Development of isopluvial map using L-moment approach for Tehri-Garhwal Himalaya

Estimation of design rainfall intensity is crucial for design and planning of water resources engineering projects. The intent of the present study is to develop regional IDF curves for Tehri-Garhwal Himalayan region in India, wherein numbers of hydropower projects are in planning and execution stage. Self Recording Rain Gauge (SRRG) stations are generally not so frequent in the project locations. Under this situation, the engineers are forced to use regional intensity duration frequency (IDF) curves. Under this study, four stations viz. Tehri M.T.Lab, Mukhim, Pilkhi and Dhuttu were available with SRRG data. These data are used to develop the regional IDF curve for entire Tehri-Garwal region. After selection of the most intensive storms, return periods has been determined using regionalized L-moment method. After developing IDF curves for above four raingauge stations, Thiessen Ploygon method is applied to find out average IDF curve. To show the spatial variability, Isopluvial maps have been generated using ArcGIS and a relation equation has been developed.     

A new scenario framework for Climate Change Research: scenario matrix architecture

This paper describes the scenario matrix architecture that underlies a framework for developing new scenarios for climate change research. The matrix architecture facilitates addressing key questions related to current climate research and policy-making: identifying the effectiveness of different adaptation and mitigation strategies (in terms of their costs, risks and other consequences) and the possible trade-offs and synergies. The two main axes of the matrix are: 1) the level of radiative forcing of the climate system (as characterised by the representative concentration pathways) and 2) a set of alternative plausible trajectories of future global development (described as shared socio-economic pathways). The matrix can be used to guide scenario development at different scales. It can also be used as a heuristic tool for classifying new and existing scenarios for assessment. Key elements of the architecture, in particular the shared socio-economic pathways and shared policy assumptions (devices for incorporating explicit mitigation and adaptation policies), are elaborated in other papers in this special issue.     

Measurement of Radon Concentration in Drinking Water in Bhiwani District of Haryana

This investigation aims to evaluate the concentration of dissolved radon in drinking water and to assess the associated radiation doses for infants, children and adults in Bhiwani district of Haryana The radon concentrations were measured in 82 drinking water samples collected from 32 villages/towns in the Bhiwani district. The measurements were performed by RAD7, an electronic radon detector manufactured by Durridge Company Inc. The mean radon concentration ranged between 1.3 ± 0.4 and 13.4 ± 2.2 Bq l^-1. The mean radon concentrations from two locations exceeded the maximum contamination level (MCL) of 11 Bq l^-1 recommended by United States Environmental Protection Agency. The total annual effective doses due to ingestion and inhalation of radon in drinking water varied from 10.1 to 104.4 μSv y^-1 for infants, 5.8 to 59.6 μSv y^-1 for children and 6.6 to 67.7 μSv y^-1 for adults and the average values were found to be 46.3, 26.5 and 30.1 μSv y^-1, respectively.     

Disparate MG II absorption statistics towards quasars and gamma-ray bursts: a possible explanation

We examine the recent report by Prochter et al. that gamma-ray burst (GRB) sight lines have a much higher incidence of strong Mg II absorption than quasar sight lines. We propose that the discrepancy is due to the different beam sizes of GRBs and quasars, and that the intervening Mg II systems are clumpy with the dense part of each cloudlet of a similar size as the quasars, i.e. ≲10¹⁶ cm, but bigger than GRBs. We also discuss observational predictions of our proposed model. Most notably, in some cases the intervening Mg II absorbers in GRB spectra should be seen varying, and quasars with smaller sizes should show an increased rate of strong Mg II absorbers. In fact, our prediction of variable Mg II lines in the GRB spectra has been now confirmed by Hao et al., who observed intervening Fe II and Mg II lines at z=1.48 to be strongly variable in the multi-epoch spectra of z=4.05 GRB 060206.     

Integrated biological control of water hyacinths, Eichhornia crassipes by a novel combination of grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella (Valenciennes, 1844), and the weevil, Neochetina spp.

The efficacy of grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella (Cyprinidae) and weevils Neochetina spp. (Curculionidae) to control the aquatic weed, water hyacinth, is investigated in a square net cage (happas) setting at a farm in Cuddalore District, South India. This novel combination of insects and fish is found to be superior to individual treatments for controlling the weed growth within 110 d. The biomass of the weed, number of plants, percentage of flowered plants and chlorophyll contents were studied. The weed ...     

