Analysis of pervasive precipitation in similar gradient areas of Iran

Precipitation is a major climatic element with high spatial variations. Temporal and spatial variations may differ in large and small scales. It is, therefore, of utmost importance to study areas with similar gradients in terms of precipitation patterns in order to shed light on the complexities of precipitation variations. In the present study, attempts were made to identify areas with similar gradients experiencing the same precipitation pattern over a 50-year period (1964–2013). To this end, data were collected from synoptic stations in Iran in two phases (i.e., 1434 stations in the first phase and 673 stations in the second one). Alexanderson’s technique was adopted to examine sudden changes in precipitation patterns. The results showed that five regions with similar gradients could be identified in terms of precipitation patterns: negative and high variations, negative and moderate variations, positive and high variations, positive and moderate variations, and little or no variations. The distribution of such regions indicated that the regions with positive trends experienced more annual variations and had further spatial distribution. Furthermore, the findings revealed that the regions with negative precipitation patterns experienced more sudden changes in comparison with those with positive precipitation patterns. Additionally, more variations were observed in the precipitation patterns in recent years.     

Monitoring and prediction of land use/land cover changes using CA-Markov model: a case study of Ravansar County in Iran

Human‐induced land use/land cover (LULC) changes are among the most important processes that shape the dynamics of the earth’s surface. This phenomenon, which is occurring at an astonishing rate, and its consequential environmental impacts have become an important area of research for scientists.Therefore, a wide range of methods and models have been developed to detect and predict these alterations, among which cellular automata (CA) models such as the CA‐Markov model, due to their affinity to geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS), are appropriate for detailed resolution modelling and simulating dynamic spatial processes. In Iran, the district of Ravansar has undergone severe LULC changes recently, thus to take the necessary precautions, decision‐makers need to predict and determine the extent of these changes. In this study, using spatial analysis methods the LULC changes in Ravansar were investigated from 1992 to 2015. Subsequently, the CA‐Markov model was applied to simulate the spatial pattern changes of LULC until 2030. Our results indicated that from 1992 to 2015, this region has witnessed a noticeable increase in the areas of the built‐up and agricultural lands (both aquatic and non‐aquatic), resulting in the decrease of the gardens, range, and bare lands. The simulated LULC map showed that this trend will continue due to more urbanization and development of agricultural areas.     

Synthesis of biochar from sugarcane filter-cake and its impacts on physiological performance of lettuce (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lettuce sativa</Emphasis>) grown on cadmium contaminated soil

Soil contamination with cadmium has become major concern all over the world because of its adverse impacts on ecosystem health and agricultural land. Soil amendment with biochar may have varied effects on physical and chemical properties of soil. The objective of the study was to explore the impact of sugarcane filter-cake biochar on physiological performance and growth of lettuce in an aged soil. Four different doses (0, 1.5%, 3%, and 5%) of biochar were used in the soil and conditioned for 1 month. After this, lettuce seedlings were grown in the soil. The results showed that the biochar treatment improved the fresh and dry biomass of leaves and roots as well as plant height while diminished the bioavailability of cadmium from the soil. As compared to control, biochar significantly enhanced the chlorophyll content in lettuce leaves. Due to the biochar amendment, the oxidative stress decreased in lettuce shoots over the control. As compared to control, concentration of cadmium in lettuce significantly decreased after the application of biochar. It was concluded that biochar could mitigate the toxicity of cadmium in lettuce by altering the biochemical and physiological processes in cadmium contaminated soil.     

