Estimation of Effective Stress by Geo-electric Characterization at a Proposed Solar Power Installation Site in Ajowa Akoko, Nigeria

Geo-electrical resistivity survey has been used for geotechnical investigation at a site proposed for solar power installations in Ajowa Akoko, Nigeria, to assist its foundation prognosis. Vertical electrical soundings (VES) were conducted in 24 locations spaced 50 meters apart with maximum AB/2 spread of 160 meters covering an area of 2km2. Electrical characterization of subsurface layers was done to identify a maximum of four geo-electric subsurface layers comprising the top soil (clayey sand and laterite), weathered layer (zone of capillary rise), and highly weathered (saturated) layer and fresh basement. The concept of electrical resistivity variation with subsurface formations - related to degree of saturation, specific gravity of solids, void ratio and unit weight of water - has been used to calculate the effective stress of each soil layer obtained from pore water pressure and total stress data. The effective stress estimated over the surveyed area for the various depths of 1.5m, 4.0m and 19m corresponding to the base of each characterized subsurface were 26.13kN/m2 - 44.00kN/m2, 73.80kN/m2 and 181.19kN/m2 respectively. The effective stress plot shows that the soil stability increases with depth in the surveyed location. The study demonstrates the usefulness of VES method in estimating geotechnical attributes for efficient and precise information

Application of remote sensing method for geological interpretation of Sokoto Plain, Nigeria

Landsat-8 OLI imagery of Sokoto, Nigeria, was processed to emphasize the geology features and mineral potential of the area. Band ratios (4/2,5/6,6/7) were assigned to RGB. Band ratio 4/2 highlights ferric ion minerals, 5/6 emphasizes ferrous minerals, and 6/7 distinguishes iron oxide minerals from carbonate minerals. In a second technique, band ratio 6/7 was replaced with 7/5 in order to accentuate clay minerals with high reflectance within band 7. The last technique evaluated in this study used spectral information from minimum noise fraction image to map surface geology. Supervised classification training sites were selected using five classes (clay, ironstone, alteration zone, water and vegetation). The band ratio classification using maximum likelihood classification was fairly accurate and matched the geologic map of the area, also showing an alteration zone that coincided with the migmatite-quartz/mica schist contact. The classified image was finally passed through a filtering effect for generalization of the data. This filtering effect was helpful in discriminating the pixels of ironstone and those of the alteration zone on the classified map. This study shows the distribution of classified earth-surface materials in Sokoto plain with the aid of supervised classification of Landsat-8 multispectral bands interpreted to reflect in-situ features.Keywords: Landsat-8 imagery, Sokoto, mineral potential, supervised classificatio

Essays on Agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change and Ethanol Market Integration in the U.S.

Climate factors like precipitation and temperature, being closely intertwined with agriculture, make a changing climate a big concern for the entire human race and its basic survival. Adaptation to climate is a long-running characteristic of agriculture evidenced by the varying types and forms of agricultural enterprises associated with differing climatic conditions. Nevertheless climate change poses a substantial, additional adaptation challenge for agriculture. Mitigation encompasses efforts to reduce the current and future extent of climate change. Biofuels production, for instance, expands agriculture’s role in climate change mitigation. This dissertation encompasses adaptation and mitigation strategies as a response to climate change in the U.S. by examining comprehensively scientific findings on agricultural adaptation to climate change; developing information on the costs and benefits of select adaptations to examine what adaptations are most desirable, for which society can further devote its resources; and studying how ethanol prices are interrelated across, and transmitted within the U.S., and the markets that play an important role in these dynamics. Quantitative analysis using the Forestry and Agricultural Sector Optimization Model (FASOM) shows adaptation to be highly beneficial to agriculture. On-farm varietal and other adaptations contributions outweigh a mix shift northwards significantly, implying progressive technical change and significant returns to adaptation research and investment focused on farm management and varietal adaptations could be quite beneficial over time. Northward shift of corn-acre weighted centroids observed indicates that substantial production potential may shift across regions with the possibility of less production in the South, and more in the North, and thereby, potential redistribution of income. Time series techniques employed to study ethanol price dynamics show that the markets studied are co-integrated and strongly related, with the observable high levels of interaction between all nine cities. Information is transmitted rapidly between these markets. Price seems to be discovered (where shocks originate from) in regions of high demand and perhaps shortages, like Los Angeles and Chicago (metropolitan population centers). The Maximum Likelihood approach following Spiller and Huang’s model however shows cities may not belong to the same economic market and the possibility of arbitrage does not exist between all markets

