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In Türkiye, the prevalence of high radiogenic granites makes them ideal locations for initiating enhanced geothermal system (EGS) projects. One such occurrence of these granites is observed in the Kozak area of the Bergama region. To assess the energy potential of this site, a magnetotelluric (MT) survey was conducted, focusing on determining the depth distribution of the intrusive granite. The survey employed dimensionality analysis, utilizing Bahr skew and phase tensor analyses that denote a 2D subsurface nature up to 100 s and beyond that a 3D nature. In the present study, we interpreted MT data up to 100 s. The data collected, including rotated impedance tensors and tippers, were inverted using a nonlinear conjugate gradient algorithm integrated into the MT interpretation software of the WinG Link 2D inversion data modeling package. Multiple homogeneous half-space initial models were tested during the 2D inversion process. The findings indicate the existence of a midcrustal conductor associated with graphites and iron sulfides in the source region. This conductivity may be attributed to processes such as exsolution of metamorphic fluids, influx of mantle sources, or the entry of magmatic fluids through transcrustal fault zones. The findings indicate that the intrusive granite was emplaced along a NE-SW major fault, penetrating shallow crustal levels. The depth of this granite intrusion is determined to be 15 km, covering an outcrop area of 60 km². This detailed geological information allows a comprehensive assessment of the power-generating capacity of the intrusive granite. The results of this investigation contribute valuable insights for the development and optimization of Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) projects in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater is a valuable and universally distributed resource on Earth. Understanding the spatial and temporal dynamics of groundwater is of utmost importance for effective management. Normally, groundwater levels are recorded at arbitrary points, but groundwater modeling requires interpolating the measured values at specific grid nodes. This study aims to dentify and evaluate the geographical variations of groundwater levels in Türkiye using three geostatistical interpolation techniques. Data from 355 groundwater wells from 1970 to 2019 were used for this purpose. In addition, an investigation of changes in annual average temperature and precipitation was conducted for two different time periods: 1985–2000 and 2001–2016. The results show an increase in the annual average temperature in Türkiye by 0.82 °C during the reference period (1985–2000). Despite regional differences in the precipitation regime, the average annual precipitation in Türkiye has not changed significantly overall. Especially in the Meriç-Ergene, Konya Closed (Konya Kapalı), and Euphrates-Tigris basins, a significant decrease in groundwater levels was observed, even though this decrease is less than 100 m in some wells. After a comprehensive analysis of all these data, possible explanations for the changes in groundwater levels were considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since ancient times, dams have been built to store water, control rivers, and irrigate agricultural land to meet human needs. By the end of the 19th century, hydroelectric power stations arose and extended the purposes of dams. Today, dams can be seen as part of the renewable energy supply infrastructure. The word dam comes from French and is defined in dictionaries using words like strange, dike, and obstacle. In other words, a dam is a structure that stores water and directs it to the desired location, with a dam being built in front of river valleys. Dams built on rivers serve various purposes such as the supply of drinking water, agricultural irrigation, flood control, the supply of industrial water, power generation, recreation, the movement control of solids, and fisheries. Dams can also be built in a catchment area to capture and store the rainwater in arid and semi-arid areas. Dams can be built from concrete or natural materials such as earth and rock. There are various types of dams: embankment dams (earth-fill dams, rock-fill dams, and rock-fill dams with concrete faces) and rigid dams (gravity dams, rolled compacted concrete dams, arch dams, and buttress dams). A gravity dam is a straight wall of stone masonry or earthen material that can withstand the full force of the water pressure. In other words, the pressure of the water transfers the vertical compressive forces and horizontal shear forces to the foundations beneath the dam. The strength of a gravity dam ultimately depends on its weight and the strength of its foundations. Most dams built in ancient times were constructed as gravity dams. An arch dam, on the other hand, has a convex curved surface that faces the water. The forces generated by the water pressure are transferred to the sides of the structure by horizontal lines. The horizontal, normal, and shear forces resist the weight at the edges. When viewed in a horizontal section, an arch dam has a curved shape. This type of dam can also resist water pressure due to its particular shape that allows the transfer of the forces generated by the stored water to the rock foundations. This article takes a detailed look at hydraulic engineering in dams over the millennia. Lessons should be learned from the successful and unsuccessful applications and operations of dams. Water resource managers, policymakers, and stakeholders can use these lessons to achieve sustainable development goals in times of climate change and water crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bearing capacity of soil is a critical factor in the design of foundations for civil engineering structures. The bearing capacity depends on soil properties, as well as the location of the water table. A rise in the groundwater level can be dramatic, especially