Joint Pattern in Precambrian Rocks Around Galudih (India): Implications for Fold Mechanism

In this paper, analysis of joints developed in folded quartzites of Galudih area, Jharkhand State (India) is presented. The joint pattern indicates that NE–SW joints are the dominant set. These have developed perpendicular to the NW–SE trending axial planes and hinges of the folds in quartzites implying that they are cross-joints. Plumose structures are observed on NE–SW joint surfaces that indicate their formation by extension perpendicular to the joint face. It is inferred that this extension in NW-SE direction is related to NE–SW compressional stresses that resulted in folding of the quartzite by flexural-slip mechanism.     

Torsion of a non-homogeneous solid of revolution

Summary Solution has been obtained in the case of torsion of a solid of revolution of non-homogeneous material. The problem of a twisted sphere has been deduced from the general solution. The effect of non-homogeneity has been illustrated graphically.     

Swarm intelligence and neural nets in forecasting the maximum sustained wind speed along the track of tropical cyclones over Bay of Bengal

Tropical cyclones are well-known extreme weather and the cause of considerable damages, injuries and loss of life. The assessment of the maximum sustained wind speed along the track of the tropical cyclones is very important for estimating the strength of the cyclones. The swarm intelligence in the form of ant colony optimization (ACO) technique is introduced in this study to compute the pheromone deposition along the track of tropical cyclones followed by neural nets to forecast the maximum sustained wind speed of the cyclones occurring over the Bay of Bengal of North Indian Ocean. The ACO is a nonlinear problem-based meta-heuristic optimization method for finding approximate solutions to discrete optimization problems and simulates the decision-making processes of ant colony similar to other adaptive learning techniques. The method has shown its application potential in various fields including the prediction of monsoon rainfall. In this study, the amount of pheromone deposition during the successive stages of the cyclones has been estimated. A range of minimum central pressure (MCP), central pressure drop (PD), maximum sustained wind speed (MSWS) and intensity (T-No) associated with the cyclones of Bay of Bengal are utilized to form the input matrix of the neural nets. The neural nets are trained to forecast the maximum sustained wind speed along the track of the tropical cyclones over Bay of Bengal. The result reveals that the errors in forecasting the MSWS along the track of tropical cyclones with 6, 12, 18 and 24 h lead time are 2.6, 2.9, 3.1 and 4.8, respectively. The result is compared with the existing dynamical, statistical and adaptive models to evaluate the skill of the present model. The result is well validated with observation.     

Empirical approaches in prediction of reservoir sediment distribution——An experience of 57 reservoirs in the USA and India

An accurate prediction of sediment distribution may minimize economic losses through proper and timely planning of the functional activities of a reservoir.This study assesses different temporal and spatial factors that affect for sediment deposition in a reservoir and its distribution.This study also focuses on evaluation of two popular distribution prediction methodologies,Area Increment and Empirical Area Reduction,based on experience with sediment distribution in 57 reservoirs in the USA and India.A non-iterative processed empirical distribution model(NPEDM) and a linear regression trend model(LRTM) are proposed to predict sediment distribution.Silt contributing area and inflow entering a reservoir are found to be the most significant factors affecting in reservoir sediment deposition.Compared to the Empirical Area Reduction method,the Area Increment method provided better prediction.The reservoir classification approach and empirical design distribution type curves given by Borland and Miller(1960) are found to be rational.Shape factor values for different periods indicate that reservoir shape(type) changes with time.Thus,long term prediction is not desirable in Type-Ⅱ Ⅲ reservoirs using the Empirical Area Reduction method.Newly developed the NPEDM shows reasonably good prediction of sediment distribution.The NPEDM is very easy to apply and can be used in any reservoir of any size.Extrapolation of the trend of sediment distribution obtained from the LRTM indicates an accurate short term prediction in a few reservoirs as causes of temporal and spatial variations of sediment distribution including the factors of uncertainties of sediment deposition are implicit within the methodology.     

Shelf water entrainment by Gulf Stream warm-core rings between 75°W and 50°W during 1978–1999

Previous work concerning Gulf Stream warm-core rings (WCRs) and their associated shelf water entrainments have been based upon single surveys or time series from individual WCRs. To date, estimates of annual shelf water volume entrained into the Slope Sea by WCRs and its interannual variability have not been made. Using a long time series of satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST) observations of Slope Sea WCRs, we have completed an analysis of 22 years of WCR data (1978–1999) between 75°W and 50°W to understand the interannual variability of WCRs and their role in entraining shelf water. Satellite-derived SST data digitized at Bedford Institute of Oceanography are analyzed using an ellipse-fitting feature model to determine key WCR characteristics including WCR center position, radius and orientation. Key characteristics are then used to compute WCR swirl velocity by finite-differencing WCR orientations (θ) obtained from the feature model time series. Global mean WCR-edge swirl velocity calculated from all observations is 105.72±10.7 km day⁻¹ (122.36±12.4 cm s⁻¹), and global mean WCR radius is 64.8±6.2 km. Primary and derived WCR data are incorporated into a two-dimensional ring entrainment model (RM) using the quasi-geostrophic approximation of the potential vorticity equation. The RM defines ambient water as entrained by a WCR only if the gradient of relative vorticity term (horizontal shear) dominates the potential vorticity. Proximity of a WCR to the position of the shelf-slope front (SSF) is then used to determine whether the ambient water is entrained from the outer continental shelf. WCR-induced shelf entrainment derived from the RM displays considerable spatial variability, with maximum entrainment occurring offshore of Georges Bank, advecting a mean total annual shelf water volume of 7500 km³ year⁻¹ from the region. Estimates of shelf water fluxes display significant interannual variability, which may be in part due to the observed covariance between WCR occurrences and the state of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Increased (decreased) occurrences of WCRs are evidenced during positive (negative) phases of the NAO. The total mean annual shelf-wide WCR-induced shelf water transport is estimated to be 23,700 km³ year⁻¹ (0.75 Sv), accounting for nearly 25% of the total transport in the Slope Sea region neighboring the outer continental shelf.     

