Giant phenocryst basalts in the deccan trap

This paper gives an account of some unusual porphyritic basalts containing very large phenocrysts of plagioclase, averaging from 3 cm to 5 cm in length, and at places as large as 10 to 12 cm in length. These flows have been noticed at more than 20 localities, spread all over Western Maharashtra, occurring between levels of 100 feet below sea level (seen in a drill-core) and an elevation of more than 4000 feet above sea level. They appear to have a considerable lateral extent, some of them having been observed to extend for more than ten miles. In vertical extent, the flows were found to vary from 40 to 150 feet. The giant phenocrysts commonly show cross-twinning. In some flows due to repeated cross-twinning they give star shaped appearance. At places they also occur in clusters. In portions of some flows the tablets seem to have settled at the bottom and are seen in horizontal positions. In hydrothermally altered portions of some flows the phenocrysts are altered and in some patches seem to have been completely destroyed. As a rule, the plagioclase weathers more quickly than the ground mass producing a very characteristic pitted appearance. Some flows seem to have contained large crystals of olivine which have been altered to iddingsite. Highly vesicular and amygdaloidal giant phenocrvst basalts are also met with.     

Summer Monsoon Rainfall Variability Over Maharashtra, India

This paper presents the results of an analysis of the daily rainfall of 329 rain gauge stations data over Maharashtra, a state in India, during the summer monsoon season, June to September, for the 11?year period from 1998 to 2008. Mesoscale analysis of the daily rainfall data is performed by converting the station rainfall data into gridded format with 15?km resolution. Various statistics have been carried out over 35 districts of four meteorological subdivisions of the Maharashtra state to understand the spatio-temporal variability of rainfall. Variation of monthly mean rainfall for the four monsoon months and a season as whole is analyzed for different rainfall statistics such as mean rainfall, rainfall variability, rainy days, maximum daily rainfall and classification of rainy days. Seasonal rainfall is maximum over the Konkan region followed by the eastern Vidharbha region whereas Madhya Maharashtra as a rain shadow region receives less rainfall. The rainfall is highly variable over all of Maharashtra with the coefficient of variability of the daily rainfall varying between 100 and 300%. Seasonal distribution of the number of rainy days shows 90–100 over southern Konkan, 80–90 over northern Konkan, 50–60 over eastern Vidharbha, and the southeast Madhya Maharashtra has the lowest number of about 15–20 rainy days. The highest values of maximum daily rainfall are located over the Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Raigadh, Mumbai and Thane districts of the Konkan region followed by that over eastern Vidharbha. The rainfall data have been divided into three categories (moderate rainfall, heavy rainfall and extreme heavy rainfall) based upon seven categories used by the India Meteorological Department. Heavy rainfall zones lie over the southern Konkan region, whereas extreme heavy rainfalls occur over northern latitudes. The data used in this study is having high resolution and district wise analysis over Maharashtra state is extremely beneficial.     

Sediment yield in the upper Krishna Basin,Maharashtra, India

A 235.5 km² headwater catchment of the Krishna River in the Deccan plateau lavas is dry for eight months of the year but receives intense monsoonal rains during four months. High initial suspended sediment concentrations fall as rapid vegetation growth provides increasing protection. During a six-year period annual suspended sediment yields from the deeply weathered kaolinitic soils ranged between 36.9 and 275.3 t km^?2 in dry and wet years respectively.     

Flood basalts from dharwars of Mysore,India

The term flood basalt is redefined emphasizing the importance of the subaerial environment. Using the well established physical criteria of aerial extent, internal structures, time of extrusion and associations, flood basalt activity is distinguished in the Archeans (Dharwars) of Mysore from the geosynclinal volcanics. Study of chemical composition of the Dharwar and other Archean volcanics in the light ofSugimura’s (1968) SWS index, and plotting of the chemical analyses on theMacdonald andKatsura’s (1964) alkali-silica diagram,Kuno’s (1968) alkali-alumina-silica diagram and Scheynamann’s silica-Niggli qz diagram shows both geosynclinal and subaerial volcanics are mainly tholeiitic. Therefore in deciphering the environment of volcanism, it is suggested that the physical criteria take precedence over chemical composition.     

