Application of Vertical Electrical Sounding in Mapping Lateral and Vertical Changes in the Subsurface Lithologies: A Case Study of Olbanita, Menengai Area, Nakuru, Kenya

Much study has been done in the study area linking Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) interpreted results to lithologies in the subsurface though only tend to indicate the vertical changes with the aim of mapping the occurrence of groundwater aquifers. Several boreholes have been drilled in the study area, though not much has been done to compare the vertical and lateral lithologic changes in the study area. This research is based on VES modelled geoelectric layers compared from point to point and using borehole logs as control data to establish inferences of certain lithology in the subsurface. The inversion of each VES curve was obtained using an AGI Earth Imager ID inversion automated computer program and resistivities and thicknesses of a geoelectric model were estimated. The analyzed VES data interpretation achieved using the curve matching technique resulted in mapping the subsurface of the area as portraying H-type;ρ1 > ρ2 ρ3, K-type;ρ1 ρ2 > ρ3, A-type;ρ1 ρ2 ρ3, Q-type;ρ1 > ρ2 > ρ3, representing 3-Layer subsurface and subsequently a combination of HK, HA and KHK types of curves representing 4-Layer and 5-Layer in the subsurface. The analysis further deployed the use of the surfer software capabilities which combined the VES data to generate profiles running in the west-east and the north-south direction. A closer analysis of the curve types indicates that there exists a sequence showing a shifting of the order of arrangement between the west and the east fragments which incidentally coincides with VES points 8, 9 and 10 in the West-East profiles. The lateral change is noted from the types of curves established and each curve indicates a vertical change in the subsurface. Control log data of lithologies from four boreholes BH1, BH2, BH3 and BH5 to show a qualification that different resistivity values portent different lithologies. Indeed, an analysis at borehole BH3 lithologies is dominated by either compacted rocks or soils, insinuating a scenario of compression experienced in this part of the subsurface which confirmed compression of subsurface formations. A correlation of the VES curve types and their change from one point to another in the study area are evident. This change supported by the surfer generated profiles from the modeled VES data show that there exists and inferred fault line running in the north-south in the area. The inferred fault line by VES mapping, is magnificently outlined by the geological map. There is exuded evidence from this study that the application of VES is able to help map the lateral and the vertical changes in the subsurface of any area but the evidence of the specific lithologies has to be supported by availability of borehole log control data. The VES data was able to enumerate vertical layering of lithologies, lateral changes and even mapping vertical fault line in the study area.

A New Field Protocol for Determination of Forest Structure, Biodiversity and Heath Status by Means of GPS Tools: A Case Study from Gaza Forest

This article describes the application of GPS, image processing analysis and statistical tools for determination of forest structure and biodiversity. The idea is based on determination of forest area using GPS tools, then taking representative plots “samples” about 5% - 10% of the forest and counting the tree species in each plot (sample). This process enables the estimation of species population in each plot. The sum of all species population enables the calculation of relative density of each species. Multiplying species population with plot number of the forest enables the calculations of total species population in the forest. Calculating the relative density enables the determination of dominant, co-dominant, suppressed and flour structure of the forest. To determine the age of the forest, we apply our method on determining the diameter of trees and grouping them to four groups, this enables the estimation of dominant age within single species. From these data, we can estimate the age of the forest. This field protocol is easy and applicable and provides good results in estimating structure, age and biodiversity in the forest.

Influence of Biogas Production on Bioremediation of Animal Manures

This study investigated the effect of biogas production on the removal hazardous waste properties. Biogas was produced from caw, chicken and mixed manure. Samples were taken before and after biogas production and tested for removal of total solid (TS), removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), and fecal coliform bacteria (FC). Results showed tremendous removal of the above mentioned parameters after biogas production. Chemical analysis of digestate indicates the advantages of using them as plant nutrients. Application of digestate in soil dramatically changed the chemical and physical properties of soil. It can be concluded that biogas production, is not only producing biogas but also removing waste parameters (TS, COD, BOD, FC) and producing plant nutrients.

Determination of the Aquifer and Its Hydraulic Parameters Using Vertical Electrical Sounding, Borehole Log Data and Borehole Water Conductivity: A Case Study of Olbanita Menengai Area, Nakuru, Kenya

