Design and development of information systems for the geosciences: An application to the Middle East

Publisher's version archived with permission from publisher. http://www.gulfpetrolink.net/publication/geoarabia.htmAs our understanding grows of how the Earth functions as a complex system of myriad interrelated mechanisms, it becomes clear that a revolutionary and novel approach is needed to study and understand it. In order to take advantage of an ever-growing number of observations and large data sets and to employ them efficiently in multidisciplinary studies aimed at solving earth system science problems, we are developing a comprehensive Solid Earth Information System (SEIS). The complex nature of the solid earth sciences raises serious challenges for geoscientists in their quest to understand the nature and the dynamic mechanisms at work in the planet. SEIS forms a first step in developing a broader and more comprehensive information system for earth system sciences designed for the needs of the geoscientists of the 21st century. In a way, SEIS is a step towards the Digital Earth. Application of SEIS to the complex tectonics of the Middle East shows that information systems are crucial in multidisciplinary research studies and open new avenues in research efforts. SEIS includes an Internet module that provides open access to anyone interested. Researchers as well as educators and students can access this knowledge and information system at http://atlas.geo.cornell.edu

Physiological modeling of isoprene dynamics in exhaled breath

Human breath contains a myriad of endogenous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are reflective of ongoing metabolic or physiological processes. While research into the diagnostic potential and general medical relevance of these trace gases is conducted on a considerable scale, little focus has been given so far to a sound analysis of the quantitative relationships between breath levels and the underlying systemic concentrations. This paper is devoted to a thorough modeling study of the end-tidal breath dynamics associated with isoprene, which serves as a paradigmatic example for the class of low-soluble, blood-borne VOCs. Real-time measurements of exhaled breath under an ergometer challenge reveal characteristic changes of isoprene output in response to variations in ventilation and perfusion. Here, a valid compartmental description of these profiles is developed. By comparison with experimental data it is inferred that the major part of breath isoprene variability during exercise conditions can be attributed to an increased fractional perfusion of potential storage and production sites, leading to higher levels of mixed venous blood concentrations at the onset of physical activity. In this context, various lines of supportive evidence for an extrahepatic tissue source of isoprene are presented. Our model is a first step towards new guidelines for the breath gas analysis of isoprene and is expected to aid further investigations regarding the exhalation, storage, transport and biotransformation processes associated with this important compound.Comment: 14 page

The crustal structure of the East Anatolian plateau (Turkey) from receiver functions

An edited version of this paper was published by the American Geophysical Union (AGU). Copyright 2003, AGU. See also: http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2003.../2003GL018192.shtml; http://atlas.geo.cornell.edu/turkey/publications/Zor-et-al_2003.htmThe crustal structure of the Anatolian plateau in Eastern Turkey is investigated using receiver functions obtained from the teleseismic recordings of a 29 broadband PASSCAL temporary network, i.e., the Eastern Turkey Seismic Experiment [ETSE]. The S-wave velocity structure was estimated from the stacked receiver functions by performing a 6-plane layered grid search scheme in order to model the first order features in the receiver functions with minimum trade-off. We found no significant crustal root beneath the western portion of the network, but there is some evidence of crustal thickening in the northern portion of the network. We found an average crustal thickness of 45 km and an average crustal shear velocity of 3.7 km/s for the entire eastern Anatolian plateau. Within the Anatolian plateau we found evidence of a prominent low velocity zone where the crust thickness is approximately 46 km. These results suggests that the 2 km high topography across the Anatolian plateau is dynamically supported because most of the plateau appears to be isostatically under-compensated. Also, there appears to be a region of thin crust at the easternmost edge of the Anatolian plateau that may be a relic from the accretion of island arcs to the Eurasian plate

Lithospheric and upper mantle structure beneath northern Morocco and central Syria