Energy Sorghum as A Biofuel Feedstock: Effects On GHG Offsets and Sector Performance

Crop Production/Industries, Livestock Production/Industries,

Analytic signal, depth and multispectral interpretation of areas within the Continental Terminal, North-western Nigeria

This study utilized the ability of remote sensing and aeromagnetic data of the Continental Terminal, Northwestern Nigeria, to accentuate structural and lithological geologic features as well as depth estimation and mineral potential for exploitation purposes. The analytic signal and source parameter imaging filtering techniques on the magnetic data helped to identify causative magnetic bodies and space-depth relationship, two important indices in regional and ore body modelling. Depth interpretation result ranged from 120m to 2000m in the entire regolith cover where the basement rocks are overlain by clastic materials. Areas of deeper depths coincided well with regions of higher magnetic anomalies while areas of shallow depth coincided well with regions of lower magnetic anomalies with magnetic values ranging from 33121nT to 32980nT suggestive of a likelihood of having the magnetic unit of the basement at the top of the basement surface. The study identified the structural trend from the aeromagnetic map, showing a perfect agreement with the geologic map and Landsat-8 imagery. The Landsat-8 data was used for structural and lithological mapping and in general geological interpretation. Single band combination of 764 representing Red, Green and Blue were processed from the false colour composite image and pan-sharpened using the pan chromatic band to enhance structural features on the map. The study area showed no promise of hydrocarbon accumulation from the structural interpretation for economic benefits. However, economic-grade minerals were inferred due to magnetic anomalies that suggested accumulation of magnetic materials located within the proximity of lineaments

Spatial distribution of radiogenic heat in the Iullemmeden basin – Precambrian basement transition zone, NW Nigeria

The area which transcends the Precambrian basement complex onto the Sokoto sector of the Iullemme-den basin in northwestern Nigeria presents a unique prospect for geothermal exploration research in the absence of regional heat production data, despite its tectonic history and depositional characteristics. In this study, geophysical exploration employing radiometric technique was adopted to classify the petrologic units within the fringes of the Iullemmeden basin and the adjoining crystalline basement complex so as to estimate the radiogenic heat potential within the terrain that may support geothermal considerations. Airborne radiometric measurements acquired over the area were digitized and processed to obtain radioelement concentration maps and the K/Th/U ternary map. Results show that the ranges of measured concentrations of 40K, 238U and 232Th are 4.6 to 18.9%, 0.7 to 4.9 ppm and 4.6 to 18.9 ppm respectively. Radiogenic heat estimation derived from radioelement data within eight petrologic units comprising quaternary sediments, schist, carbonates, shale/clay, younger granites, older granites, gneissic rock and migmatite showed that the lowest radiogenic heat production estimates ranging from 0.27–0.66 μW∙m−3 were recorded in the sedimentary terrain within the quaternary sediments while the highest radiogenic heat production values of between 2.04 to 2.34 μW∙m−3 were recorded in the basement com-plex within gneissic rocks. The spatial distribution of radiogenic heat in the area showed an increased heat gradient within the basement complex and a diminishing heat gradient over the Iullemmeded basin

2D electrical resistivity tommorgraphy for environmental, engineering and hydrogeological application in Igarra, Nigeria

The application of geophysical method in subsurface investigation at several locations in Igarra, Nigeria has revealed detailed information about the hydrogeological and geotechnical implication of the surveyed locations. Electrical resistivity survey using the wenner-schlumberger array configuration used to characterize a total of fifteen profiles in a sedimentary environment. The true resistivity structures were interpreted using Zondres2D program for 2D smoothness constrained inversion. The outcome of this 2D study includes delineation of aquiferous layers and their recharge zone, and the estimation of its depth in Onumu area, the geotechnical analysis of the soil structure in supporting road construction in Ogbe area, and the environmental prospects and problems in Isale and Ayetoro areas respectively. The essence of this study is to emphasis the usefulness of 2D resistivity mapping as a powerful geological mapping tool from which reliable sections of the subsurface can be created.Keywords: 2D resistivity mapping, geotechnical analysis, wenner-schlumberger array, hydrogeological implicatio

Essays on Agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change and Ethanol Market Integration in the U.S.

