Development and application of Shannon’s entropy integrated information value model for landslide susceptibility assessment and zonation in Sikkim Himalayas in India

Natural Hazards - The state of Sikkim in India has many steep slopes and has been susceptible to landslides. Since 1968 there have been innumerable losses of lives and properties due to landslides....     

Improved target illumination at Ludvika mines of Sweden through seismic-interferometric surface-wave suppression

In mineral exploration, new methods to improve the delineation of ore deposits at depth are in demand. For this purpose, increasing the signal-to-noise ratio through suitable data processing is an important requirement. Seismic reflection methods have proven to be useful to image mineral deposits. However, in most hard rock environments, surface waves constitute the most undesirable source-generated or ambient noise in the data that, especially given their typical broadband nature, often mask the events of interest like body-wave reflections and diffractions. In this study, we show the efficacy of a two-step procedure to suppress surface waves in an active-source reflection seismic dataset acquired in the Ludvika mining area of Sweden. First, we use seismic interferometry to estimate the surface-wave energy between receivers, given that they are the most energetic arrivals in the dataset. Second, we adaptively subtract the retrieved surface waves from the original shot gathers, checking the quality of the unveiled reflections. We see that several reflections, judged to be from the mineralization zone, are enhanced and better visualized after this two-step procedure. Our comparison with results from frequency-wavenumber filtering verifies the effectiveness of our scheme, since the presence of linear artefacts is reduced. The results are encouraging, as they open up new possibilities for denoising hard rock seismic data and, in particular, for imaging of deep mineral deposits using seismic reflections. This approach is purely data driven and does not require significant judgment on the dip and frequency content of present surface waves, which often vary from place to place.     

Correction to: Perceived and actual risks of drought: household and expert views from the lower Teesta River Basin of northern Bangladesh

Natural Hazards - A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-021-04825-3     

Application of frequency ratio and likelihood ratio model for geo-spatial modelling of landslide hazard vulnerability assessment and zonation: a case study from the Sikkim Himalayas in India

The Likelihood Ratio (LR) Model has been applied as an improvement upon the Frequency Ratio (FR) that computes the ratio of the percentage of the landslide pixels to the percentage of the non-landslide pixels instead of the total number of pixels used in the denominator as in case of the FR. The comparative assessment of the two techniques is made through spatial modelling of GIS vector data using the ArcGIS software. Two different Landslide Information Values were computed for each polygon element of the study area employing the two FR techniques that categorized the study area into five classes of vulnerability using natural breaks (Jenks) technique. Subsequently, vulnerability zonation maps were prepared showing the different levels of landslide vulnerability. The LR technique yielded significantly higher vulnerability assessment accuracy (77%) as compared to the standard FR (71%).     

Network of seismo-geochemical monitoring observatories for earthquake prediction research in India

Present paper deals with a brief review of the research carried out to develop multi-parametric gas-geochemical monitoring facilities dedicated to earthquake prediction research in India by installing a network of seismo-geochemical monitoring observatories at different regions of the country. In an attempt to detect earthquake precursors, the concentrations of helium, argon, nitrogen, methane, radon-222 (²²²Rn), polonium-218 (²¹⁸Po), and polonium-214 (²¹⁴Po) emanating from hydrothermal systems are monitored continuously and round the clock at these observatories. In this paper, we make a cross correlation study of a number of geochemical anomalies recorded at these observatories. With the data received from each of the above observatories we attempt to make a time series analysis to relate magnitude and epicentral distance locations through statistical methods, empirical formulations that relate the area of influence to earthquake scale. Application of the linear and nonlinear statistical techniques in the recorded geochemical data sets reveal a clear signature of long-range correlation in the data sets.     

A dynamical model for the P1 — I1 phase transition in anorthite,CaAl2Si2O8

Electron diffraction and electron microscopic evidence is presented for a dynamical and reversible phase transition in anorthite at T _c=516 K. Antiphase boundaries with a displacement vector, R=1/2[111] become unstable at T _c, while other antiphase boundary loops with the same displacement vector are formed. These interfaces are very mobile and vibrate with a frequency which increases strongly with temperature. At temperatures considerably above T _c, a shimmering effect is observed on imaging in dark field using diffuse c reflections. These observations are in agreement with the interpretation of the high temperature body-centered phase as a statistical dynamical average of very small c type antiphase domains of primitive anorthite. We propose that the c type antiphase domains in primitive anorthite originate from ordered and anti-ordered configurations around Ca²⁺ ions at (ooo) and (oio) [likewise (zoo) and (zio)] positions. The dynamical model for the transition involves a two-stage mechanism: a softmode mechanism causing the aluminosilicate framework to approach body-centered symmetry, followed by an orderdisorder of the Ca²⁺ ion configurations. Close to T _c, statistical fluctuations set in and breathing motion type lattice vibrations of the aluminosilicate framework cause the configurations around Ca (ooo) and Ca(oio) [likewise Ca(zoo) and Ca(zio)] in the configuration to dynamically interchange through an intermediate configuration. The dynamical nature of the phase transition in anorthite is comparable to the — phase transition in quartz.     

Chemical characteristics of some basaltic rocks of India

An analysis of the chemical characteristics of about 200 basaltic rocks of India indicate that the rocks of Pavagarh, Girnar, Rajmahal, Mundwara, Cuddapah and Panjal Trap form independent magmatic series of mixed type having entirely different chemical characteristics relative to the Deccan basalt. The tholeiitic and olivine or alkaline basalts do not seem to form independent magma types. The present study indicates that the rocks belonging to the above magma types coexist together and may represent differentiates of a single magma series.     