Re–Os isotope evidence for mixed source components in carbonate-replacement Pb–Zn–Ag deposits in the Lavrion district,Attica, Greece

The Lavrion ore district contains carbonate-replacement and vein-type Pb–Zn–Ag deposits as well as low-grade porphyry Mo, Cu–Fe skarn, and minor breccia-hosted Pb–Zn–Cu sulfide mineralization. These ore types are spatially related to a Late Miocene granodiorite intrusion (7 to 10 Ma), and various sills and dikes of mafic to felsic composition. Samples of sphalerite and pyrite from the Ilarion carbonate replacement deposit, and galena from Vein 80 (vein-type mineralization) in the Adami deposit show heterogeneous Re–Os values. These values were partially disturbed by hydrothermal activity associated with the formation of hydrothermal veins (e.g., Vein 80). A plot of initial ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os versus 1/Os_common ratios for pyrite and sphalerite from the Ilarion deposit form a mixing line (r²?=?0.78) between high concentration crustal-like and low concentration mantle-like end-members, or two crustal end-members one of which was more radiogenic than the other. Based on the Re–Os systematics and previously published geological and geochemical evidence, the most plausible explanation for the Re–Os isotope data is that ore-forming components were derived from mixed sources, one of which was a radiogenic crustal source from schists and carbonates probably near intrusion centers and the other, intrusive rocks in the district that are less radiogenic. Although the Re and Os concentrations of galena from Vein 80 are above background values they cannot be used as a chronometer. However, the results of the current study suggest that although pyrite, sphalerite, and galena are poor geochronometers in this ore deposit, due to partial open-system behavior, they still yield valuable information on the origin of the source rocks in the formation of bedded replacement and vein mineralization in the Lavrion district.     

Geology and Re-Os Geochronology of Mineralization of the Miduk Porphyry Copper Deposit, Iran

The Miduk porphyry copper deposit is located in Kerman province, 85 km northwest of the Sar Cheshmeh porphyry copper deposit, Iran. The deposit is hosted by Eocene volcanic rocks of andesitic–basaltic composition. The porphyry‐type mineralization is associated with two Miocene calc‐alkaline intrusive phases (P1 and P2, respectively). Five hypogene alteration zones are distinguished at the Miduk deposit, including magnetite‐rich potassic, potassic, potassic–phyllic, phyllic and propylitic. Mineralization occurs as stockwork, dissemination and nine generations (magnetite, quartz–magnetite, barren quartz, quartz‐magnetite‐chalcopyrite‐anhydrite, chalcopyrite–anhydrite, quartz‐chalcopyrite‐anhydrite‐pyrite, quartz‐molybdenite‐anhydrite ± chalcopyrite ± magnetite, pyrite, and quartz‐pyrite‐anhydrite ± sericite) of veinlets and veins. Early stages of mineralization consist of magnetite rich veins in the deepest part of the deposit and the main stage of mineralization contains chalcopyrite, magnetite and anhydrite in the potassic zone. The high intensity of mineralization is associated with P2 porphyry (Miduk porphyry). Based on petrography, mineralogy, alteration halos and geochemistry, the Miduk porphyry copper deposit is similar to those of continental arc setting porphyry copper deposits. The Re‐Os molybdenite dates provide the timing of sulfide mineralization at 12.23 ± 0.07 Ma, coincident with U/Pb zircon ages of the P2 porphyry. This evidence indicates a direct genetic relationship between the Miduk porphyry stock and molybdenite mineralization. The Re‐Os age of the Miduk deposit marks the main stage of magmatism and porphyry copper formation in the Central Iranian volcano‐plutonic belt.     

Spatial geochemical variation of major and trace elements in the marine sediments of Mumbai Harbor Bay

The resulting concentration data sets of major (Na, K, Mg, Ca and Fe) and trace elements (Cu, Ni, Co and Mn) in bed and suspended sediments were used to evaluate the enrichment factor for anthropogenic influences and principal component analysis for identifying the origin of source contributions in the studied area. Normalization of metals to Fe indicated that high enrichment factors in the bed sediment were in the order of Co > Cu > Na > Ca > Ni except Mg, K and Mn while for suspended sediments, only Co has a high enrichment factor. High enrichment of Co and Cu reflected the contamination of sediments from anthropogenic sources. The high influence of Na and Ca in sediments may be caused for seawater salinization factor. A significant positive correlation among enrichment factors of various elements of interest suggests a common origin/identical behavior during transport in the sediment system.     

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of snow parameters using passive microwave remote sensing

Snow cover is an important variable for climatic and hydrologic models due to its effect on surface albedo, energy, and mass balance. Satellite observations successfully provide a global and comprehensive hemispheric-scale record of the short-term, as well as inter-seasonal variations in snow cover. Passive microwave sensors provide an excellent method to monitor temporal and spatial variations in large-scale snow cover parameters, overcoming problems of cloud cover. Using microwave remote sensing data, snow parameters (snow surface temperature, snow water equivalence, scattering index, emissivity, snow depth) have been retrieved to integrate with the snow cover simulation model developed by SASE for avalanche risk assessment on regional basis. Multispectral and multitemporal brightness temperature data obtained from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I), flown onboard the DMSP satellites, for the period November 2000 to April 2001 and from November 2001 to February 2002 have been analysed. A comparative data set on snow measurements and meteorological observations of a region covering large area of Pir-Panjal and the Greater Himalayan range, available on near real time basis from SASE field observatories were also used. Model calculations were carried out to study the effects of atmospheric transmission on the microwave radiation emitted from the snow covered and snow free ground and atmosphere. The sensitivity of combinations of the SSM/I channels at 19, 37 and 85 GHz, in both horizontal and vertical polarizations, in respect to snow depth, surface temperature of the snowpack have been carried out. Decision rule based algorithms are developed to identify snow cover and non-snow area.