Determining the hard rock groundwater pathway in Golgohar complex formation using hydrochemical data in AHP

Thirty percent of present industrial water consumption of the Golgohar Iron Ore Mine (GIOM) is supplied from a hard rock well (PW-A15) and the rest from 25 wells located in 4 disconnected alluvial aquifers. This well is drilled in the metamorphic complex of Golgohar formation. Attempts have been made to develop extraction of water from other hard rocks existing in the area with no success. Therefore, extensive researches have been carried out to find the pathway, or a provision pathway of water discharged from this well. To study the hydrochemical similarity of this water with other water resources, 122 water samples from an area of 7132 km² were collected from the existing pumping wells, piezometers, mine exploration bore holes, and three salt pans in the vicinity of the area for hydrochemical analysis. The analyses were performed for concentration of major ions and some minor elements. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of ion concentration was plotted in the GIS to delineate the similarity of the PW-A15 water with other water sources and their hydrochemical neighborhood by analytical hierarchy process (AHP). The AHP was performed in two steps: first, iso-concentration maps of seven major ions, eight minor elements, and TDS were used to produce an AHP map (Map1) using weights for different hydrochemical parameters; and second, a similarity index (SI) map was prepared by performing a suggested clustering approach in SPSS using K-means clustering, which was overlaid on Map1 producing Map2. The result of AHP Map2 was then overlaid on the iso-potential map of the sampled locations in GIS software using a mask operator. Therefore, the zones having the most similarity and higher hydraulic potential than PW-A15 were nominated as the zones which possibly could recharge this well, and the groundwater (GW) pathway was proposed. The result of the study method showed to be successful and will be used as a guide for future exploration drillings.     

Retrieving of Land Surface Temperature Using Thermal Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques in Kandaihimmat Watershed,Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh

Remotely sensed thermal infrared (TIR) data have been widely used to retrieve land surface temperature (LST). LST is an important parameter in the studies of urban thermal environment and dynamics. In the study, an attempt has been made using LANDSAT 8 thermal imagery to compute LST and the associated land cover parameters viz; land surface emissivity (LSE), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), normalized difference built-up index (NDBI) and normalized difference water index (NDWI). Landsat 8 TIRS band 10 & 11 (thermal bands) during 21 Oct. 2016, 22 Nov.2016, 24 Dec. 2016 and 09 Jan. 2017 were processed for LST analysis. However, band 5 & band 4 of the imagery was processed for NDVI, band 6 & band 5 for NDBI and band 2 & band 5 for NDWI analysis. LST has been derived from both the bands 10 &11 and validated by in-situ observations on the date and time of satellite overpass from the study area. Band 10 derived LST have shown much temperature difference while comparing with the in-situ observations. However, LST derived from band 11 found similar & close to the in-situ measurements. Relationship between band 11 results and in-situ observed measurements were developed, which has showing a strong correlation with (r² = 0.991). Land surface emissivity were also evaluated which shows variation in different land cover surfaces like vegetation, settlement, forest cover and water body. The study has proven that land surface temperature derived from satellite band 11 is the actual surface temperature of the study area.     

Petrogenesis and tectonic association of rift-related basic Panjal dykes from the northern Indian plate,North-Western Pakistan: evidence of high-Ti basalts analogous to dykes from Tibet

Mineralogy and Petrology - Rift related magmatism during Permian time in the northern margin of Indian plate is represented by basic dykes in several Himalayan terranes including north western...     

Missing basics: a study on sanitation and women’s health in urban slums in Lucknow,India

GeoJournal - Sanitation is a multidimensional concept alluding primarily to provision of services for safe disposal of human excreta, provision of clean potable water as well as maintenance of...     

Indices based assessment of built-up density and urban expansion of fast growing Surat city using multi-temporal Landsat data sets

GeoJournal - The population growth in urban areas leads to the expansion of built-up area which leads to a number of serious problems like environmental pollution, destruction of urban ecology,...     

Evaluation of long term trends in apple cultivation and its productivity in Jammu and Kashmir from 1975 to 2015

GeoJournal - Horticulture plays a pivotal role in the economy of Jammu and Kashmir. Owing to favourable agro-climatic conditions, temperate horticulture is fast expanding in the state which is...     

Investigation of Failed Slopes Based on a New Method of Back Analysis in Rock Masses: A Case Study

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - Small variation in shear strength parameters results in remarkable changes in the safety factor (SF) of a rock slope. In this regard, rock mass strength of...