Luna 20 pyroxenes: exsolution and phase transformation as indicators of petrologic history

Pyroxenes from our sample of Luna 20 soil are predominantly orthopyroxene with subordinate pigeonite. The orthopyroxenes are chromium-rich bronzites and contain submicroscopic lamellae of augite in a twinned orientation exsolved on (100). These lamellae have a composition close to the diopside-hedenbergite join. Asymmetric diffuse streaks parallel to $\text{a}{}^1$ indicate stacking faults parallel to (100) and possibly very thin (10–20 Å) lamellae of clinobronzite parallel to (100). Pigeonite crystals are very complex crystallographically and chemically, with optically visible (001) augite exsolution lamellae and two sets of chromite exsolution lamellae. In addition, there are submicroscopic (100) augite lamellae and a second generation of clinohypersthene lamellae which appear to have exsolved from the (001) augite lamellae. The clinohypersthene host, which has a large number of stacking faults parallel to (100), has partially inverted to hypersthene of the same composition. The hypersthene occurs as very fine lamellae (less than 1000 Å) parallel to the (100) plane of the clinohypersthene. X_D^Fe-Mg values for five host-lamellae pairs in pigeonite K-4 indicate a significant amount of subsolidus readjustment. We tentatively conclude that many of the bronzite and pigeonite crystals were derived from rocks crystallized from a high level magma chamber in the lunar highland crust.     

Thermal expansion,Debye temperature and Grüneisen parameter of synthetic (Fe,Mg)SiO3 orthopyroxenes

Thermal expansion properties of synthetic orthopyroxenes (Fe_0.20Mg_0.80)SiO₃, (Fe_0.40Mg_0.60)SiO₃, (Fe_0.50Mg_0.50)SiO₃, (Fe_0.75Mg_0.25)SiO₃ and (Fe_0.83Mg_0.17)SiO₃ were systematically studied by means of single-crystal x-ray diffraction in the temperature range from 296 to 1300 K. The measurements of unit cell dimensions as a function of temperature reveal that the a and c dimensions and the unit cell volume V increase nonlinearly with a positive curvature with rising temperature, whereas the b dimension behaves differently, depending on the total Fe content. For Mg-rich orthopyroxenes (Fe/(Fe+Mg)<30%), the b dimension expands similarly as the a and c dimensions, but it exhibits a nonlinear increase with a negative curvature for orthopyroxenes with Fe/(Fe+Mg)>30%. Together with the high temperature neutron diffraction data on enstatite (MgSiO₃) (McMullan, Haga and Ghose, unpublished) and x-ray diffraction data on ferrosilite (FeSiO₃) (Sueno et al. 1976), the measured unit cell dimensions were analyzed in terms of the Grüneisen theory of thermal expansion. The linear thermal expansion coefficients α _a and α _c both increase as temperature is elevated, with α _c increasing faster, while α _b changes gradually from increasing for Mg-rich orthopyroxenes to decreasing for Fe-rich orthopyroxenes. The relative magnitudes of linear thermal expansion coefficients are always in the order α _b >α _c >α _a between 300 and 500 K, but at higher temperatures, the order changes to α _c >α _b >α _a for Mg-rich orthopyroxenes and α _c >α _a >α _b for Fe-rich ones. The linear thermal expansion behavior is interpreted on the basis of the structural mechanical model of Weidner and Vaughan (1982). The anomalous behavior of α _b is mainly attributed to the changes in the Fe₂₊ population at the M2 site and the relative stiffness of the M2(Fe₂₊)-O bonds compared to the M2(Mg₂₊)-O bonds. The volume thermal expansion coefficients are nonlinear functions of temperature and lie between 23 and 49×10^?6/K. The previously reported results of mean volume thermal expansion coefficients appear to represent the α _V values characteristic of higher temperatures compared to our results. The thermal Debye temperatures are composition-dependent, decreasing linearly from 812 (MgSiO₃) to 561 K (FeSiO₃), and are systematically higher than the corresponding acoustic Debye temperatures. The Grüneisen parameters range from 0.85 to 0.89 and do not seem to vary with composition. The linear compressibilities derived from thermal expansion and elastic moduli data agree very well. The pressure derivatives of the isothermal bulk modulus (dK₀/dP) are also composition-dependent and decrease from 11.2 (MgSiO₃) to 8.77 (FeSiO₃). Such large values indicate possible anomalous elastic behavior of orthopyroxenes at high pressures in the Earth's upper mantle.     

Cancer risk estimation from dietary arsenic,a new approach from longitudinal cohort study

Inorganic arsenic is a carcinogen and consumption in low dose may lead to cancer. We estimated the cancer risk of the participants from arsenic endemic regions of West Bengal, India. The probable cancer risk was estimated following the assessment of daily inorganic arsenic intake through drinking water and diets of 20 participants for three consecutive years who had been using low arsenic water in the Indian context (median arsenic concentration in the study Years-I, II and III were 22, 16, 13 µg/l respectively). Probable cancer risk of the population was 2.80 × 10^?4, 2.94 × 10^?4, 3.12 × 10^?4 in the three respective study years (Year-I, II and III); just higher than the US EPA risk level of concern. The arsenic species content of the paired raw, cooked rice and urine was estimated in the as is taken basis. The major diet component, rice contained 72–86% inorganic arsenic whereas urine contains 70% organic arsenic on an average. The cancer risk assessment has been proposed to be modified by inclusion of urine arsenic release, considering the fact of arsenic release through urine. The risk became 1.28 × 10^?5, 1.13 × 10^?5, 1.01 × 10^?5 in the study Year-I, II and III respectively, considering urinary arsenic release, attributed the consideration of urine arsenic release into probable cancer risk estimation.