Palaeoweathering,composition and tectonics of provenance of the Proterozoic intracratonic Kaladgi–Badami basin,Karnataka, southern India: Evidence from sandstone petrography and geochemistry

Petrographic and geochemical data on the sandstones of the Proterozoic intracratonic Kaladgi–Badami basin, southern India are presented to elucidate the palaeoweathering pattern, and composition and tectonics of their provenance. The Kaladgi–Badami basin, hosting the Kaladgi Supergroup, occupies an E–W trending area. The Supergroup unconformably overlies Archaean basement TTG gneisses, granites and greenstones, comprises a cyclic arenite–pelite–carbonate association and is divided into the Bagalkot and Badami Groups. The immature arkosic character of the basal Saundatti Quartzite Member (Bagalkot Group) containing fresh and angular feldspars, along the northern margin of the basin, suggests that during the initial stage of deposition, this part of the basin received sediments from a restricted, uplifted and less weathered source dominated by K-rich granites occurring to the north. In contrast, the Saundatti Quartzite along the southern margin displays a mostly mature, quartz-rich character with less abundant but severely weathered feldspars, and higher SiO₂ and CIA but lower Al₂O₃, TiO₂, Rb, Sr, Ba, K₂O, K₂O/Na₂O, Zr/Ni and Zr/Cr. This is interpreted in terms of a tectonically stable, considerably weathered mixed source (Archaean gneisses, granites and greenstones) along the southern fringe of the basin. The highly mature (quartz arenite) Muchkundi Quartzite Member (also of the Bagalkot Group), occurring higher up in the succession, exhibits minor but severely altered feldspars, and higher SiO₂, Na₂O, CIA, Cr and Ni with lower K₂O, Al₂O₃, TiO₂ and K₂O/Na₂O. This reflects that with the passage of time the source evolved to a uniform, extensively weathered, tectonically stable peneplained provenance which consisted of less evolved TTG gneisses and greenstones. This was followed by closure, deformation and upliftment of the basin hosting the Bagalkot Group and subsequent deposition of the Badami Group. Sandstone Members of this younger Group (Cave-Temple Arenite and Belikhindi Arenite) range widely in mineralogy (quartz arenite to arkose) and chemistry (including CIA), and point to a source that varied from uplifted, less weathered K-rich granites to less evolved, peneplained TTG gneisses and greenstones or even Bagalkot sediments. Variable alteration of feldspars in the Kaladgi sandstones and severe depletion of Ca, Na and Sr in the associated shales indicate a humid tropical (tropical and subtropical) climate facilitating chemical weathering.     

Age determination of paleotsunami sediments around Lombok Island,Indonesia, and identification of their possible tsunamigenic earthquakes

Age determination of paleotsunami sediment from Lombok Island, Indonesia, and surrounding area has been carried out using the 210 Pb method in BATAN Jakarta. The basic theory of this method assumes that weathering of sediments, including paleotsunami sediments, will result in 210 Pb enrichment. The principle of this method is to calculate 210 Pb contents accumulation in a particular sedimentation interval from the surface to the deeper buried sediments. The results are then converted into age or depositional time in years ago unit. The dating results from the paleotsunami sediments of the Gawah Pudak(S8°46’2.91’’, E115°56’34.23’’) and Gili Trawangan areas(S8°21’1.38’’, E116°2’36.6’’) indicate the Gawah Pudak sediments were deposited 37 years ago(c. in 1977)and 22 years ago(c. in 1992). Three paleotsunami sediments from Gili Trawangan were deposited 149 years ago(c. in 1865), 117 years ago(c. in 1897) and 42 years ago(c. in 1972). These results are then compared to the available Indonesian earthquake catalogue data. This study reveals that paleotsunami sediments around Lombok Islands, from older to younger, were caused by the 1857 earthquake(epicentre in Bali Sea; M7; S8°00’09.45’’,E115°29’56.41’’), 1897 earthquake(epicentre in Flores Sea;M5.5; S6°47’59.62’’, E120°48’03.5’’ or Sulu Sea earthquake; M8.5; 70 km NW of Basilan Island), the 1975 earthquake(Nusa Tenggara; S10°6’16.61’’, E123°48’09.39’’), 1977 earthquake(in Waingapu, Sumba; M8.0;S11°5’39.34’’, E118°27’50.86’’) and the 1992 earthquake(Flores; M7.8; S8°28’52.11’’, E121°53’44.3’’).     

