Geochemistry of Early Cretaceous Alkaline Ultramafic-Mafic Complex from Jasra, Karbi Anglong, Shillong Plateau, Northeastern India

An early Cretaceous alkaline ultramafic-mafic complex is emplaced within the Proterozoic rocks of Shillong plateau at Jasra, Karbi Anglong district of Assam. It is associated to the fracture system of Barapani-Tyrsad shear zone, Kopali faults, and Um Ngot lineaments and mainly comprises pyroxenite, gabbro and nepheline syenite. Few small mafic dykes, emplaced within pyroxenitic and granitic plutons, are also reported. No such dyke is reported to cut gabbros or nepheline syenites. Nepheline syenites occur either in the form of small dykes in pyroxenites or as differentiated bodies in the gabbros. Mineralogical and chemical composition of pyroxenite and gabbro clearly indicate their affinity to the alkaline magmatism. Syenitic samples show miaskitic character (agpaitic index <1), also indicates affinity with alkaline-carbonatite magmatism. Calcite is encountered in a number of pyroxenite samples. From the presented petrological and geochemical data it is difficult to establish any significant genetic relationship through simple differentiation process between these rocks. These data probably suggest that these rocks are derived from a primary carbonatite magma, generated by the low-degree melting of a metasomatized mantle peridotite. CO₂ released by this process also progressively metasomatizes the lherzolite to an alkaline wehrlite and melts derived from alkaline wehrlite (ultrabasic alkaline silicate magma) may be responsible for crystallization of Jasra alkaline ultramafic-mafic rocks.     

Decumbent development: Urban sprawl in the Guwahati Metropolitan Area,India

Urban sprawl has become a global phenomenon as an outcome of growing population and rapid urbanization. Previous studies have addressed the rising incidence of uncontrollable urban development, particularly in peri-urban areas of cities, leading to chronic urban sprawl. The city of Guwahati, a million city in north east India, has expanded significantly in recent years. In this article, the links between population and growth of built-up areas were examined using geo-spatial techniques and remotely sensed datasets. The results indicate that the sprawl has accentuated in recent years. The intensity of land use remained uneven due to marked variations in the distribution of built-up areas, plausibly an outcome of unplanned urban growth. If current trends are anything to go by, future urban sprawl could pose serious threats to the vulnerable eco-sensitive and peri-urban areas of Guwahati. Secondary cities have unfortunately received scant attention in urban policy research, and Guwahati, epitomizes urban woes in a developing country.     

Developing synergy regression models with space-borne ALOS PALSAR and Landsat TM sensors for retrieving tropical forest biomass

Forest stand biomass serves as an effective indicator for monitoring REDD (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation). Optical remote sensing data have been widely used to derive forest biophysical parameters inspite of their poor sensitivity towards the forest properties. Microwave remote sensing provides a better alternative owing to its inherent ability to penetrate the forest vegetation. This study aims at developing optimal regression models for retrieving forest above-ground bole biomass (AGBB) utilising optical data from Landsat TM and microwave data from L-band of ALOS PALSAR data over Indian subcontinental tropical deciduous mixed forests located in Munger (Bihar, India). Spatial biomass models were developed. The results using Landsat TM showed poor correlation (R² = 0.295 and RMSE = 35 t/ha) when compared to HH polarized L-band SAR (R² = 0.868 and RMSE = 16.06 t/ha). However, the prediction model performed even better when both the optical and SAR were used simultaneously (R² = 0.892 and RMSE = 14.08 t/ha). The addition of TM metrics has positively contributed in improving PALSAR estimates of forest biomass. Hence, the study recommends the combined use of both optical and SAR sensors for better assessment of stand biomass with significant contribution towards operational forestry.     

Thermosolutal-convective instability of a stellar atmosphere in the presence of suspended particles

Thermosolutal-convective instability of a stellar atmosphere is considered in the presence of suspended particles. The criteria for monotonic instability are derived which are found to hold good in the presence of uniform rotation and uniform magnetic field, separately, on the thermosolutal-convective instability in the presence of suspended particles.     

Accuracy Assessment of Digital Elevation Model Generated by SAR Stereoscopic Technique Using COSMO-Skymed Data

Radargrammetry technique using the stereoscopic synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images is used for the generation of a digital elevation model (DEM) of a region requires only the amplitude images. SAR stereoscopic technique is analogous to the stereo-photogrammetric technique where the optical stereoscopic images are used for DEM generation. While the advantages of the SAR images are their indifference to atmospheric transparency and solar illumination conditions, the side-looking geometry of the SAR increases the complexity in the SAR stereo analysis. The availability of high spatial and temporal resolution SAR data in recent years has facilitated generation of high-resolution DEM with greater vertical accuracy using radargrammetric technique. In the present study, attempt has been made to generate the DEM of Dehra Dun region, India, from the COSMO-Skymed X-band SAR data-pair acquired at 8 days interval through the radargrammetry technique. Here, radargrammetric orientation approach has been adopted to generate the DEM and various issues and processing steps with the radargrammetry technique have been discussed. The DEM was validated with ground measured elevation values using a differential global positioning system and the root-mean-square error of the DEM was found as 7.3 m. The DEM was compared with the reference DEM of the study area generated from the Cartosat-1 stereo data with a model accuracy of 4 m.     

Swelter in the city: Urban greenery and its effects on temperature in Guwahati,India

Changing urban landscape with multistoried high rises, roads and pavements is continuously reducing urban green space. These structures result in high surface temperature variation within cities. To explore the relationship between surface temperature and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), this study estimates two models—geographically weighted regression (GWR) and a fixed effect panel data model in relation to the Guwahati Metropolitan Area (GMA), a secondary city in north east India. The results indicate the superiority of GWR regression in presence of spatial dependence. Panel data analysis shows that the densely populated urban areas in the GMA with less than 10 per cent greenery are 1°C warmer than the sub-urban areas with 50 per cent greenery.     

Extreme rainfall event of July 25–27, 2005 over Mumbai, West Coast, India

Extreme localised rainfall events are part of monsoon system occurring every year. Satellite data (TRMM and other geostationary satellites) together with ground observations will be useful in providing spatial and temporal variability of atmospheric changes. The short and long term variability is required for better understanding of the local and regional climatic conditions through detailed modelling. Such information will play a key role in real time data analysis and dissemination system to the disaster management groups in the country to minimize losses due to these extreme rainfall events.     

Study of weathering and erosional status of basaltic rocks using remote sensing data

In the present study an attempt has been made in order to evaluate the weathering and erosional status of a part of the Konkan coast stretching between Mumbai and Rajpuri, using IRS-IB, LISS-II data supported by spectral reflectance and thin section study of the rock samples collected from the coastal plains. The study revealed that extensive erosion has been taking place in few pockets along the Konkan Coastal plain, which is evidenced by the presence of more weathered rocks in the coastal plains as compared to that of the hinterland, siltation of the coastal wetlands due to the deposition of eroded materials and high-suspended sediments in the coastal water. The thin section study of the basaltic rock samples collected from the coast also shows evidence of physical and chemical weathering. The lineaments of the coastal tract are found to exist in clusters mostly trending towards NNE—SSW and a few N—S trending, this supports the presence of a N-S trending fault parallel to the Konkan coast along the Western Ghats. It has also been found that remote sensing, in association with other conventional techniques is ideal for such type of studies.