Copyright 1995, Dogan Seber. See also: http://atlas.geo.cornell.edu/dissertations/Seber_1995.htmNorthern Morocco and central Syria accommodate two of the most significant intraplate mountain belts on earth: the Atlas Mountains (High and Middle) and the Palmyride mountains, respectively. In contrast to interplate mountain belts like the Rif mountains in northern Morocco, intraplate mountain belts develop away from any plate boundaries. Hence, their formation is more difficult to explain. In this dissertation, seismological data from a recently installed digital seismic network in Morocco along with other available datasets, such as Bouguer gravity, seismic reflection, and surface geology, are analyzed in order to map the three-dimensional structure of the lithosphere and upper mantle beneath northern Morocco. Seismic data are also used in explaining some aspects of earthquake hazards in Morocco. New geodynamic models are proposed for both the Atlas and Rif mountains of northern Morocco. Teleseismic tomography results show that the lithosphere beneath the Atlas mountains is relatively thinner as evidenced by slower velocity anomalies. In contrast, beneath the Rif mountains a relatively fast upper mantle velocities are observed. Isostatic gravity anomalies show that the central High Atlas has a thick (~45 km) and isostatically compensated crust, whereas the Middle Atlas with a crustal thickness of about 30 km is not compensated, and that they are probably dynamically supported. The spatial distribution of intermediate-depth seismicity, regional seismic waveform propagation characteristics, Bouguer gravity anomalies, seismic reflection and drill hole data as well as surface geology are used to argue that the lithosphere beneath the Rif region has delaminated and it is sinking into the asthenosphere. This ongoing delamination process is proposed to have formed the Rif and Betic mountain belts around the Alboran Sea. The Palmyride intraplate mountain belt in central Syria, which shows a similar geologic history to the Atlas system of Morocco, is also studied. The upper part of the crust is mapped in central Syria beneath the Palmyrides fold-thrust belt and adjacent areas using very dense seismic refraction data. The results show that beneath the axis of the Palmyrides mountain belt a deep (~11 km) trough, formed in the Mesozoic, exists despite the Cenozoic inversion and uplift

A crustal transect across the Oman Mountains on the eastern margin of Arabia

Publisher's version archived with permission from publisher. http://www.gulfpetrolink.net/publication/geoarabia.htmThe unique tectonic setting of the Oman Mountains and the Semail Ophiolite, together with ongoing hydrocarbon exploration, have focused geological research on the sedimentary and ophiolite stratigraphy of Oman. However, there have been few investigations of the crustal-scale structure of the eastern Arabian continental margin. In order to rectify this omission, we made a 255-km-long, southwesterly oriented crustal transect of the Oman Mountains from the Coastal Zone to the interior Foreland via the 3,000-m-high Jebel Akhdar. The model for the upper 8 km of the crust was constrained using 152 km of 2-D seismic reflection profiles, 15 exploratory wells, and 1:100,000- to 1:250,000-scale geological maps. Receiver-function analysis of teleseismic earthquake waveform data from three temporary digital seismic stations gave the first reliable estimates of depth-to-Moho. Bouguer gravity modeling provided further evidence of depths to the Moho and metamorphic basement. Four principal results were obtained from the transect. (1) An interpreted mountain root beneath Jebel Akhdar has a lateral extent of about 60 km along the transect. The depthto- Moho of 41 to 44 km about 25 km southwest of Jebel Akhdar increased to 48 to 51 km on its northeastern side but decreased to 39 to 42 km beneath the coastal plain farther to the northeast. (2) The average depth to the metamorphic basement was inferred from Bouguer gravity modeling to be 9 km in the core of Jebel Akhdar and immediately to the southwest. A relatively shallow depth-to-basement of 7 to 8 km coincided with the Jebel Qusaybah anticline south of the Hamrat Ad Duru Range. (3) Based on surface, subsurface, and gravity modeling, the Nakhl Ophiolite block extends seaward for approximately 80 km from its most southerly outcrop. It has an average thickness of about 5 km, whereas ophiolite south of Jebel Akhdar is only 1 km thick. The underlying Hawasina Sediments are between 2 and 3 km thick in the Hamrat Ad Duru Zone, and 2 km thick in the Coastal Zone. (4) Southwest of Jebel Akhdar, reactivated NW-oriented strike-slip basement faults that deformed Miocene to Pliocene sediments were inferred from the interpretation of seismic reflection profiles

A Science Collaboration Environment for the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation

The vision of cyberinfrastructure is to provide “the comprehensive infrastructure needed to capitalize on dramatic advances in information technology, ” in support of science and engineering applications. The development of collaboration environments based on “science portals ” plays an important role in achieving this cyberinfrastructure vision. While online, discipline-specific problem solving environments have been in use for many years, the attempt to create a common cyberinfrastructure for this purpose is a more recent development. In this paper, we address the current effort for building such a science collaboration portal as a joint effort between the GEON (GEOsciences Network) and NEES (Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation) projects. In particular, we present recent work in developing portlets for providing access to computational simulation tools