Metal contamination of the environment by placer and primary gold mining in the Adola region of southern Ethiopia   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3  

Worash Getaneh  Tamiru Alemayehu 《Environmental Geology》2006,50(3):339-352

Primary and placer gold mining sites in southern Ethiopia were studied to see the contribution of mining to the accumulation of metals in different environmental media. Sediment, water and plant samples were analyzed for Al, Mn, Fe, As, Ni, Cr, Cu, Co, Pb, W, Sb, Mo, Zn and V. Water parameters (pH, Eh, TDS, anions and cations) were also measured. The sediment analyses results show that the most abundant metals are Ni (average 224.7 mg/kg), Cr (199 mg/kg), Cu (174.2 mg/kg), V (167.3 mg/kg), Zn (105.5 mg/kg), Pb (61.5 mg/kg) and As (59.7 mg/kg) in the primary gold mining sites while the placer sites show high concentration of V (average 301.2 mg/kg), Cr (260.4 mg/kg), Zn (179 mg/kg), Ni (113.4 mg/kg), Cu (46.7 mg/kg), As (32.2 mg/kg) and Co (31 mg/kg). The metals Cu, Ni, W, Cr, As and Pb in primary and Sb, W, Cr, Ni, Zn, As and Mo in placer gold mining sites have geoaccumulation indexes (I _geo) from one to four indicating considerable accumulation of these metals. Waters from both primary and placer mining sites are near neutral to alkaline. Arsenic (average 92.8 μg/l), Ni (276.6 μg/l), Pb (18.7 μg/l), Sb (10.7 μg/l), Mn (1 mg/l), Fe (8.3 mg/l) and Al (23.8 mg/l) exceeded the guideline value for drinking water. Plants show high concentration of Cr (average 174.5 mg/kg), Ni (163.5 mg/kg), Zn (96 mg/kg) and W (48 mg/kg). Zinc, W, Mo, Ni and Cr show the maximum biological absorption coefficient (BAC) ranging 0.4–1.7, 0.1–104.6, 1.1–2.6, 0.2–1.6 and 0.2–3.6, respectively, and the results suggest bioaccumulation of these elements in plants. The minerals especially sulfides in the ore aggregate are the ultimate source of the metals. The release of the metals into the environmental media is facilitated (in addition to normal geologic processes) by human activities related to gold mining.  相似文献   

Soil and groundwater pollution of an urban catchment by trace metals: case study of the Addis Ababa region, central Ethiopia     

Molla Demlie  Stefan Wohnlich 《Environmental Geology》2006,51(3):421-431

Analysis of the total heavy metal (Cr, Cd, Pb, As, Cu, Ni, Zn, Co) concentration was performed on 33 soil samples taken from different profiles and soil types in a highly urbanized and industrial sector of Addis Ababa, central Ethiopia. They were analyzed using aqua regia extraction coupled with a four-stage sequential extraction (SE) procedure. The objectives of the analysis were to investigate the degree of soil heavy metal contamination, its binding forms, mobility and the implications for the groundwater resource. The results show a relatively high content of the analyzed trace metals in the soil attributed to anthropogenic and geogenic sources. Although most of the trace metals are found in the upper few centimeters of the residual soils, because of churning processes within the black cotton soils, vertical distribution of the trace metals is complex. According to the heavy metal SE analysis, the major heavy metal contribution is from the residual followed by the hydroxide phases. Groundwater heavy metal contamination is present with more than 90 and 50% of the analyzed groundwater samples exceeding WHO guidelines for Cr and Cd, respectively. Since the degree of soil heavy metal contamination has apparently not surpassed the soil’s buffering capacity, it appears that the transport path of these toxic metals to the groundwater is through fractures, joints, and related preferential flow paths.  相似文献   

Geological setting and tectonic subdivision of the Neoproterozoic orogenic belt of Tuludimtu, western Ethiopia     

Alistair Allen  Gebremedhin Tadesse 《Journal of African Earth Sciences》2003,36(4):329-343