Climate factors like precipitation and temperature, being closely intertwined with agriculture, make a changing climate a big concern for the entire human race and its basic survival. Adaptation to climate is a long-running characteristic of agriculture evidenced by the varying types and forms of agricultural enterprises associated with differing climatic conditions. Nevertheless climate change poses a substantial, additional adaptation challenge for agriculture. Mitigation encompasses efforts to reduce the current and future extent of climate change. Biofuels production, for instance, expands agriculture’s role in climate change mitigation. This dissertation encompasses adaptation and mitigation strategies as a response to climate change in the U.S. by examining comprehensively scientific findings on agricultural adaptation to climate change; developing information on the costs and benefits of select adaptations to examine what adaptations are most desirable, for which society can further devote its resources; and studying how ethanol prices are interrelated across, and transmitted within the U.S., and the markets that play an important role in these dynamics. Quantitative analysis using the Forestry and Agricultural Sector Optimization Model (FASOM) shows adaptation to be highly beneficial to agriculture. On-farm varietal and other adaptations contributions outweigh a mix shift northwards significantly, implying progressive technical change and significant returns to adaptation research and investment focused on farm management and varietal adaptations could be quite beneficial over time. Northward shift of corn-acre weighted centroids observed indicates that substantial production potential may shift across regions with the possibility of less production in the South, and more in the North, and thereby, potential redistribution of income. Time series techniques employed to study ethanol price dynamics show that the markets studied are co-integrated and strongly related, with the observable high levels of interaction between all nine cities. Information is transmitted rapidly between these markets. Price seems to be discovered (where shocks originate from) in regions of high demand and perhaps shortages, like Los Angeles and Chicago (metropolitan population centers). The Maximum Likelihood approach following Spiller and Huang’s model however shows cities may not belong to the same economic market and the possibility of arbitrage does not exist between all markets

The magnetic response of hydrothermal alteration in iron-oxide basement complex, NW Nigeria

Aeromagnetic data was processed in order to delineate structural trends which may be indicative of potential gold mineral traps in the Watari hill gold prospect located between longitude 5°8''and 5°16'', and latitude 11°24'' and 11°30'' in Garin Hawal district, northwest Nigeria. Landsat-8 OLI data was processed to produce colour composite, band ratio and minimum noise fraction images that mapped the hydrothermal alteration zone in the study area. The multispectral images which were displayed in Red-Green-Blue colours were subsequently pan-sharpened to display a greater image resolution of the area. The application of enhancement algorithms such as an analytic signal to the aeromagnetic data over the alteration zone helped in mapping the mafic metavolcanics, felsic metasediments and intruding granitoid complexes. Further reductions using the second vertical derivative and tilt angle derivative filters aided in delineating fracture/faults and the contact zones of the formations, especially the metasediments-metavolcanic boundary that delineates the shear zone. This study showed that the low-angle geologic structure between the metasediments and metavolcanics where hydrothermal alteration is present is likely to accommodate veins of gold mineralization in the study area

Land Use and Climate Change

Land use is majorly involved with climate change concerns and this chapter discusses and reviews the interrelationships between the vulnerability, adaptation and mitigation aspects of land use and climate change. We review a number of key studies on climate change issues regarding land productivity, land use and land management (LPLULM), identifying key findings, pointing out research needs, and raising economic/policy questions to ponder. Overall, this chapter goes beyond previous reviews and simultaneously treats the troika of vulnerability, mitigation and adaptation aspects of the issue, which will provide readers with a more comprehensive, multifaceted grasp of the spectrum of current issues regarding LPLULM and climate change