Development of groundwater needs the capabilities to distinguish the different aquifer layers found in a region, and thereafter the parameters which can be used expressly to define the aquifer type. The past studies in the Olbanita sub-basin have accorded the area as having one aquifer, which has resulted into generalization of the aquifer parameters. The objective in this study is to map the main aquifer layer and determine its parameters. The use of modeled geoelectric layers from Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) data has been used in the study area to distinguish the major aquifer from the minor ones. There is noted an excellent correlation between the geoelectric layers and the lithologies as outlined by the driller’s log clearly delineating four aquifer stratums. The main aquifer is identified to be geoelectric layer 11 and 12, defined by a thickness of 30.18 m mainly of tuffs, and 17.39 m mainly of weathered phonolites. Hydraulic conductivity of the main aquifer averages value of 17.16389314 m/day, in consideration of the ranges 0.248690465 m/day to 74.62681942 m/day for the 31 VES points. For the aquifer breadth of 30.18 m, the Transmissivity values vary from a minimum of 57.32119 Ωm2 to 53365.49 Ωm2 and for 47.57 m breadth, the range is between 11.83021 Ωm2 and 1390.921 Ωm2. The variance of longitudinal unit conductance shows that 63.15 percent of the aquifer represented by one lithology is having lowest values of S (-1), an indication that the resistivity values of these points are relatively high when compared to their corresponding breadths. Notably, where the geoelectric layer is represented by more than one lithologic layer, the longitudinal unit conductance has high values of S (~1.1 - 5.3 Ω-1) at about 83.33 percent of the aquifer, thus giving a manifestation that a change in lithology has an implication in the aquifer characteristics. The transverse resistance values have a direct proportionality to both the aquifer layer thickness and the geoelectric layer resistivities. Evidently, using the close range of resistivities record indicates that indeed transverse resistance increases with increase in aquifer thickness. For example, for resistivities 52.677 Ω, 54.78 Ω, 54.297 Ω, 57.819 Ω, and 51.85 Ω, for 30.18 m, 47.57 m, 136.35 m, 190.84 m, 277.93 m thicknesses respectively, have their correlated transverse resistances values notably rising incrementally, from 1589.7919 Ωm2, 2605.8846 Ωm2, 7403.396 Ωm2, and 11034.178 Ωm2 correspondingly. There is confirmation that the modeled VES data can help map aquifers despite the limited resources of borehole logs that can used as control points.

Assessment of Medical Waste Management in El Shifa and Al Aqsa Hospitals-Gaza Strip

Medical waste management is of great importance due to its infectious and hazardous nature and its management is not fully understood. This study examined the medical waste management practices in two large hospitals (El Shifa and Al Aqsa hospitals) in Gaza strip. The study used face to face questionnaire, workshops, interviews to managers and field observations for data collection. Results showed that both hospitals did not quantify medical wastes but medical wastes were separated in each department. Field observation indicated that medical waste separation into infectious medical waste and non-infectious medical waste was not conducted according to WHO (World Health Organization) standards or any specific standards. Medical wastes were transported from each department to waste container inside the hospital then moved to the storage area or municipal container. Medical waste employees (n = 51;66.2%) revealed that medical wastes are stored temporarily in the hospital in a not suitable place in terms of ventilation, lighting and easy access. Furthermore, occupational safety among employees was not fully implemented, as large percentage of them (n = 48, 94.1%) revealed that the used protective clothes during work were not fully effective. Furthermore, incineration was the main treatment of infectious medical waste whereas, non-infectious wastes were disposed in landfills. Additionally, both hospitals did not provide any training for employees regarding medical waste management. In conclusion, medical waste management is far below WHO standards in both hospitals. It is recommended to provide training courses to the employees to improve the quality of environmental health and reduce health hazards in the hospitals.

Studies on Mode of Expression of Apple （Malus x domestica Borkh.） Bud Dormancy under Tropical and Temperate Climatic Conditions

A study was conducted to describe the progression of bud dormancy in 1-year-old apple （Malus x domestica Borkh） shoots grown at two contrasting climatic conditions （Belgium, temperate and Ethiopia, tropics）. The experiment was carried out on ＂Golden＂ and ＂Gala＂ cultivars for two consecutive years （2010/2011 and 2011/2012）. Moreover, a validation experiment was conducted on ＂MM106＂ apple rootstock during 2010/2011 only in Ethiopia. Variations in inverse of time to 50% budburst were interpreted in terms of evolution of growth capacity of the buds. Despite differences observed with chilling accumulation later in winter or early in spring, depending on environments, depth of endodormancy intensity during winter can be summarized as follows： buds from pruned shoots were less endodormant than terminal buds of the intact shoots and terminal buds were more endodormant than the dormancy intensity of upper buds of the disbudded shoots, suggesting proximal buds can grow more readily than does terminal ones. Our results provide evidence for the existence of a considerably strong paradormancy inhibition by distal shoot parts and buds, which was more pronounced in Ethiopia than in Belgium, highlighting the importance of designing and applying appropriate pruning and dormancy avoidance strategies in mild-winter climates. Finally, as still there is knowledge gap on bud dormancy progression and its control mechanism especially under mild climates, our study highlights the need for further in-depth research using biological and biochemical tests.