The N–S trending Tuludimtu Belt in the extreme west of Ethiopia has been subdivided into five lithotectonic domains, from east to west, the Didesa, Kemashi, Dengi, Sirkole and Daka domains. The Kemashi, Dengi and Sirkole Domains, forming the core of the belt, contain volcano-sedimentary successions, whilst the Didesa and Daka Domains are gneiss terranes, interpreted to represent the eastern and western forelands of the Tuludimtu Belt. The Kemashi Domain, which consists of an ophiolitic sequence of ultramafic and mafic volcanic and plutonic rocks together with sedimentary rocks of oceanic affinity, is interpreted as oceanic crust and is considered to represent an arc-continent suture zone. The Dengi Domain, composed of mafic to felsic volcanic and plutonic rocks, and a sequence of volcanoclastic, volcanogenic, and carbonate sediments, is interpreted as a volcanic arc. The Sirkole Domain consists of alternating gneiss and volcano-sedimentary sequences, interpreted as an imbricated basement-cover thrust-nappe complex. All the domains are intruded by syn- and post-kinematic Neoproterozoic granitoids. Structural analysis within the Didesa and Daka Domains indicate the presence of pre-Pan African structures, upon which Neoproterozoic deformation has been superimposed. The gneissic rocks of these two domains are regarded as pre-Pan African continental fragments amalgamated to West Gondwana during Neoproterozoic collision events. Unconformably overlying all of the above are a series of tilted but internally undeformed conglomerate–sandstone–shale sequences, regarded as post-accretionary molasse-type deposits, formed during gravitational collapse of the Tuludimtu Belt. The Tuludimtu Belt is interpreted as a collision orogenic belt formed during the assembly of West Gondwana prior to final closure of the Mozambique Ocean.  相似文献   

The Afar Depression: interpretation of the 1960–2000 earthquakes     

R. Hofstetter  M. Beyth 《Geophysical Journal International》2003,155(2):715-732

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Evaluating smallholder farmers' preferences for climate smart agricultural practices in Tehuledere District,northeastern Ethiopia     

《Singapore journal of tropical geography》2018,39(2):300-316

This study was conducted in Tehuledere district, northeastern Ethiopia. The objective was to find out farmers' preferences for, and barriers to, adopting climate smart agricultural (CSA) practices. Both primary and secondary sources of data were collected using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Conjoint experiment method was employed to identify the most preferred attributes of CSA practices. We found that high and moderate climate resilience and high crop yield agricultural practices had a positive utility, implying that these were the most preferred combination of CSA when responding to climate change. Contrary to this, high greenhouse gas emissions, low climate resilience and low crop yield had a negative utility, implying that these were the least preferred combination of CSA when responding to climate change. The study found that crop yield and resilience are the most important factors influencing farmers' preferences for CSA practices. The main barriers limiting wide adoption and practicing of CSA include inadequate law enforcement, lack of incentives, inadequate and unreliable extension and weather information. The study established that CSA practices were viable and effective response measures, hence increased support through adoption of innovative technologies, policies and strategies to address the barriers and widen the adoption scope of CSA is recommended.  相似文献   

Groundwater recharge in the Akaki catchment,central Ethiopia: evidence from environmental isotopes (δ18O, δ2H and 3H) and chloride mass balance     

Molla Demlie  Stefan Wohnlich  Birhanu Gizaw  Willibald Stichler 《水文研究》2007,21(6):807-818

Recharge patterns, possible flow paths and the relative age of groundwater in the Akaki catchment in central Ethiopia have been investigated using stable environmental isotopes δ¹⁸O and δ²H and radioactive tritium (³H) coupled with conservative chloride measurements. Stable isotopic signatures are encoded in the groundwater solely from summer rainfall. Thus, groundwater recharge occurs predominantly in the summer months from late June to early September during the major Ethiopian rainy season. Winter recharge is lost through high evaporation–evapotranspiration within the unsaturated zone after relatively long dry periods of high accumulated soil moisture deficits. Chloride mass balance coupled with the isotope results demonstrates the presence of both preferential and piston flow groundwater recharge mechanisms. The stable and radioactive isotope measurements further revealed that groundwater in the Akaki catchment is found to be compartmentalized into zones. Groundwater mixing following the flow paths and topography is complicated by the lithologic complexity. An uncommon, highly depleted stable isotope and zero‐³H groundwater, observed in a nearly east–west stretch through the central sector of the catchment, is coincident with the Filwoha Fault zone. Here, deep circulating meteoric water has lost its isotopic content through exchange reactions with CO₂ originating at deeper sources or it has been recharged with precipitation from a different rainfall regime with a depleted isotopic content. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

Development and application of a physically based landscape water balance in the SWAT model   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Eric D. White  Zachary M. Easton  Daniel R. Fuka  Amy S. Collick  Enyew Adgo  Matthew McCartney  Seleshi B. Awulachew  Yihenew G. Selassie  Tammo S. Steenhuis 《水文研究》2011,25(6):915-925

