Groundwater resources in the Jabal Al Hass region,northwest Syria: an assessment of past use and future potential

In many cases, the development of groundwater resources to boost agricultural production in dry areas has led to a continuous decline in groundwater levels; this has called into question the sustainability of such exploitation. In developing countries, limited budgets and scarce hydrological data often do not allow groundwater resources to be assessed through groundwater modeling. A case study is presented of a low-cost water-balance approach to groundwater resource assessments in a 1,550 km² semi-arid region in northwestern Syria. The past development of irrigated agriculture and its effect on the groundwater system were studied by analysis of Landsat images and long-term groundwater level changes, respectively. All components of the groundwater balance were determined. Groundwater recharge was estimated using the chloride mass balance method. Over the past three decades, groundwater levels have declined, on average, 23 m, coinciding with a two-fold increase in the groundwater-irrigated area. Groundwater resources are currently depleted by a value that lies between 9.5×10⁶ and 118×10⁶ m³ year^?1, which is larger than can be compensated for by a future decrease in natural discharge or changes in boundary conditions. However, groundwater resources are likely to be sufficient to supply domestic and livestock needs in the area.     

Probabilistic seismic hazard zonation of Syria

Earthquake hazard maps for Syria are presented in this paper. The Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) and the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) on bedrock, both with 90% probability of not being exceeded during a life time of 50, 100 and 200 years, respectively are developed. The probabilistic PGA and MMI values are evaluated assuming linear sources (faults) as potential sources of future earthquakes. A new attenuation relationship for this region is developed. Ten distinctive faults of potential earthquakes are identified in and around Syria. The pertinent parameters of each fault, such as theb-parameter in the Gutenberg-Richter formula, the annual rate ₄ and the upper bound magnitudem ₁ are determined from two sets of seismic data: the historical earthquakes and the instrumentally recorded earthquake data (AD 1900–1992). The seismic hazard maps developed are intended for preliminary analysis of new designs and seismic check of existing civil engineering structures.     

Discrimination between climate and human-induced dryland degradation

In this study we present a technique to discriminate between climate or human-induced dryland degradation, based on evaluations of AVHRR NDVI data and rainfall data. Since dryland areas typically have high inter-annual rainfall variations and rainfall has a dominant role in determining vegetation growth, minor biomass trends imposed by human influences are difficult to verify. By performing many linear regression calculations between different periods of accumulated precipitation and the annual NDVI_max, we identify the rainfall period that is best related to the NDVI_max and by this the proportion of biomass triggered by rainfall. Positive or negative deviations in biomass from this relationship, expressed in the residuals, are interpreted as human-induced. We discuss several approaches that use either a temporally fixed NDVI peaking time or an absolute one, a best mean rainfall period for the entire drylands or the best rainfall period for each individual pixel. Advantages and disadvantages of either approach or one of its combinations for discriminating between climate and human-induced degradation are discussed. Depending on the particular land-use either method has advantages. To locate areas with a high likelihood of human-induced degradation we therefore recommend combining results from each approach.     

Tectonic Evolution and Hydrogeological Characteristics of the Khanaser Valley,Northern Syria,Derived from the Interpretation of Vertical Electrical Soundings

The Khanaser Valley was geoelectrically thoroughly surveyed through a grid which consisted of twelve VES profiles. The tectonically-oriented Pichgin and Habibullaev method was enhanced to be applicable in areas of rugged relief and topography. The enhanced profiles were tectonically interpreted and subsurface structures within the Khanaser Valley were delineated. Accordingly, a tectonic evolutional scenario of the valley was established and its hydrogeological characteristics were derived. An approach for groundwater exploration in areas of prominent relief and topography in dry areas such as the Khanaser Valley was established and its validity was estimated.     

Fluvial environmental contexts for archaeological sites in the Upper Khabur basin (northeastern Syria)

Today the eastern tributaries of the Upper Khabur run dry during the summer and the landscape is devoid of trees. This picture is misleading when we try to understand archaeological sites within their former environmental context. Interdisciplinary geomorphological, archaeobotanical and ostracod research on a sequence from the Wadi Jaghjagh indicates that relatively stable, perennial flow velocities occurred during the mid 4th to mid-3rd millennium BC. Evidence was found for a gallery forest and swamp belt along the Jaghjagh during the mid-4th millennium BC. Oak park woodland was present within the region in the 3rd millennium BC and probably up to at least the 3rd century AD. Shortly after 2500 BC, Jaghjagh stream velocities probably decreased or the stream bed had changed its location. Later deposits, possibly dating to the 5th century BC, indicate similar, rather stable flow of the Jaghjagh. More recently however, about ca. AD 900 or afterwards, a flashflood-like regime occurred, which may relate to deforestation. The Wadi Khanzir sediment archives reflect the flashy intermittent regime of this stream, like it still is today, with flashflood evidence dating to the first half of the Holocene and probably dating to approximately AD 400 or later. Along the Jarrah, topsoil was eroded and redeposited by the wadi sometime between 1300 and 600 BC. This may have been caused by the intensive resettlement program of this region around 800 BC. Between about 600 and 300 BC 1.5 m of clay was deposited on the plain.     