Mapping of Cropping System for the Indo-Gangetic Plain Using Multi-Date SPOT NDVI-VGT Data

The present study has been carried out to delineate the existing cropping systems in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) using 10 day composite SPOT VEGETATION (VGT) NDVI data acquired over a crop year (June–May). Results showed that it is feasible to identify the major crops like rice, wheat, sugarcane, potato, and cotton in the dominant growing areas with good accuracy. Double cropping pattern is the most prevalent. Rice-wheat, sugarcane based, cotton-wheat, rice-potato, rice-rice, maize/millet-wheat are some of the major rotations followed. Rice-wheat is the dominant rotation accounting for around 40% of the net sown area. Triple crop rotations was less than 5% of the area and observed in some parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. Single crop rotation of rice-fallow is significant only in West Bengal.     

Generalized Potential Temperature in a Diagnostic Study of High Impact Weather over an Urban Station of India

The tropospheric atmosphere is neither absolutely dry nor completely saturated. It is, in general, moist. The purpose of the present study is to reveal the role of generalized potential temperature (GPT) in describing the humid state of the real moist atmosphere pertaining to understanding the prevalence of high impact weather systems over an urban station, Kolkata (22°32′N; 88°20′E), of India. A comparative study among GPT, equivalent potential temperature (EPT), potential temperature and relative humidity to reveal the significance of GPT in a precise understanding of the high impact weather of Kolkata is carried out. To attain the objectives, 50 cases of thunderstorms, 15 cases of tropical cyclones and 15 heavy rainfall days are selected during the pre-monsoon season (April–May) over Kolkata (22°32′N; 88°20′E), India. The condition—decision support system of rough set theory is adopted as the methodology. The result of the study reveals that GPT is the most pertinent convective parameter in estimating the prevalence of the high impact weather of Kolkata during the pre-monsoon season and is observed to be better than RH. The results, thus, show that the moist air is capable of describing the distribution of water vapour and thermodynamic properties of the real atmosphere more precisely than an absolutely dry and completely saturated state of the atmosphere.     

Mawpyut intrusive complex of Jaintia hills district,Meghalaya, northeastern India: A case study for magmatic differentiation

The petrological details of the ultramafic-mafic-alkaline complex related to Sylhet Trap occurring near to Mawpyut (25°25′N:92°10′E) of Jaintia hills district Meghalaya, northeastern India, are poorly known. Field investigations indicate that the Mawpyut body occurs as a pluton distinctly intrusive into adjacent low grade metasedimentary Shillong Group of rocks. This body reveals development of two broad lithotypes namely ultramafic (olivine clinopyroxenite, clinopyroxenite and plagioclase bearing ultramafic) and mafic (mostly gabbro, orthopyroxene gabbro, olivine gabbronorite, mela gabbro and mela-gabbro-norite) with minor presence of later syenitic veins. Though, in general, the pluton shows mineralogical variations, the field boundaries among those petrographic types are not discernible. Careful consideration of major and trace element chemistry of the constituent lithomembers clearly suggest progressive insitu fractionation of a common parent magma.     

Adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system to forecast peak gust speed during thunderstorms

The aim of the present study is to develop an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) to forecast the peak gust speed associated with thunderstorms during the pre-monsoon season (April?CMay) over Kolkata (22°32??N, 88°20??E), India. The pre-monsoon thunderstorms during 1997?C2008 are considered in this study to train the model. The input parameters are selected from various stability indices using statistical skill score analysis. The most useful and relevant stability indices are taken to form the input matrix of the model. The forecast through the hybrid ANFIS model is compared with non-hybrid radial basis function network (RBFN), multi layer perceptron (MLP) and multiple linear regression (MLR) models. The forecast error analyses of the models in the test cases reveal that ANFIS provides the best forecast of the peak gust speed with 3.52% error, whereas the errors with RBFN, MLP, and MLR models are 10.48, 11.57, and 12.51%, respectively. During the validation with the 2009 observations of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the ANFIS model confirms its superiority over other comparative models. The forecast error during the validation of the ANFIS model is observed to be 3.69%, with a lead time of <12?h, whereas the errors with RBFN, MLP, and MLR are 12.25, 13.19, and 14.86%, respectively. The ANFIS model may, therefore, be used as an operational model for forecasting the peak gust speed associated with thunderstorms over Kolkata during the pre-monsoon season.     

Effect of suspended sediment concentration on local scour around cylinder for clay–sand mixed sediment beds

Suspended sediments present in the flow are known to affect the flow resistance, velocity distribution and turbulent characteristics. Experiments were conducted in the laboratory flume to see the effect of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) on local scour around a cylindrical pier for a wide range of clay–sand mixed sediment beds for SSC up to 2700 mg/L. It has been observed that the effect of SSC on equilibrium scour hole parameters such as maximum equilibrium scour depth, and longitudinal and transverse extent of scour hole can be significant. Present data showed that the presence of SSC in the range 993–1332 mg/L can increase maximum equilibrium scour depth as much as 1.54 times compared to the clear water case. However, tests made for SSC in the range 2456–2700 mg/L showed that the maximum equilibrium scour depth reduced compared to that for SSC in the range 993–1332 mg/L, but these maximum equilibrium scour depths were still larger than that obtained for clear water. The effect of SSC on time variation of scour and equilibrium scour hole geometry was further investigated.