Reservoir induced seismicity in the vicinity of Lake Bhatsa,Maharashtra, India

The township of Khardi, located 7 km northwest of the Bhatsa dam, in the western part of the Deccan Volcanic Province, was subjected to earthquakes of magnitudes 4.0 and 4.8 on August 17, 1983 and September 15, 1983, respectively. The Khardi-Bhatsa area is located to the east of the Panvel flexure axis and on a northwest-southeast trending belt, forming an extension of the Ghod lineament of the Deccan Plateau. The earth tremors at Khardi followed impoundment of water, during June–July 1983, behind the recently constructed Bhatsa dam, and the rise in lake-level from about 92 to 110 m above MSL. It is suggested that percolation of water during this period along fractures led to a build-up of pore-fluid pressure which was transmitted down to a stress zone with a potential to slip. Consequent reduction in effective stress (tectonic stress-pore fluid pressure) induced the earthquakes. Available seismic data for the Khardi-Bhatsa area suggest that b-values can also be used as a ‘short term’ precursor for detecting impending, strong reservoir-induced earth tremors in the area.     

Role of dykes in induced seismicity at Bhatsa reservoir,Maharashtra, India

The geological and hydrological conditions near the reservoir site play an important role in the generation or absence of seismic activity. Near Bhatsa reservoir, along the west coast of India intense seismic activity occurred during August–September 1983, after a lag of six years of initial impounding. From July 1983 to September 1990, 15,388 earthquakes (mostlyM ₁<3.0) were recorded, the largest being of magnitude 4.9. The spatial distribution of well located 172 earthquakes suggest a strong correlation between the epicenters and the disposition of dykes and faults around the Bhatsa region. It is inferred that these dykes have acted as barriers for the diffusion of water from the reservoir, thereby becoming zones of instability due to increased pore pressure not only along them but also over the volume they bound.     

Velocities,elastic moduli and weathering-age relations for pacific layer 2 basalts

Compressional (V_p) and shear (V_s) wave velocities have been measured to 10 kb in 32 cores of basalt from 14 Pacific sites of the Deep Sea Drilling Project. Both V_pandV_s show wide ranges (3.70to6.38km/sec forV_pand1.77to3.40km/sec forV_sat0.5kb) which are linearly related to density and sea floor age, confirming earlier findings by Christensen and Salisbury of decreasing velocity with progressive submarine weathering based on studies of basalts from five sites in the Atlantic. Combined Pacific and Atlantic data give rates of decreasing velocity of ?1.89and?1.35km/sec per100my forV_pandV_s respectively. New analyses of oceanic seismic refraction data indicate a decrease in layer 2 velocities with age similar to that observed in the laboratory, suggesting that weathering penetrates to several hundred meters in many regions and is largely responsible for the extreme range and variability of layer 2 refraction velocities.     

Petrochemistry of the deccan trap flows of linga,Chhindwara district,M.P., India

Five representative cumulative samples of basal flows were chemically analysed. Normative composition (CIPW),DI, FI, MI, SI, f (norms) and ‘S’ indices have been calculated therefrom. It is concluded that the Linga flows are tholeiitic in nature with slightly more FeO, MgO and Al₂O₃ than most tholeiitic basalts. They represent eariy-middle stage basalts with DI less than 30. Thef-norms put these flows in the pyroxene field indicating an early fractionation of pyroxenes causing relative iron enrichment. Textural evidences, also, support a late fractionation of feldspar with overlapping periods of crystallisation of pyroxene and feldspar. The similarity in composition of the lower flows is more apparent than true. The trend of differentiation is characteristically tholeiitic. Oxygen and vapour fugacity may have been responsible for a shift in the general trend of differentiation. Explosive eruption of the magma, which was well mixed and which cooled rapidly, is borne by the features exhibited by these flows.     

Economic importance of some carbonatites in India and the relation of Amba Dongar carbonatite complex to plateau basalts

The igneous apatite deposits which are of considerable importance in the fertiliser industry, are associated with three inter-related types of intrusive rocks, namely, carbonatites, nepheline syenites and alkaline ultrabasic rocks. The economic significance of the four carbonatite alkalic complexes is indicated, and the feasibility of utilising the Amba Dongar carbonatite complex for multipurpose chemical industry is discussed. Attention is drawn to the genetic relation of carbonatite alkalic complexes to the alkaline and ultrabasic rocks. In the context of Amba Dongar carbonatite, the differentiation trends in the tholeiitic basalts (involving the earlier separation of pyroxenes), and the relation of the carbonatites, nephelinites and phonolites are delineated with the help of differentiation diagrams and chemical data.     