Influence of permeability in modeling of reservoir triggered seismicity in Koyna region,western India

The Koyna region located in the west coast of India is a classic example of reservoir triggered seismicity (RTS) that started soon after the impoundment of the Koyna reservoir in 1962. Previous studies have shown that RTS can be explained in terms of stress and pore pressure changes due to poroelastic response of the rock matrix. The permeability of rock matrix is a key parameter for pore pressure diffusion which is mainly responsible for generation of stress perturbation related to seismicity. Based on the poroelastic theory, we employ 2-D finite element models to simulate the evolution of pore pressure up to 5 years after the reservoir impoundment in 1962, using a range in permeability, 10^?16–10^?14 m². Constraints on material properties of Deccan basalt and granitic rocks were taken from available studies. The results show the formation of pore pressure front and its propagation with depth and time since the reservoir impoundment as a function of permeability. While a permeability of 10^?16 m² does not produce any significant change in pore pressure, a ten-fold increase in permeability produces significant changes up to a depth of 2 km only beneath the reservoir after 5 years of impoundment. Permeability values between 10^?15 m² and 10^?14 m² are required to induce critical pore pressure changes in the range 0.1–1 MPa up to depth of 10 km, capable of triggering earthquakes in a critically stressed region. Studies on core samples of granitic basement rock down to a depth of 1522 m in the Koyna region provide evidences of fracture zones that may contribute to water channelization. Direct measurements of material properties through the ongoing deep drilling programme would help to develop more realistic models of RTS.     

Role of organic matter in uranium mineralisation in Vempalle dolostone; Cuddapah basin,India

Dolostone of Vempalle Formation near Tummalapalle hosts large uranium deposit (>100,000 tonnes with an average grade of 0.045%U₃O₈). It is a unique type of uranium deposit because carbonate formations have been considered to be among the least uraniferous of all the rocks of the Earth’s crust due to mobility of uranium in aqueous fluid in the presence of carbonate and bicarbonate ions. Vempalle dolostone hosts syn-sedimentary uranium mineralization in the form of discrete uranium phases (pitchblende and coffinite) associated with collophane, and adsorbed uranium in organic matter. The organic matter has played dual role of concentrating uranium from solution and also chemically reducing it to pitchhblende and coffinite.     

High radiogenic heat production in the Kerala Khondalite Block,Southern Granulite Province,India

In situ radioelemental (K, U and Th) analysis and heat production estimates have been made at 59 sites in the Kerala Khondalite Block (KKB) of the Southern Granulite Province (SGP) of India. Together with the in situ analyses on granulites and gneisses previously reported from 28 sites, and heat production estimated from the published geochemical analyses on granites and syenites of the KKB, the new data set allows good characterization of heat production for the major granulite facies rocks and granitoids of the KKB. Garnet biotite gneisses are characterized by high levels of Th and U, with mean values of 60 and 3 ppm, respectively. Khondalites, leptynites and charnockites have slightly lower levels of Th (23, 20 and 22 ppm, respectively) and U (2.9, 2.4 and 0.9 ppm, respectively). The mean K, U, Th abundances for the granites, leucogranites and granitic gneisses ranges from 3.9 to 4.3%, 2.6 to 4.3 ppm, 22 to 50 ppm respectively, and for the syenites 4.8%, 2 ppm and 5.7 ppm. Mean radiogenic heat production values for garnet–biotite gneiss, khondalite, leptynite and charnockite are 5.5, 2.7, 2.4 and 2.2 μW m⁻³, respectively. For the granites, leucogranites, granitic gneisses and syenites it is 2.6, 3.4, 4.6 and 1.4 μW m⁻³, respectively. Heat production of granulite facies rocks, which are the most abundant rocks in KKB, correlate well with Th, but less with U, suggesting that variation is caused by Th and U bearing accessory minerals such as monazite and zircon. The high heat production of the KKB granulites are in contrast to the low heat production of the Late Archaean granulites of the Northern Block (NB) of the SGP which are highly depleted in radioelements and also the granulites of Madurai Block (MB) that have higher radioelemental abundances than in the granulites of the NB. The high heat production of the KKB granulites could be due to the nature of protoliths and/or metasomatism associated with Neoproteroic- to- Pan African alkaline magmatic activity represented by alkali granite and syenite–carbonatite emplacements and emplacement of pegmatites.     

