Convection flow over a uniform-flux vertical surface with variable viscosity

A regular perturbation analysis is presented for natural convection flow over an uniform flux vertical surface with temperature dependent viscosity. Numerical calculations are presented forP _r=6.7 which show that the first-order correction to the local temperature difference and to the local skin-fraction are negative whereas it is positive for the local Nusselt number. The effects of variable viscosity on the temperature, velocity profiles, the local temperature difference, the local Nusselt number and the local skin fraction are discussed.     

Multivariate analysis of heavy metal contents of sediments from Gumusler creek, Nigde, Turkey

In this study, heavy metal contents of samples from Gumusler creek in Turkey were studied and the metal contamination characteristics were investigated. In this respect, considering the pollutant sites in the area, systematic sediment samples were collected in a zone starting from the manifestation part of the water to the entrance of the Karasu creek in Gumusler town. Samples were taken from lower section of the river bed at 30 stations along Gumusler creek, 13 km in length and their heavy metal contents were analyzed with XRF Spectrometer. Correlation coefficients, element coefitic coefficient correlation, dendogram hierarchical cluster, model summary and Annova analysis statistical methods were applied to data. Strong positive correlations were determined for some elements which are believed to have possibly the same origin. In addition, mineralizations in the area are thought to cause variation in metal contents. Results of chemical analysis show that soil limit values and clark values were exceeded. The heavy metal accumulation in the creek is believed to be derived from non-operated Sb-Hg-W and Fe quarries.     

Geodynamics of the deep sedimentary basin of the Caspian Sea region: paragenetic correlation of seismicity and mud volcanism

In this paper we analyze seismic regime and earthquake depth distribution and correlation of seismicity and mud volcanism in the Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea region. For the present region we have calculated accurate source locations, seismic activity, earthquake repetition and released earthquake energy parameters. It is shown that the active tectonic processes in the region are concentrated within the thick sedimentary cover that we consider as a general source of contemporary stress and a main structural element responsible for the origin of regional earthquakes. The correlation of seismicity and mud volcanism is of paragenetic character.     

Third order contribution to the wave-making resistance of a ship at finite depth of water

This paper presents a potential based boundary element method for solving a nonlinear free surface flow problem for a ship moving with a uniform speed in finite depth of water. The free surface boundary condition is linearized by the systematic method of perturbation in terms of a small parameter up to third order. The surfaces are discretized into flat quadrilateral elements and the influence coefficients are calculated by Morino's analytical formula. Dawson's upstream finite difference operator is used in order to satisfy the radiation condition. The second order solution gives better result than the first or third order solution. So the present method with the second order solution can be adopted as a powerful tool for the hydrodynamic analysis of the thin ship in finite depth of water.     

Destroying hills in the northeastern part of Bangladesh: A qualitative assessment of extent of the problem and its probable impact

Indiscriminate cutting of hills in the Sylhet region has become a major environmental issue. The nature and life style of Sylhet intimately related with the hills are thus under the threat of a drastic imbalance in its ecosystem. Due to such hill cutting the mostly affected sectors of this region will be its weather and climate, geomorphology and hydrology, and the indigenous flora and fauna. As a result the frequency of natural calamities like earthquake, flash flooding etc may increase considerably. Deforestation and resulting increased soil erosion, decreased ground water recharge and deteriorated water quality might also be as consequences of such hill cutting. This paper investigates the cause and extent of the problem along with its probable impact and finally suggests actions for conservation of hills for ecological balance of the region.     

