M. Fnais

The contribution of outdoor air pollution sources to premature mortality on a global scale

Assessment of the global burden of disease is based on epidemiological cohort studies that connect premature mortality to a wide range of causes, including the long-term health impacts of ozone and fine particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5). It has proved difficult to quantify premature mortality related to air pollution, notably in regions where air quality is not monitored, and also because the toxicity of particles from various sources may vary. Here we use a global atmospheric chemistry model to investigate the link between premature mortality and seven emission source categories in urban and rural environments. In accord with the global burden of disease for 2010 (ref. 5), we calculate that outdoor air pollution, mostly by PM2.5, leads to 3.3 (95 per cent confidence interval 1.61–4.81) million premature deaths per year worldwide, predominantly in Asia. We primarily assume that all particles are equally toxic, but also include a sensitivity study that accounts for differential toxicity. We find that emissions from residential energy use such as heating and cooking, prevalent in India and China, have the largest impact on premature mortality globally, being even more dominant if carbonaceous particles are assumed to be most toxic. Whereas in much of the USA and in a few other countries emissions from traffic and power generation are important, in eastern USA, Europe, Russia and East Asia agricultural emissions make the largest relative contribution to PM2.5, with the estimate of overall health impact depending on assumptions regarding particle toxicity. Model projections based on a business-as-usual emission scenario indicate that the contribution of outdoor air pollution to premature mortality could double by 2050.

Seismicity associated with active, new-born, and re-awakening basaltic volcanoes: case review and the possible scenarios for the Harraat volcanic provinces, Saudi Arabia

During April–June 2009, a swarm of more than 30,000 earthquakes struck the Harrat Lunayyir, situated in the north-western end of the Saudi Arabian Harraat, east of the Red Sea. This sharp increase in the seismic activity in the region of ancient basaltic volcanic centers indicated a likelihood of a future eruption. To check the situation, a short review of the best-documented seismic activity associated with active, new-born, and re-awakening basaltic volcanoes is presented in this article. Basing on the review, some regularity in the development of seismic activity associated with basaltic eruptions was formulated. Three stages in the development of seismic activity were identified: preliminary, preceding, and continuous. The duration of preceding stage varies from a few hours for active and re-awakened volcanoes to some weeks for new-born volcanoes and may serve as a criterion for discriminations of different types of basaltic eruptions. The duration of the seismic activity during the 2009 episode at Harrat Lunayyir was longer than any activity preceding the basaltic eruptions of different types. Therefore, the most probable scenario is the arrest of sub-surface intrusion without any eruption in the region of Harrat Lunayyir. The next probable scenario would be the dike injections along the rift zones. The re-awakening of the old Harrat Lunayyir volcano or the birth of a new volcano at Harrat Lunayyir is less probable.

Seismicity and Seismotectonics of Jeddah-Makkah Region, West-Central Saudi Arabia

Jeddah-Makkah regionis have been suffering from earthquake crisis where some moderate to destructive earthquakes have been recorded. These earthquake activities are oriented along major faults or clustered in certain spots. Moreover, these earthquake events have annual recurrence periods, so the identification of these seismogenic source zones is of utmost importance for mapping the most hazardous localities which should be avoided in the future urban planning. Historical and instrumental earthquakes have been collected from national and international data centers and unified in catalogue. The existence of microearthquakes inland suggests that there is a significant level of tectonic activity at away from the axial trough of the Red Sea. Then, seismogenic source zones have been defined depending on the major tectonic trends; distribution of earthquake epicenters, seismicity rate (a & b-values) and fault plane solution of major earthquakes. It is concluded that Jeddah-Makkah region is affected by the outlined five seismogenic source zones; three of these zones aligned of the main Red Sea axial trough (southwestern Jeddah, western Jeddah, and northwestern Jeddah zones), while the other two zones are located in the land area of the region (Thewal-Rabegh and Jeddah-Makkah zones). These inland zones correlated well with the main trends of major tectonics which refleet the reactivation of tectonic movements along these fault trends. The Red Sea zones are in agreement with the main path of the axial trough. The range of b-value in these identified zones is 0.65 to 1.03 through these identified zones. The area characterized by higher b-values could be indicative of a relative low stress regime which was a result of resulting from the stress release by the earthquakes. Whereas, the areas of lower b-values can be considered as an evidence of a relatively higher stress regime associated with a dominantly extensional stresses. Based on aforementioned, the region is suffering from different stress level accumulations which, in turn, cause earthquakes with different magnitudes. Accordingly, deployment of local seismograph network through Jeddah-Makkah region is highly recommended. These results will support, to a great extent, seismic hazard assessment and risk mitigation of the region.

Assessment of soil-structure resonance in southern Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia

Because of the site response effects can increase earthquakes damage, the assessment of soil–structure interaction is an important parameter to reduce seismic risk at a specified location. Southern Riyadh residential area is one of the densely populated districts of Riyadh city, so protection of these structures with human who lives in these buildings is of utmost importance. This is achieved through assessment of soil-structure resonance in this area. Microtremor measurements have been conducted at ten free-field sites and inside four buildings. The horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) technique has been applied in order to assess the fundamental frequencies of the sediments, beside the longitudinal and transverse fundamental frequencies of each building based on the amplitude spectra and the floor spectral ratio (FSR) methods. In case of the building frequency is close to a nearby free-field fundamental frequency, a potential soil-structure resonance is present. The results clarified that the surveyed buildings have low danger level of soil-structure resonance.

Private Higher Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Reality, Challenges and Aspirations

This chapter describes and evaluates the development and contribution of private higher education institutions in the context of the overall higher education strategy for Saudi Arabia. This chapter highlights the need to better define the particular mission of private universities in Saudi Arabia, and the contribution they can make to the future of the Kingdom, and discusses the difficult challenge of recruiting and developing quality academic staff for private sector universities.