities prevent its direct usage as a source of energy. Removing or reducing of these impurities before retorting can reduce the cost of oil shale...     

Role of γ-ray spectrometry in detecting potassic alteration associated with Um Ba’anib granitic gneiss and metasediments, G. Meatiq area, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt

The radiometric responses of the Gebel (G., which means mountain in Arabic) Meatiq area display the overall high radiation of the high grade metamorphic Um Ba’anib granite gneiss, metasediments, as well as Arieki adamellite rocks. Whereas, the low grade metamorphic ophiolitic nappes country reveal the lowest radiometric response. The eU, eTh, and K contents tend to increase with the youthfulness of the plutons with a maximum amounts in the more alkali varieties, e.g., Arieki adamellite (580 Ma), then the high grade metamorphic rocks of the younger Meatiqian orogeny (626?±?2 Ma). Also, these rocks reveal that the major radiometric anomaly with exposure rates ≈139 nGy/h, more than double of the global terrestrial values. While, the low grade metamorphic ophiolitic rocks reveal the lowest average exposure rates ≈46.8 nGy/h. The areas of high gamma ray values of F-parameter of Efimov (K × U/Th), ternary composite map, K map, K/eTh, and K/eU ratios maps are related to K enrichment conditions during formation (diagenesis) or deformation of the high grade metamorphic rocks and the Arieki adamellite intrusion. From the geochemical point of view, these areas are associated with rocks that are characterized by high-K calc-alkaline, calc-alkaline affinity, and enriched in REE.     

Synoblique convergent and extensional deformation and metamorphism in the Neoproterozoic rocks along Wadi Fatira shear zone, Northern Eastern Desert, Egypt

The Wadi Fatira area occurs at the southern margin of the Northern Eastern Desert (NED) of Egypt and is occupied by highly sheared metavolcanics tectonically alternated with banded iron formations and intruded by Barud tonalite–granodiorite, post-tectonic gabbroic and granitic intrusions. Detailed structural investigation showed that the schists and migmatitic amphibolites are formed by shearing in metavolcanics and syntectonic Barud tonalite–granodiorite due to movement along the Wadi Fatira shear zone (WFSZ). This shear zone starts as a NW–SE striking fault along Wadi Barud Al Azraq and the Eastern part of Wadi Fatira and turns to a E–W trending fault to the north of Wadi Fatira. Microstructural shear sense indicators such as asymmetric geometry of porphyroclasts such as σ-type and asymmetric folds deforming fine-grained bands which are frequently found around porphyroclasts indicate sinistral sense of shearing along the WFSZ. This shear zone is characterized by transitions from local convergence to local extension along their E–W and NW–SE trending parts, respectively. The NW–SE part of the WFSZ is of about 200 m in width and characterized by synmagmatic extensional features such as intrusion of synkinematic tonalite, creation of NE–SE trending normal faults, and formation of migmatitic amphibolites and schlieric tonalites. This part of the shear zone is metamorphosed under synthermal peak metamorphic conditions (725°C at 2–4 kbar). The E–W compressional part of the WFSZ is up to 3 km in width and composed of hornblende, chlorite, actinolite, and biotite schists together with sheared intermediate and acidic metatuffs. Contractional and transpressional structures in this part of the WFSZ include E–W trending major asymmetrical anticline and syncline, nearly vertical foliation and steeply pitching stretching lineations, NNE dipping minor thrusts, and minor intrafolial folds with their hinges parallel to the stretching lineation. P–T estimates using mineral analyses of plagioclase and hornblende from schists and foliated metavolcanics indicate prograde metamorphism under medium-grade amphibolite facies (500–600°C at 3–7 kbar) retrogressed to low-grade greenschist facies (227–317°C). The foliation in Barud tonalite–granodiorite close to the E–W part of the WFSZ runs parallel to the plane of shearing and the tonalite show numerous magmatic flow structures overprinted by folding and ductile shearing. The WFSZ is similar to structures resulted from combined simple shear and orthogonal shortening of oblique transpressive shear zones and their sense of movement is comparable with the characteristics of the Najd Fault System.     

New formulation of the two body problem using a continued fractional potential

In the present work, the two body problem using a potential of a continued fractions procedure is reformulated. The equations of motion for two bodies moving under their mutual gravity is constructed. The integrals of motion, angular momentum integral, center of mass integral, total mechanical energy integral are obtained. New orbit equation is obtained. Some special cases are followed directly. Some graphical illustrations are shown. The only included constant of the continued fraction procedure is adjusted so as to represent the so called J ₂ perturbation term of the Earth’s potential.     

Testing a 1-D analytical salt intrusion model and its predictive equations in Malaysian estuaries

Abstract

Little is known about the salt intrusion behaviour in Malaysian estuaries. Study of salt intrusion generally requires large amounts of data, especially if 2-D or 3-D numerical models are used; thus, in data-poor environments, 1-D analytical models are more appropriate. A fully analytical 1-D salt intrusion model, which is simple to implement and requires minimal data, was tested in six previously unsurveyed Malaysian estuaries (Kurau, Perak, Bernam, Selangor, Muar and Endau). The required data can be collected during a single day of observations. Site measurements were conducted during the dry season (June–August 2012 and February–March 2013) near spring tide. Data on cross-sections (by echo-sounding), water levels (by pressure loggers) and salinity (by moving boat) were collected as model input. A good fit was demonstrated between the simulated and observed salinity distribution for all six estuaries. Additionally, the two calibration parameters (the Van der Burgh coefficient and the boundary condition for the dispersion) were compared with the existing predictive equations. Since gauging stations were only present in some nested catchments in the drainage basins, the river discharge had to be up-scaled to represent the total discharge contribution of the catchments. However, the correspondence between the calibration coefficients and the predictive equations was good, particularly in view of the uncertainty in the river discharge data used. This confirms that the predictive salt intrusion model is valid for the cases studied in Malaysia. The model provides a reliable, predictive tool, which the water authority of Malaysia can use for making decisions on water abstraction or dredging.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor A. Fiori     

Experimental study on loss factor for corrugated plates by bandwidth method

The material loss factor for technically orthotropic plates was measured by half-power bandwidth method. Rectangular and trapezoidal corrugated plates of steel were considered. A simple isotropic steel plate was also considered for comparison of the results. The concept of single degree of freedom system was adopted. The tests were undertaken at very low frequency range (0–100) Hz. The plate models were suspended freely with two wires to minimize or prevent excessive extraneous energy dissipation. Out of plane point force, random in nature was applied to the top middle of the plates and the responses were measured from the middle point of the plates by FFT analyzer using miniature small mass accelerometer as sensor. The aim of these tests is to investigate the effects of bending rigidity and mode orders over material loss factor. The values of estimated modal damping loss factors are compared and tabulated for the plates models considered. Natural frequencies of some of the initial modes of the plates are also presented.It is observed that the higher the value of bending rigidity of the plates, the larger the values of loss factor of it. There was a significant increase in value of loss factor in corrugated plates to that of the isotropic plate.