Impact of Southern Oscillation on the Frequency of Monsoon Depressions in the Bay of Bengal

The impact of Southern Oscillation on thecyclogenesis over the Bay of Bengal duringthe summer monsoon has been investigated.The analysis of correlation coefficients(CCs) between the frequency of monsoondepressions and the Southern OscillationIndex (SOI) reveals that more depressionsform during July and August of El Niñoyears. Due to this, the seasonal frequencyof monsoon depressions remains little higherduring El Niño epochs even though thecorrelations for June and September are notsignificant. The CCs for July and August aresignificant at the 99% level.The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)is known to affect Indian MonsoonRainfall (IMR) adversely. The enhancedcyclogenesis over the Bay of Bengal duringJuly and August is an impact of ENSO whichneeds to be examined closely. Increasedcyclogenesis over the Bay of Bengal may bereducing the deficiency in IMR duringEl Niño years by producing more rainfallover the eastern parts of India duringJuly and August. Thus there is a considerablespatial variation in the impact of ENSOon the monsoon rainfall over India and El Niñoneed not necessarily imply a monsoonfailure everywhere in India.The area of formation of monsoon depressionsshifts eastward during El Niño years.Warmer sea surface temperature (SST) anomaliesprevail over northwest and adjoiningwestcentral Bay of Bengal during premonsoon andmonsoon seasons of El Niño years.May minus March SOI can provide useful predictionsof monsoon depression frequencyduring July and August.     

Water availability for the greening of Kuwait

Water resources for agricultural development and landscape enhancement in Kuwait are very scarce; the quality is saline (brackish), and the soil texture is sandy, incapable of holding nutrients and moisture. Most of the rainfall in Kuwait either evaporates due to the high temperatures or percolates through the soil. The rainfall is not sufficient to recharge the underground water supply. A variety of alternative water sources have been studied, including seawater desalination and wastewater treatment. Wastewater treatment proved to be convenient due to the relatively low salinity detected in the treated water. Furthermore, the amount of wastewater is expected to increase as more residential areas are connected to the sewage system as the population increases.

The development of a greenery plan for Kuwait requires intensive water management. This goal can be achieved through manpower training in landscape development, selection of plants tolerant to arid environments, usage of appropriate irrigation and drainage systems, promotion of greenery programs within public and the governmental agencies for their direct participation in urban area beautification, and extension of wastewater treatment techniques.     

Petrological and mineralogical studies of Pan-African serpentinites at Bir Al-Edeid area, central Eastern Desert, Egypt

The studied serpentinites occur as isolated masses, imbricate slices of variable thicknesses and as small blocks or lenses incorporated in the sedimentary matrix of the mélange. They are thrusted over the associated island arc calc-alkaline metavolcanics and replaced by talc-carbonates along shear zones. Lack of thermal effect of the serpentinites upon the enveloping country rocks, as well as their association with thrust faults indicates their tectonic emplacement as solid bodies. Petrographically, they are composed essentially of antigorite, chrysotile and lizardite with subordinate amounts of carbonates, chromite, magnetite, magnesite, talc, tremolite and chlorite. Chrysotile occurs as cross-fiber veinlets traversing the antigorite matrix, which indicate a late crystallization under static conditions. The predominance of antigorite over other serpentine minerals indicates that the serpentinites have undergone prograde metamorphism or the parent ultramafic rocks were serpentinized under higher pressure. The parent rocks of the studied serpentinites are mainly harzburgite and less commonly dunite and wehrlite due to the prevalence of mesh and bastite textures. The serpentinites have suffered regional metamorphism up to the greenschist facies, which occurred during the collisional stage or back-arc basin closure, followed by thrusting over a continental margin. The microprobe analyses of the serpentine minerals show wide variation in SiO₂, MgO, Al₂O₃, FeO and Cr₂O₃ due to different generations of serpentinization. The clinopyroxene relicts, from the partly serpentinized peridotite, are augite and similar to clinopyroxene in mantle-derived peridotites. The chromitite lenses associated with the serpentinites show common textures and structures typical of magmatic crystallization and podiform chromitites. The present data suggest that the serpentinites and associated chromitite lenses represent an ophiolitic mantle sequence from a supra-subduction zone, which were thrust over the continental margins during the collisional stage of back-arc basin.