Geothermal investigations in the Upper Vindhyan sedimentary rocks of Shivpuri area,central India

Heat flow has been determined by combining temperature measurements in 7 boreholes with thermal conductivity measurements in the Upper Vindhyan sedimentary rocks of Shivpuri area, central India. The boreholes are distributed at 5 sites within an area of 15 × 10 km²; their depths range from 174 to 268 m. Geothermal gradients estimated from borehole temperature profiles vary from 8.0–12.7 mK m⁻¹ in the sandstone-rich formations to 25.5–27.5 mK m⁻¹ in the shale-rich formations, consistent with the contrast in thermal conductivities of the two rock types. Heat flow in the area ranges between 45 and 61 mW m⁻², with a mean of 52±6 mW m⁻². The heat flow values are similar to the >50 mW m⁻² heat flow observed in other parts of the northern Indian shield. The heat flow determinations represent the steady-state heat flow because, the thermal transients associated with the initial rifting, convergence and sedimentation in the basin as well as the more recent Deccan volcanism that affected the region to the south of the basin would have decayed, and therefore, the heat flow is in equilibrium with the radiogenic heat production of the crust and the heat flow from the mantle. The present study reports the heat flow measurements from the western part of the Vindhyan basin and provides heat flow information for the Bundhelkhand craton for the first time. Radioelement (Th, U and K) abundances have been measured both in the sedimentary rocks exposed in the area as well as in the underlying basement granite-gneiss of Bundelkhand massif exposed in the adjacent area. Radioactive heat production, estimated from those abundances, indicate mean values of 0.3 μW m⁻³ for sandstone with inter-bands of shale and siltstone, 0.25 μW m⁻³ for sandstone with inter-bands siltstone, 0.6 μW m⁻³ for quartzose sandstone, and 2.7 μW m⁻³ for the basement granitoids. With a total sedimentary thickness not exceeding a few hundred metres in the area, the heat production of the sedimentary cover would be insignificant. The radioactive heat contribution from the basement granitoids in the upper crust is expected to be large, and together with the heat flow component from the mantle, would control the crustal thermal structure in the region.     

Revisiting the Koyna-Warna seismic zone: strain budget,present-day potential and associated hazard

Journal of Seismology - The Koyna-Warna region in western India is well known around the globe for recurrent reservoir-triggered seismicity soon after the impoundment of the Koyna and Warna...     

A CCD photometric study of the late type contact binary EK Comae Berenices

We present CCD photometric observations of the W UMa type contact binary EK Comae Berenices using the 2 m telescope of IUCAA Girawali Observatory, India. The star was classified as a W UMa type binary of subtype-W by Samec et al. (1996). The new V band photometric observations of the star reveal that shape of the light curve has changed significantly from the one observed by Samec et al. (1996). A detailed analysis of the light curve obtained from the high-precision CCD photometric observations of the star indicates that EK Comae Berenices is not a W-type but an A-type totally eclipsing W UMa contact binary. The photometric mass ratio is determined to be 0.349 ± 0.005. A temperature difference of ΔT = 141 ± 10 K between the components and an orbital inclination of i[°] = 89.800 ± 0.075 were obtained for the binary system. Absolute values of masses, radii and luminosities are estimated by means of the standard mass-luminosity relation for zero age main-sequence stars. The star shows O’Connell effect, asymmetries in the light curve shape around the primary and secondary maximum. The observed O’Connell effect is explained by the presence of a hot spot on the primary component.     

Climate Change Studies Using Coupled Model: Land Surface Perspective

Community Climate System Model (CCSM3), a coupled model developed by National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) containing atmosphere, ocean, sea-ice and land processes, simulation have been analysed for suitability in the Indian Monsoon region. A long control run of CCSM3 with constant forcing at every year has been done and the model climatology has been generated using 20 years of simulation. Atmospheric component of the model has been able to capture the large scale phenomena, however, regional monsoon variability not fully captured by the model simulation. A suitable modification in the flux coupler and the convective parameterization process in regional scale certainly improve the atmospheric part of the climate system. Another major component of the climate model is the representation of Land Surface Processes (LSP). A successful inclusion of LSP in climate model must address the issues related to the regional scale variation of the properties of LSP. A proper understanding of land surface processes is very crucial for climate simulations using numerical models. To understand the LSP-monsoon coupling, the offline Community Land Model (CLM), taken from CCSM3 land component, simulation forced with three hourly atmospheric boundary conditions have also been analyzed and compared with the CLM version of coupled CCSM mode. The distribution of surface heat flux in CCSM coupled mode shows some discrepancies compared to the offline CLM. Both the simulation results are compared with existing climatological features and assessment to improve CCSM3 for the regional climate change studies is made.