Magma Genesis and Mantle Dynamics at the Harrat Ash Shamah Volcanic Field (Southern Syria)

A geochemical and petrological study of Miocene to recent alkalibasalts, basanites, hawaiites, mugearites, trachytes, and phonoliteserupted within the Harrat Ash Shamah volcanic field was performedto reconstruct the magmatic evolution of southern Syria. Themajor element composition of the investigated lavas is mainlycontrolled by fractional crystallization of olivine, clinopyroxene,± Fe–Ti oxides and ± apatite; feldspar fractionationis restricted to the most evolved lavas. Na₂O and SiO₂ variationswithin uncontaminated, primitive lavas as well as variably fractionatedheavy rare earth element ratios suggest a formation by variabledegrees of partial melting of different garnet peridotite sourcestriggered, probably, by changes in mantle temperature. The isotopicrange as well as the variable trace element enrichment observedin the lavas imply derivation from both a volatile- and incompatibleelement-enriched asthenosphere and from a plume component. Inaddition, some lavas have been affected by crustal contamination.This effect is most prominent in evolved lavas older than 3·5Ma, which assimilated 30–40% of crustal material. In general,the periodicity of volcanism in conjunction with temporal changesin lava composition and melting regime suggest that the Syrianvolcanism was triggered by a pulsing mantle plume located underneathnorthwestern Arabia. KEY WORDS: ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages; intraplate volcanism; mantle plume; partial melting; Syria     

Neogene aquifer properties specified through the interpretation of electrical sounding data,Salamiyeh region,central Syria

Twenty‐nine Schlumberger electrical soundings were carried out in the Salamiyeh region in Syria using a maximum current electrode separation of 1 km. Three soundings were made at existing boreholes for comparison. Aquifer parameters of hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity were obtained by analysing pumping test data from the existing boreholes. An empirical relationship between hydraulic conductivity determined from the pumping test and both resistivity and thickness of the Neogene aquifer has been established for these boreholes in order to calculate the geophysical hydraulic conductivity. A close agreement has been obtained between the computed hydraulic conductivity and that determined from the pumping test. The relationship established has, therefore, been generalized in the study area in order to evaluate hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity at all the points where geoelectrical measurements have been carried out. This generalization allows one to derive maps of the hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity in the study area based on geoelectrical measurements. These maps are important in future modelling processes oriented towards better exploitation of the aquifers. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Late second-early first millennium BC abrupt climate changes in coastal Syria and their possible significance for the history of the Eastern Mediterranean

The alluvial deposits near Gibala-Tell Tweini provide a unique record of environmental history and food availability estimates covering the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. The refined pollen-derived climatic proxy suggests that drier climatic conditions occurred in the Mediterranean belt of Syria from the late 13th/early 12th centuries BC to the 9th century BC. This period corresponds with the time frame of the Late Bronze Age collapse and the subsequent Dark Age. The abrupt climate change at the end of the Late Bronze Age caused region-wide crop failures, leading towards socio-economic crises and unsustainability, forcing regional habitat-tracking. Archaeological data show that the first conflagration of Gibala occurred simultaneously with the destruction of the capital city Ugarit currently dated between 1194 and 1175 BC. Gibala redeveloped shortly after this destruction, with large-scale urbanization visible in two main architectural phases during the Early Iron Age I. The later Iron Age I city was destroyed during a second conflagration, which is radiocarbon-dated at circa 2950 cal yr BP. The data from Gibala-Tell Tweini provide evidence in support of the drought hypothesis as a triggering factor behind the Late Bronze Age collapse in the Eastern Mediterranean.     

Isotopes and geochemistry in a managed aquifer recharge scheme: a case study of fresh water injection at the Damascus University Campus,Syria

A combination of stable isotopes (¹⁸O and ²H) and hydrochemistry has been applied to investigate storage processes in relation to aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) of the shallow alluvial Quaternary aquifer in Damascus basin. The stored water, entirely taken from the Figeh springs during flood periods, was injected in a single well having a brackish groundwater. Water samples were collected from four observation wells drilled in the Damascus University Campus (DUC) site during a 3‐year period (2006–2008). The injectant water, which deviates in its chemical and isotopic signatures from that of the ambient groundwater, shows that the stored water plume remains within close proximity to the injection well (IW) (<≈ 100 m). Thus, only two wells (W13 and W14) located at a distance less than 80 m from the injection point were affected by this injection. The observation wells located at longer distances from the IW (≈145 m and ≈ 600 m for wells W15 and WHz, respectively) were completely unaffected by the injection. Although most of the chemical and isotopic parameters usefully reflected the mixing process that occurs between the injectant water and ambient groundwater, the stable isotope (¹⁸O) and chloride (Cl⁻) were the most sensitive parameters that quickly reflect this signature. Using a simple mass balance, the calculated proportion of injectant water reaching the well W13 was in the range of 50–90%. This proportion was even lower (30–55%) in the case of well W14. Although the drought event prevailing during this study did not much help to inject further amounts of water, higher than the injected volume (0·2416 M m³) and also not favourable to better evaluate the fate and subsurface hydrological processes, these findings offer encouragement to continue the ASR activities, as an alternative way for better management of water resources in this basin facing intensive problems. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.