Palaeogeography,geomorphological setting and groundwater possibilities in the Deccan Traps of Western Maharashtra

Deccan Traps are the most extensive geological formations of Deccan Peninsula with the exception of only the metamorphic and igneous complex of Archaean age. Based on their mode of emplacement, geomorphic setting and hydrogeological behaviour over an area of about 5,000 sq. km the authors have classified the Deccan Traps of western Maharashtra into 3 groups, namely, (1) The Deccan Traps of Dhulia district, characterised by numerous dolerite dykes, (2) Areally extensive trap flows of Sholapur and Osmanabad districts resulting from slow and quiescent type of flood eruption occupyng the gently undulating terrain, and (3) the traps of Kolaba, Thana and Bombay-Poona regions characterised by intertrappean sediments, dolerite dykes and volcanic ash beds, indicative of violent outbursts resulting in the Sahyadri geomorphologic unit. The groundwater possibilities in the three groups are to a great extent governed by the nature and constitution of the individual flows. The massive traps with their fracture porosities, the vesicular traps with their minutely interconnected and partly filled vesicles and the intertrappen sediments with their primary porosities play a decisive role in determining the groundwater possibilities in them. In Dhulia district the dolerite dykes to a great extent control the movement of groundwater, and success or otherwise of the well field area depends very much upon its location with reference to adjacent dykes. Areally extensive thick vesicular traps with their gentle dips towards east, in Sholapur district, have to be explored for possible artesian conditions in the downdip directions of the trappean units to be tapped. In the case of Poona, Thana and Kolaba districts, exploratory drilling based on geophysical data (to delineate the nature and extent of water bearing horizons) has to be resorted to. It is, therefore, imperative to sub-divide at this stage Taylor’s Single Unit of Deccan Trap Groundwater Province into 3 Sub-Provinces, based on geomorphological, geological and geohydrological setting in the region of western Maharashtra of the present investigation.     

Petrography and petrochemistry of the basalt sequences around mahape,Mumbra and Kalyan,Maharashtra, India

The volcanic sequences in three vertical sections (starting from m.s.l.) of the Deccan trap flows around Mahape, Mumbra and Kalyan have been demarcated into zones, mainly based on the megascopic texture and the degree of abundance of vesicles and amygdules. Petrographic, mineralogical and modal study of twelve samples indicate that the basalts are tholeiitic and are characterised by lateral inhomogeneities. Petrochemical data are suggestive of limited differentiation, a hyperferric iron enrichment, a Hawaiian trend and an affinity to alkalic and high-alumina basalt.     

QLg tomography in Gujarat,Western India

We propose a novel Lg attenuation tomography model (Q_Lg tomography) for the state of Gujarat, Western India, using earthquake data recorded by the Gujarat Seismic Network, operated by the Institute of Seismological Research in Gandhinagar. The waveform dataset consist of 400 3-component recordings, produced by 60 earthquakes with magnitude (M_L) spanning from 3.6 to 5.1, recorded at 60 seismic stations having epicentral distances spanning between 200 and 500 km. Spectral amplitude decays for Lg wave displacement were obtained by generalized inversion at 17 frequencies spanning between 0.9 and 9 Hz. Lg wave propagation efficiency was measured by Lg/Pn spectral ratio categorizing as efficient ratio ≥6 for 86%, intermediate ratio of 3–6 for 10% and inefficient ratio <3 for 4% paths of total 400 ray paths. The earthquake size and quality of waveform recorded at dense network found sufficient to resolve lateral variation of Q_Lg in Gujarat.Average power-law attenuation relationship obtained for Gujarat as Q_Lg(f) = 234f^0.64, which corresponds to high attenuation in comparison to peninsular India shield region and other several regions around the world. Q_Lg tomography resolves the highly attenuating crust of extremely fractured Saurashtra region and tectonically active Kachchh region. The Gujarat average attenuation is also lying in between them. The low attenuation in Cambay and Narmada rift basins and extremely low attenuation in patch of Surendranagar area is identified. This study is the first attempt and can be utilized as pivotal criteria for scenario hazard assessment, as maximum hazard has been reported in highly attenuating tectonically active Kachchh region and in low attenuating Cambay, Narmada and Surendranagar regions. The site and source terms are also obtained along with the Q_Lg inversion. The estimated site responses are comparable with observed local geological condition and agree with the previously reported site amplifications at the same sites. The source terms are comparable with local magnitude estimated from Network. The M_w (Lg) is nearly equivalent to M_L (GSN) and the slight differences are noted for larger magnitude events.     

