Spatial variability of precipitation regimes over Turkey

Turkish annual precipitation regimes are analysed to provide large-scale perspective and redefine precipitation regions. Monthly total precipitation data are employed for 107 stations (1963–2002). Precipitation regime shape (seasonality) and magnitude (size) are classified using a novel multivariate methodology. Six shape and five magnitude classes are identified, which exhibit clear spatial structure. A composite (shape and magnitude) regime classification reveals dominant controls on spatial variability of precipitation. Intra-annual timing and magnitude of precipitation is highly variable due to seasonal shifts in Polar and Subtropical zones and physiographic factors. Nonetheless, the classification methodology is shown to be a powerful tool that identifies physically-interpretable precipitation regions: (1) coastal regimes for Marmara, coastal Aegean, Mediterranean and Black Sea; (2) transitional regimes in continental Aegean and Southeast Anatolia; and (3) inland regimes across central and Eastern Anatolia. This research has practical implications for understanding water resources, which are under ever growing pressure in Turkey

Sensory evaluation of flavored extra virgin olive oil

Flavored olive oil is produced by adding the flavors of various spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables or natural aromas to extra virgin olive oil. In this study; various natural aromas and aromatic herb extracts were added to extra virgin olive oil in a wide range of concentrations. Sensory evaluation is performed to determine the ;quot;most liked;quot; concentration of natural aromas (oregano, basilico, rosemary and bitter-orange) and aromatic herb extracts (oregano, basilico and hot pepper) used to prepare flavored olive oil. Sensory evaluation of olive oil samples prepared in accordance with the trial plan was carried out with ranking test and paired-comparison test. Panelists preferred the olive oils flavored with 0.05% of natural oregano aroma and 0.07% of basilico, rosemary and bitter-orange aromas, the olive oils flavored with 20% of oregano extract and 40% of basilico and hot pepper extract. In addition, commercial flavored olive oils {oregano, basilico, rosemary, bitter-orange and garlic) were also subjected to sensory evaluation. In particular, at the end of the panel, the sample liking was the following: oregano;gt; basilico;gt; rosemary;gt; hot pepper;gt; garlic. According to the paired comparison-test, oregano flavored olive oil (0.05%)) and flavored olive oil with oregano extract (20%) were statistically different at P ;lt; 0.001 from each other and the most like flavored olive oil was to prepare with natural oregano aroma.Çeşnili zeytinyağı; natürel sızma zeytinyağlarına değişik baharat, meyve ve sebzeler veya bunların doğal aroma maddeleri katılarak çeşnilendirilmesi ile elde edilmektedir. Bu çalışmada çeşitli doğal aromalar {kekik, fesleğen, biberiye ve turunç) ve aromatik bitki ekstraktlarınm {kekik, fesleğen, acı biber) değişik konsantrasyonlarda kullanılmasıyla hazırlanan çeşnili zeytinyağı örnekleri duyusal olaraîc değerlendirilmiştir. Deneme planına göre hazırlanan zeytinyağı örneklerinin duyusal değerlendirilmesi "sıralama testi" ve "eşlenmiş kıyaslama testi" ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. En çok beğenilen çeşnili zeytinyağlarının kekik için %0.05, fesleğen, biberiye ve turunç için %0.07 oranında doğal aroma kullanılarak hazırlanan çeşnili zeytinyağları olduğu saptanmıştır. Aromatik bitki ekstraktları kullanılarak hazırlanan çeşnili zeytinyağlarında ise kekik için %20, fesleğen ve acı biber için %40 oranında ekstrakt kullanılarak hazırlanan çeşnili zeytinyağlarının panelistler tarafından beğenildiği bulgulanmıştır. Ayrıca piyasadan temin edilen kekik, fesleğen, biberiye, turunç ve sarımsak aromalı çeşnili zeytinyağları da en çok beğenilen aromanın belirlenebilmesi amacıyla duyusal olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Sıralama testi sonucunda beğeni sıralaması; kekik> fesleğen> biberiye> turunç> sarımsak doğal aromalı çeşnili zeytinyağlarıdır. Eşlenmiş kıyaslama testi sonuçları istatistiksel değerlendirilmesine göre; kekik aromalı zeytinyağı (%0.05) ve kekik ekstraktı ile çeşnilendirilmiş zeytinyağı (%20) arasında %99.5 olasılıkla farklılık olduğu saptanmıştır CP 0.001). Ayrıca doğal kekik aroması ile hazırlanmış çeşnili zeytinyağı, kekik ekstraktı ile hazırlanmış zeytinyağına göre daha çok beğenilmiştir