Watershed scale hydrological and biogeochemical models rely on the correct spatial‐temporal prediction of processes governing water and contaminant movement. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, one of the most commonly used watershed scale models, uses the popular curve number (CN) method to determine the respective amounts of infiltration and surface runoff. Although appropriate for flood forecasting in temperate climates, the CN method has been shown to be less than ideal in many situations (e.g. monsoonal climates and areas dominated by variable source area hydrology). The CN model is based on the assumption that there is a unique relationship between the average moisture content and the CN for all hydrologic response units (HRUs), and that the moisture content distribution is similar for each runoff event, which is not the case in many regions. Presented here is a physically based water balance that was coded in the SWAT model to replace the CN method of runoff generation. To compare this new water balance SWAT (SWAT‐WB) to the original CN‐based SWAT (SWAT‐CN), two watersheds were initialized; one in the headwaters of the Blue Nile in Ethiopia and one in the Catskill Mountains of New York. In the Ethiopian watershed, streamflow predictions were better using SWAT‐WB than SWAT‐CN [Nash–Sutcliffe efficiencies (NSE) of 0·79 and 0·67, respectively]. In the temperate Catskills, SWAT‐WB and SWAT‐CN predictions were approximately equivalent (NSE > 0·70). The spatial distribution of runoff‐generating areas differed greatly between the two models, with SWAT‐WB reflecting the topographical controls imposed on the model. Results show that a water balance provides results equal to or better than the CN, but with a more physically based approach. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

Geochemistry and Geotectonic Setting of Neoproterozoic Rocks from Northern Ethiopia (Arabian-Nubian Shield)     

M. Alene  R. Ruffini  R. Sacchi   《Gondwana Research》2000,3(3):333

Whole-rock geochemical analysis of metavolcanic and plutonic rocks from Mai Kenetal-Negash area, Tigrai, northern Ethiopia was carried out to evaluate their magma type and original tectonic environment. Their major element content has been modified by secondary alteration, and trace and rare-earth elements have been used to investigate their petrogenesis. The low content of compatible elements of the metavolcanic rocks and their relatively high content of incompatible elements and light REE point to a depleted source region, whereas the plutonic rocks show a more pronounced REE fractionation (La_N/Lu_N >4). Metavolcanic and plutonic rocks seem to be cogenetic. Discriminant diagrams suggest that the majority of the metavolcanic and all the plutonic rocks are members of a calc-alkaline suite developed in a volcanic arc setting. The overall geochemical characteristics of both sets of rocks are consistent with the arc accretion models postulated in Sudan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia for the Neoproterozoic evolution of the Arabian-Nubian Shield.  相似文献   

Spatial estimation of long-term seasonal and annual groundwater resources: application of WetSpass model in the Werii watershed of the Tekeze River Basin,Ethiopia     

Gebremedhin Gebremeskel  Asfaw Kebede 《自然地理学》2013,34(4):338-359

Treelines are widely studied worldwide in relation to climate changes because they are hypothesized to be sensitive climate proxies. However, forest treeline expansion toward higher altitudes may be influenced both by a warming climate and by other factors, such as surface morphology and, in the European Alps, the decline in alpine farming. Our results from five valleys in the inner and peripheral regions of the Alps show that present-day treeline altitudes mostly depend on anthropogenic and orographicgeomorphologic factors. Climatic treelines are limited to steep and inaccessible slopes, and occur at higher altitudes and farther from mountain peaks in the inner regions than in the peripheral regions of the mountain range. Looking for sites in which to study treeline responses to climate change, we recommend investigating the inner regions of the Alps where treelines are farther from human disturbances and from geomorphologic constraints, potentially resulting in freer upward shifts under warmer temperature conditions. We also found that, in the valleys selected, human disturbance is mainly concentrated about 165 m below non-climatic treelines, suggesting a homogeneous influence on treelines, regardless of geographic position.  相似文献   

Analyzing the runoff response to soil and water conservation measures in a tropical humid Ethiopian highland   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Dagnenet Sultan  Atsushi Tsunekawa  Nigussie Haregeweyn  Enyew Adgo  Mitsuru Tsubo  Derege Tsegaye Meshesha 《自然地理学》2013,34(5):423-447

Abstract

Different soil and water conservation (SWC) practices have been implemented in many drought-prone parts of Ethiopia since the 1980s. We assessed the effect of SWC practices on runoff response and experimentally derived and tested the validity of the runoff curve number (CN) model parameter for the tropical humid highland climate of the Kasiry watershed in northwestern Ethiopia. We recorded daily rainfall and runoff depth from 18 runoff plots (30 m long × 6 m wide) representing the five main land-use types with various SWC practices and two slope classes (gentle and steep). CN values were derived using the lognormal geometric mean CN procedure. Runoff was significantly less from plots with SWC measures, with average reductions of 44 and 65% observed in cultivated and non-agricultural lands, respectively. Runoff on plots representing non-agricultural land was relatively accurately predicted with the derived CN method, but predictions were less accurate for plots treated with a SWC practice. We conclude that predicting the effect of SWC practices on runoff requires parameterization with separate sets of CN value for each SWC practice.  相似文献