in highly urbanized regions, and can affect the bearing capacity of foundations. In this study, groundwater-level fluctuations in a highly urbanized region in İzmir, the third largest city in Türkiye, was monitored over a 1 year period, and its effect on reducing the bearing capacity, which is not considered in foundation design and construction, was investigated. For this purpose, four observation wells equipped with groundwater data loggers were used to determine the variations in groundwater level over 1 year. Using the Terzaghi approach to calculate the bearing capacity, normalized bearing capacity plots for various foundation width/depth (B/Df) ratios were generated for all four observation wells. Remarkable bearing capacity changes of 10.94, 8.21, 7.62 and 9.29% were observed in four different observation wells (OW-1, OW-3, OW-6 and OW-9, respectively). The study showed that changes in groundwater level in the region caused by urbanization poses a potential risk to the sustainability of previously constructed foundations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Türkiye is located in the Mediterranean sector of the Alpine--Himalayan tectonic belt and is among the foremost seven countries in the world having an abundance of geothermal resources. The Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex (CACC) is one of the most important geothermal regions in Türkiye. This study aims to evaluate the geothermal system of CACC using the geological, structural, and hydrogeochemical properties that were obtained from previous studies. The present study investigated and evaluated the hydrogeochemical and isotopic properties of 762 water samples belonging to 45 different localities from 41 scientific studies. The result shows that CACC has different heat sources and different hydrogeochemical processes. Major element chemistry of the water reveals that the geothermal fluids are mostly of the Ca - Mg - HCO3, Na - Cl - HCO3, and Ca-Cl water types. Silica geothermometers suggest that the reservoir temperature ranges from 48 to 180 °C. Based on the δ18O - δD relationship, water samples have a high-altitude meteoric origin. Stable isotopic data indicate that the geothermal fluids are formed by local recharge and deep circulation of meteoric waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water tunnels are one of the oldest hydro-technologies for extracting water resources and/or transmitting them through water distribution systems. In the past, human societies have used tunneling for various purposes, including development, as a measure to enable underground resource extraction and the construction of transportation networks in challenging landscapes and topographies. The development of hydro-technology potentially involves the construction of tunnels to feed aqueducts, irrigation and waste water systems. Thus, the ability to make and maintain tunnels became an important component in creating lasting and sustainable water systems, which increased water supply and security, minimized construction costs, and reduced environmental impact. Thus, this review asks how, when and why human societies of the past included tunneling for the development of lasting water supply systems. This review presents a comprehensive overview across time and space, covering the history of tunneling in hydro technology from antiquity to the present, and it ponders how past experiences could impact on future hydro-technological projects involving tunneling. A historical review of tunnel systems enhances our understanding of the potential, performance, challenges, and prospects associated with the use of hydro-techniques. In the past, as the different examples in time and space demonstrate, tunneling was often dedicated to solving local problems of supply and disposal. However, across the world, some features were repeated, including the need for carving through the living rock or digging to create tunnels covered with stone slabs. Also, the world-wide use of extensive and costly tunnel systems indicates the high level of investment which human societies are willing to make for securing control over and with its water resources. This study helps us to gather inspiration from proven technologies of the past and more recent knowledge of water tunnel design and construction. As we face global warming and its derivate problems, including problems of water scarcity and flooding, the ability to create and maintain tunnels remains an important technology for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floods are one of the most dangerous natural disasters, causing great destruction, damage, and even fatalities worldwide. Flooding is the phenomenon of a sudden increase or even slow increase in the volume of water in a river or stream bed as the result of several possible factors: heavy or very long precipitation, melting snowpack, strong winds over the water, unusually high tides, tsunamis, or the failure of dams, gages, detention basins, or other structures that hold back water. To gain a better understanding of flooding, it is necessary to examine evidence, search for ancient wisdom, and compare flood-management practices in different regions in a chronological perspective. This study reviews flood events caused by rising sea levels and erratic weather from ancient times to the present. In addition, this review contemplates concerns about future flood challenges and possible countermeasures. Thus, it presents a catalogue of past examples in order to present a point of departure for the study of ancient floods and to learn lessons for preparation for future flood incidents including heavy rainfalls, particularly in urbanized areas. The study results show that ancient societies developed multifaceted technologies to cope with floods and many of them are still usable now and may even represent solutions and measures to counter the changing and increasingly more erratic weather of the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]