Implications on Gravity Anomaly Measurements Associated with Different Lithologies in Turkana South Subcounty

The use of gravity data has demonstrated capability for monitoring lithological changes on a large scale as a consequence of differentiating basement and sedimentary of buried valleys. Gravity anomalies are associated with lateral contrasts in density and therefore deformation by faulting or folding will be manifested if accompanied by lateral density changes, otherwise, the vice versa is true. The study’s objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of gravity method in establishing different lithologies in an area. The study has revealed that regional anomaly gravity map presents high anomalies in the Northern region in the NW-SE trend and low anomalies in the southern trend in NW-SE, while the residual anomaly gravity map shows different trends for the low and high gravity anomalies. The gravity anomalies are well interpreted in line with the lithologies of the study area rather than the deformation of the same lithologies. There are observed high values of gravity anomaly values (ranging from -880.2 to -501.2 g.u.) where there are eolian unconsolidated rocks overlying the basement compared to low gravity anomaly values (ranging from -1338.9 to -1088.7 g.u.) where the andesites, trachytes and phonolites overly the basement. The different regional gravity anomalies relate well with different rock densities in the study area along the line profile for radially averaged power spectrum. The gravity highs are noted in the eastern point and are associated with andesites, trachytes, basalts and igneous rocks, while the gravity lows are associated with sandstone, greywacke, arkose, and eolian unconsolidated rock. The utilization of the information from the Power spectrum analysis demonstrates that the depth to the deepest basement rock is 12.8 km which is in the eastern flank, while the shallowest to the basement of 1.1 km to the western flank.

Triassic to Cenozoic multi-stage intra-plate deformation focused near the Bogd Fault system,Gobi Altai,Mongolia

The Gobi Altai region of southern Mongolia has been in the Eurasian plate interior since the midMesozoic,yet has experienced episodic phases of deformation since that time.In this paper,we document field evidence to characterize and date the intra-plate tectonic history of the Gobi Altai region from the Triassic to the present.To this end,we provide detailed mapping of the structure and stratigraphy of the eastern flanks of Mt.Ih Bogd that contains the widest variety of rock-time units in the area.We carry out geochronological analysis of basaltic lavas and basement granite in the area.We demonstrate that a crystalline basement with a 502 ± 8 Ma granitoid（U/Pb） underwent two phases of basin formation in the Mesozoic.which we date with new40Ar/39Ar lava ages of 218.5 ± 1.5,123.2 ± 0.7 and 124.8 ± 1.2 Ma,respectively.Both phases are linked to deposition of fluvio-lacustrine sediments and trap-like basaltic volcanics,with cumulative thicknesses of 1000-1500 m.Both basins were likely north-facing half-grabens that developed underN-S extension,but were subsequently overthrusted by Paleozoic and older crystalline basement during a less well constrained,but likely mid-Cretaceous phase of N-S shortening and basin inversion.Our results are consistent with recent seismic imaging of rift basins100 km to the NE of the study area where a similar history was reconstructed.The multiple phases of intra-plate deformation appear to have parallel structural trends,most likely due to reactivated Paleozoic basement structures created during the original terrane amalgamation of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt continental crust.This strong basement heterogeneity may predispose it to reactivation,and make it sensitive to changes in the overall stress field of the Eurasian plate driven by forces at its margins and base.Detailed study of Mongolia’s multi-stage tectonic history may thus provide a key proxy for the long-term dynamics of the Eurasian plate.In addition,the repeated reactivation of the Gobi Altai region during the last 200 My supports the contention that non-cratonized continental interior regions composed of Phanerozoic terrane collages are particularly susceptible to fault reactivation,much more than older cratonized continental crust.

Newmark displacement model for landslides induced by the 2013 Ms 7.0 Lushan earthquake, China

Predicting approximate earthquake-induced landslide displacements is helpful for assessing earthquake hazards and designing slopes to withstand future earth- quake shaking. In this work, the basic methodology outlined by Jibson （1993） is applied to derive the Newmark displacement of landslides based on strong ground-motion recordings during the 2013 Lushan Ms 7.0 earthquake. By analyzing the relationships between Arias intensity, New- mark displacement, and critical acceleration of the Lushan earthquake, formulas of the Jibson93 and its modified models are shown to be applicable to the Lushan earthquake dataset. Different empirical equations with new fitting coefficients for estimating Newmark displace- ment are then developed for comparative analysis. The results indicate that a modified model has a better goodness of fit and a smaller estimation error for the Jibson93 formula. It indicates that the modified model may be more reasonable for the dataset of the Lushan earthquake. The analysis of results also suggests that a global equation is not ideally suited to directly estimate the Newmark displacements of landslides induced by one specific earthquake. Rather it is empirically better to perform a new multivariate regression analysis to derive new coefficients for the global equation using the dataset of the specific earthquake. The results presented in this paper can be applied to a future co-seismic landslide hazard assessment to inform reconstruction efforts in the area affected by the 2013 Lushan Ms 7.0 earthquake, and for future disaster prevention and mitigation.