Geodynamic importance of the strike-slip faults at the eastern part of the Anatolian Scholle: Inferences from the uplift and slip rate of the Malatya Fault (Malatya-Ovacık Fault Zone, eastern Turkey)

Controversy remains over when present-day configuration of the Anatolia boundary faults came into existence, and the issue of what are the driving forces of the Anatolian westward motion. The NW-striking dextral and NE-striking sinistral second-order strike-slip faults at the eastern part of the Anatolian Scholle play a crucial role within these long-lasting discussions, and the NE-striking sinistral Malatya–Ovacık Fault Zone (MOFZ) is particularly important in this ongoing debate. Although the MOFZ is defined as one of the intra-plate structures, it has been proposed that it was an inter-plate fault between the Anatolia and Arabian plates from the latest Miocene to mid-Pliocene and that it has been inactive during the last ca. 3.5 Ma. This study provides results from the first morphochronology-based uplift and slip rate estimates on the Malatya Fault within the southern section of the MOFZ. The cosmogenic isochron burial and cosmogenic depth burial of ages from the sinistrally offset Tohma River remnant terraces enabled us to calculate 1.0 ± 0.01 and 1.12 ± 0.01 mm/yr minimum and maximum horizontal slip rates, respectively, for the last 1.4 ± 0.1 Ma. Furthermore, we conclude that the 96 ± 11 m/Ma mean uplift has been driven by the Malatya Fault. Integrated interpretation of the findings of this study and available data on both the MOFZ and other strike-slip faults at the eastern part of the Anatolian Scholle support the hypothesis that they are plate-boundary related active deformation belts that originated from paleotectonic structures during the tectonic escape of the Anatolian Scholle

Cl-36 exposure dating of paleoearthquakes in the Eastern Mediterranean: First results from the western Anatolian Extensional Province, Manisa fault zone, Turkey

Based on historical and instrumental data, societies in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East have survived at least 150 large earthquakes (generally M > 6) during the past 2500 yr. Beyond this time span, an earthquake chronology is mostly unknown, which hampers the production of reliable long-term earthquake models. Since the only remaining evidence of seismic activity is a bedrock scarp, cosmogenic Cl-36 is the only suitable nuclide to be applied in the determination of the seismic history and slip rate of an active limestone fault plane. In this study, we focus on the 4-m-high Mugirtepe fault scarp within the active Manisa fault zone in western Anatolia, one of the most seismically active and rapidly extending regions in the world. We analyzed 44 samples in two slightly overlapping strips, which in total covered 2.65 m of the fault scarp. In order to determine the timing and the amount of slip of the paleoseismic events, we analyzed the measured Cl-36 concentrations using the Schlagenhauf Matlab (R) code. We used two different scenarios based on two different inherited Cl-36 concentrations as constrained by our data and modeling. The best fit for the first scenario yields two seismic events, one at 13.7 +/- 0.8 ka with a displacement of 0.5 +/- 0.2 m and one at 7.8 +/- 0.5 ka with 2.15 +/- 0.35 m offset. For the second scenario, we obtained a single seismic event at 8.6 +/- 0.6 ka with 2.65 +/- 0.35 m of slip. These results indicate that the visible part of the Mugirtepe exposed fault scarp had achieved most of its displacement already by 8 ka. Initial surface faulting at Mugirtepe occurred not later than around 14 ka, and marked seismic activity continued until around 8 ka. Our first results from the western Anatolian Extensional Province show the ability to reveal periods of enhanced seismic activity beyond historical data using cosmogenic Cl-36

Timing of retreat of the Reuss Glacier (Switzerland) at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum

We used cosmogenic 10Be and 36Cl to establish the timing of the onset of deglaciation after the Last Glacial Maximum of the Reuss Glacier, one of the piedmont lobes of the Alpine ice cap that reached the northern Alpine foreland in Switzerland. In this study, we sampled erratic boulders both at the frontal position in the foreland (Lenzburg and Wohlen, canton Aargau) and at the lateral Alpine border position (Seeboden moraine, Rigi, canton Schwyz). The minimum age for the beginning of retreat is 22.2 ± 1.0 ka at the frontal (terminal) position and 20.4 ± 1.0 ka at the lateral position. These ages are directly comparable with exposure ages from the other piedmont lobes in the northern Alpine foreland. Our data from the mountain called Rigi, do not support the hypothesis that boulders located external to the Seeboden moraine were deposited prior to the last glacial cycle. We present a first exposure age from an erratic boulder in a retreat position in the Alpine foreland. The Reuss Glacier was approximately 12 km behind the maximal extent no later than at 18.6 ± 0.9 ka