On the genus Sunius Stephens, 1829 of Turkey IX. A new species from northwestern Anatolia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae)

In the study, a new species of the genus Sunius Stephens (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae) is described and illustrated from Bursa province in northwestern Turkey, and distinguished from related congeners: Sunius uludagicus sp. nov. The species number of the genus is now reached 43 species in Turkey, 39 of them are apparently endemic to Anatolia.

Attenuation of Energy-based Demand Parameters

The intensity of ground shaking and the demand on structures during earthquakes have been generally characterized using parameters such as peak ground acceleration as well as strength-based parameters such as response spectrum ordinates (e.g., spectral acceleration) that represent the maximum amplitude of shaking for structures with specified natural period and damping values. It has long been recognized that to assess the demands on structures during earthquakes, one might employ an energy-based approach (as an alternative to the more common strength-based one), especially when there is an interest in assessing damage potential of ground motions. An energy spectrum, obtained with the same level of effort required to construct a conventional response spectrum, is a convenient single-parameter description of both amplitude and duration of ground motion and can serve as a useful means by which to describe the performance of structures with different natural periods and damping ratios.In this study, attenuation models for Northwestern Turkey are developed for two parameters (defined herein) that are related to input energy and absorbed energy. The empirical models developed take advantage of the recent increase in the database on strong motion data for Northwestern Turkey. A total of 195 recordings from 17 recent seismic events are included in this database. The ground-motion prediction equations developed are for the geometric mean of the two horizontal components of the 5-percent damped energy parameters (elastic and inelastic input energy-equivalent acceleration, Ai, and absorbed energy-equivalent velocity, Aa) at various periods. Predictions of the energy-based parameters from the proposed attenuation model are compared with (strength-based) spectral acceleration levels predicted by Özbey et al [Soil Dyn. & Earthq. Eng., 24 (2004), pp. 115-125]. It is found that the energy demand parameters were generally greater with elastic Ai demands highest. In addition, the predicted energy-based parameter levels are compared with available Western U.S. attenuation model predictions for the same energy-based parameters. Western U.S. models predict similar energy demands to those with the proposed model. Finally, amplification factors for the energy-based parameters are proposed as a function of site class; these factors can be thought of as analogous to amplification factors for spectral acceleration as given in the NEHRP Seismic Provisions. The patterns related to the amplification are similar as with spectral acceleration in NEHRP (2001). A comparison of soil amplification effects for strength- and energy-based parameters is also discussed.

Earth in practice: Uncertainty, expertise and the expected Istanbul earthquake

In 1999, two devastating earthquakes occurred in Northwestern Turkey, which claimed around 18,000 lives. Since the disaster, many scientific studies and projects, both international and national, have been conducted, concluding that another earthquake at the magnitude of at least six will hit Istanbul. Even though there is a consensus among scientists that an earthquake will happen in Istanbul, there is a plethora of different theories and arguments about the anticipated earthquake. This paper is an historical account of how different technoscientific practices have enacted different North Anatolian Faults stretching across Anatolia and Marmara Sea. The multiplicity of the fault does not emerge as an epistemic problem of having different perspectives, but it is an ontological question of how plural realities are being made in different scientific practices. We argue that scientific uncertainties emerge when these different faults do not fit together in technoscientific circles and across public venues.

datplot

This article introduces datplot, an R package designed to prepare chronological data for visualization, focusing on the treatment of objects dated to overlapping periods of time. Datplot is suitable for all disciplines in which scientists long for a synoptic method that enables the visualization of the chronology of a collection of heterogeneously dated objects. It is especially helpful for visualizing trends in object assemblages over long periods of time—for example, the development of pottery styles—and it can also assist in the dating of stratigraphy. As both authors come from the field of classical archaeology, the examples and case study demonstrating the functionality of the package analyze classical materials. In particular, we focus on presenting an assemblage of epigraphic evidence from Bithynia (northwestern Turkey), with a microregional focal point in the territory of Nicaea (modern Iznik). In the article, we present the internal methodology of datplot and the process of preparing a dataset of categorically and numerically dated objects. We demonstrate visualizing the data prepared by datplot using kernel density estimation and compare the outcome with more established methods such as histograms and line graphs.