On-going monitoring of deformation of dams is critical to assure their safe and efficient operation. Traditional monitoring methods, based on in-situ sensors measurements on the dam, have some limitations in spatial coverage, observation frequency, and cost. This paper describes the potential use of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) scenes from Sentinel-1A for characterizing deformations at the Mosul Dam (MD) in NW Iraq. Seventy-eight Single Look Complex (SLC) scenes in ascending geometry from the Sentinel-1A scenes, acquired from 03 October 2014 to 27 June 2019, and 96 points within the MD structure, were selected to determine the deformation rate using persistent scatterer interferometry (PSI). Maximum deformation velocity was found to be about 7.4 mm·yr−1 at a longitudinal subsidence area extending over a length of 222 m along the dam axis. The mean subsidence velocity in this area is about 6.27 mm·yr−1 and lies in the center of MD. Subsidence rate shows an inverse relationship with the reservoir water level. It also shows a strong correlation with grouting episodes. Variations in the deformation rate within the same year are most probably due to increased hydrostatic stress which was caused by water storage in the dam that resulted in an increase in solubility of gypsum beds, creating voids and localized collapses underneath the dam. PSI information derived from Sentinel-1A proved to be a good tool for monitoring dam deformation with good accuracy, yielding results that can be used in engineering applications and also risk management.
Metals were studied in topsoils surrounding a cement plant near the Euphrates River, Iraq. Bulk concentrations of SiO Pb, pH, organic matter, clay, sand, and silt were analyzed. The results indicate that the soils in the area are primarily alkaline with an average pH of 8.8; the texture is sandy loam. The CaO percentages were found to be high (31.9 wt% average). Soil levels of Pb, Zn, and Cd levels close to the cement plant are higher than the values reported in the literature. An enrichment factor calculation suggests that Ni, Cu, Zn Cd, and Pb have anthropogenic sources and exhibit a significant level of contamination. Principal component analysis identified Pb, CaO, Zn, and Cd as the signature geochemical characteristics that are associated with the cement factory. Moreover, most of the affected soils exhibit a NW-SE trend, which coincides with the prevailing winds in the study area. This pattern is indicative of dry deposition as the primary mechanism for metal accumulation. The hazard index (HI Ni-Zn-Cd-Pb ) was found to be 0.619 for cumulative metals, representing the highest value reported for health risk related to impacted soils by cement industry.
A geochemical and environmental study was carried out for the sediments of the Southern Neo-Tethys Ocean, represented by the Yamama Formation (Berriasian-Valaganian) in southern Iraq. The formation has a particular reservoir importance. The typical WQ-220 and WQ-280 wells were selected from the West Qurna field. Data of Gamma-ray logs were used for 30 depths of the typical well. Ten core samples were analyzed by X-Ray Fluoresces and total organic matter from both wells. The results showed that shaliness was relatively low, with an average of 16.5%, leading to a decrease in the presence of clay minerals and trace elements because the environment of the Yamama Formation is relatively far away from the coast. Qualitative evaluation of clay minerals was carried out by thorium/potassium ratio, which showed the dominance of illite and smectite. This may be due to an increase in the salinity of the ocean at that time or because potassium bonds are strong enough to resist the diagenesis processes. The origin of shale in the Yamama Formation was studied using the relationship TiO2-MgO+Fe2O3; the sources were passive margin group, oceanic island arc and active continental margin. The redox potential of paleoenvironment was determined by the thorium/uranium ratio, which showed that the beginning of depositional environment was slightly oxidized, but with the increase of sedimentation, it turned into a reduced environment, which indicates a transgression phase of sea level. The results of euxinic affinity, based on the relationship between molybdenum and Total Organic Carbon (TOC), reflect dyoxic facies which is deposited in extremely low but non-zero oxygen content, while the upper was approaching anoxic facies zone. The paleoenvironment of the Yamama Formation was of restricted deep marine water (outer shelf - upper part of the benthic zone) which contained a marine transgression phase because of the opening of Southern Neo-Tethys Ocean in the Valanginian age.
Air pollution means the release of pollutants into the atmosphere, which are harmful to human health and the planet as a whole. Almost all air pollutants come from production and energy use. In the present work, an assessment of some heavy metals, natural radioactivity and the quantity of dust fallen in three sites (Tessen, Rahemawa, and Laylan) in Kirkuk Governorate, northern Iraq. Three dust samples were collected from three locations (residential, commercial and industrial areas). The collected samples were analyzed for Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, and radioactivity (Gamma rays). The studied heavy metals (Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn) exceeded their limits in the atmosphere due to the increase in the number of automobiles, which added pollutants to the atmosphere through the fuel combustion in automobiles. The industrial processes, especially the petroleum industry considered the most dominant in Kirkuk Governorate, and anthropogenic activities also participated. Chromium Cr, Cu and gamma-ray were within the acceptable limits according to the World Nuclear Association (WNA).
The Cretacous is consider as very substantial period especially in middle and south of Iraq inasmuch of hydrocarbon content along his rock succession. In present work, the Mishrif Formation was studied in well 220 and well 280 of West Qurna oil field, Southern Iraq, the examination of the hand specimens of the formation rocks indicates recrystallized vuggy limestone in well 220 and recrystallized limestone in well 280. Twenty-four core samples distributed equally over the two wells were collected and prepared for microscope examination. Six main types of microfacies were found in both wells, these are: lime mudstone, wackestone, packstone, grainstone, rudstone and grapestone; and four submicrofacies these are: bioclast wackestone, benthic forams wackestone, bioclast packstone and peloidal packstone. The diagenetic processes include: cementation, dolomitization, compaction, dissolution and porosity. The microfacies examination reflect facies zone (7, 8 and 9A) which indicate deposition in the (evaporitic to the open marine) platform interior environment.
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