Geochemical constraints on the petrogenesis of basalts from eastern Jiangnan orogen, South China

The basalts crop out widely in the eastern part of late Proterozoic Jiangnan orogen. In terms of their petrographical and geochemical characteristics, they can be divided into two distinct types: low- and high-Ti. basalts. They crystallized from the magmas derived from the depleted upper mantle differing in partial melting degree. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

Study of P-wave velocities and attenuation coefficients of Gondwana rocks from Chanda-Wardha valley coalfield, Maharashtra, India

This paper describes the findings of the study pertaining to the laboratory measurements of longitudinal wave velocities and attenuation coefficients of various Gondwana rocks of Chikhalgaon, Saoner and Agarjhari areas of Chanda-Wardha valley coalfield. It is found that Barakar sandstones, in general, have higher longitudinal wave velocities than Barakar and Talchir shales and Kamthi sandstones. Of the Barakar sandstones, the fine grained feldspathised variety has the maximum velocity. Attenuation coefficients of coarse-grained rocks are higher than those of fine grained ones. Black carbonaceous shales of Barakar are characterised by moderately high longitudinal wave velocities and attenuation coefficients. Coals are characterized by low longitudinal wave velocities and high attenuation coefficients. Longitudinal wave velocities of the rocks along the bedding plane are always higher than those perpendicular to the bedding plane.     

Geochemical and hydrogeological characterization of thermal springs in Western Sicily, Italy

Thermal and cold waters from Castellammare–Alcamo (Western Sicily-Italy) were collected between May 1994 and May 1995 and studied for their chemical and isotopic composition. During the same period, mean monthly samples of meteoric water were also collected and measured for their isotopic composition. The main purpose of this study was the characterization of the acquifers and, if possible, of their recharge areas. According to the results obtained, the acquifers were divided into three main groups: (a) selenitic waters, (b) cold carbonatic waters, and (c) deep thermal waters resulting from the mixing of the other two types. Besides a mixing process between carbonatic and selenitic waters, contamination processes of thermal waters by seawater take place during their ascent. The water temperature of the acquifer feeding the thermal springs was estimated by means of various geothermometers to range between 60°C and 97°C. Isotope data on rainwater samples show a wide seasonal variation of both δ and δD values. The fairly constant values of thermal waters through time and the lack of an apparent correlation with the isotopic values of rainwater suggest the existence of a deep circuit determining an almost complete homogenisation of the seasonal variations of the isotopic values.     

Effect of high-pressures on the electrical resistivity of natural zeolites from Deccan Trap, Maharashtra, India

We report here the electrical resistivity measurements on two natural zeolites–natrolite and scolecite (from the Killari borehole, Maharashtra, India) as a function of pressure up to 8 GPa at room temperature. High-pressure electrical resistivity studies on hydrous alumino-silicate minerals are very helpful in understanding the role of water in deep crustal conductivities obtained from geophysical models. The results obtained by magneto-telluric (MT) soundings and direct current resistivity surveys, along with the laboratory data on the electrical resistivity of minerals and rocks at high-pressure–temperature are used to determine the electrical conductivity distribution in continental lithosphere. The electrical resistivity of natural natrolite decreases continuously from 2.9 × 10⁹ Ω cm at ambient condition to 7.64 × 10² Ω cm at 8 GPa, at room temperature. There is no pressure-induced first order structural phase transitions in natrolite, when it is compressed in non-penetrating pressure transmitting medium up to 8 GPa. On the other hand scolecite exhibits a pressure-induced transition, with a discontinuous decrease of the electrical resistivity from 2.6 × 10⁶ to 4.79 × 10⁵ Ω cm at 4.2 to 4.3 GPa. The observed phase transition in scolecite is found to be irreversible. Vibrational spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction studies confirm the amorphous nature of the high-pressure phase. The results of the present high-pressure studies on scolecite are in good agreement with the high-pressure Raman spectroscopic data on scolecite. The thermo gravimetric studies on the pressure-quenched samples show that the samples underwent a pressure-induced partial dehydration. Such a pressure-induced partial dehydration, which has been observed in natural scolecite could explain the presence of high conductive layers in the earth's deep-crust.     

Groundwater modelling to quantify the effect of water harvesting structures in Wagarwadi watershed,Parbhani district,Maharashtra, India

Marathwada Agricultural University, Pharbani, has developed about 560 hectares of Wagarwadi watershed in Pharbani district since 1987. Groundwater monitoring on 16 observations wells at weekly intervals commenced in January 1992, and rainfall and pan evaporation has been measured daily at a hydrometeorological station situated in the nearby university campus. Aquifer parameters, namely, transmissivity and specific yield, have been estimated by carrying out a pumping test on a large diameter well. Groundwater recharge resulting from rainfall has been estimated using a water balance model of the soil moisture zone considering soil zone thickness and crops grown. The SCS (Soil Conservation Service) curve number method was used for surface runoff estimation. The groundwater flow model has been constructed using the nested squares, finite difference method. Nested square meshes of sizes 160 m×160 m and 80 m×80 m have been used and the steady-state condition of aquifer system was simulated in the model assuming the June 1992 water level configuration under equilibrium conditions. The model has been calibrated for transient conditions incorporating additional seepage from the water harvesting structures and their contribution to the groundwater regime has been assessed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.