Kinematic evolution of thrusts wedge and erratic line length balancing: insights from deformed sandbox models

Kinematic evolution of fold-thrust structures has been investigated by analogue models that include syntectonic sedimentation. Different decollement dips and basement thicknesses produced different wedge geometries and propagating characteristics. A model with one decollement level was characterized by a closely spaced thrust system during early stages of shortening as compared to the late stages. The frequency of fault nucleation was rapid during the early stages of deformation. Conversely, the frequency of fault nucleation was low and thrust spacing was significantly wider in a model with two decollement levels. Individual faults became locked at steep dips and deformation stepped forward as a new fault nucleated in-sequence in front of the older locked structure. Once the thrust system was established up to 27 % overall shortening, an overlying bed was introduced to simulate syntectonic deformation. Model sand wedge did not grow self similarly but rather its length and height increased episodically with deformation. Restoration of deformed models show that layer parallel shortening accommodated for approximately half of the total model shortening across the multilayers. Calculated error in apparent layer shortening from the restored layers revealed a direct relation with depth of the layers in the models. The experimental results are comparable to a natural example from the Northern Apennines fold-and-thrust belts.     

A new model (DRASTIC-LU) for evaluating groundwater vulnerability in parts of central Ganga Plain,India

The study area is a part of central Ganga Plain which lies within the interfluve of Hindon and Yamuna rivers and covers an area of approximately 1,345 km². Hydrogeologically, Quaternary alluvium hosts the major aquifers. A fence diagram reveals the occurrence of a single aquifer to a depth of 126 m below ground level which is intercalated by sub-regional clay beds. The depth to water level ranges from 9.55 to 28.96 m below ground level. The general groundwater flow direction is northwest to southeast. Groundwater is the major source of water supply for agricultural, domestic, and industrial uses. The overuse of groundwater has resulted in the depletion of water and also quality deterioration in certain parts of the area. This has become the basis for the preparation of a groundwater vulnerability map in relation to contamination. The vulnerability of groundwater to contamination was assessed using the modified DRASTIC-LU model. The parameters like depth to water, net recharge, aquifer media, soil media, topography, impact of vadose zone, hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer, and land use pattern were considered for the preparation of a groundwater vulnerability map. The DRASTIC-LU index is computed as the sum of the products of weights and rating assigned to each of the inputs considered. The DRASTIC-LU index ranges from 158 to 190, and is classified into four categories, i.e., <160, 160–170, 170–180, and >180, corresponding to low, medium, high, and very high vulnerability zones, respectively. Using this classification, a groundwater vulnerability potential map was generated which shows that 2 % of the area falls in the low vulnerable zone, 38 % falls in the medium vulnerable zone, and 49 % of the area falls in the high vulnerable zone. About 11 % of the study area falls in the very high vulnerability zone. The groundwater vulnerability map can be used as an effective preliminary tool for the planning, policy, and operational levels of the decision-making process concerning groundwater management and protection.     

Particle tracking analysis of river–aquifer interaction via bank infiltration techniques

Induced bank infiltration (BI) is commonly implemented in other countries, but remains new and unexplored in Malaysia. Increasing river pollution could affect drinking water resources. Given the threat of pollution to raw water sources, applying induced BI to sustain water management is essential. This paper presents a case study of the BI method, which evaluates the effects of groundwater pumping and BI operation on the installation of wells as well as determines the effect of pumping rate on flow paths, travel time, the size of the pumping and capture zone delineation, and groundwater mixing in a pumping well in Jenderam Hilir, Malaysia. The proposed method performs infiltration safely and achieves the ideal pumping rate. Numerical modeling packages, MODFLOW and MODPATH (particle tracking) were used. Results indicate that the migration of river water into the aquifer is generally slow and depends on the pumping rate and distance from well to the river. Most water arrives at the well by the end of a pumping period of 1–5 days at 3,072 m³/day for test wells DW1 and DW2, and during simultaneous pumping for DW2 and PW1 for a well located 36 and 18 m, respectively, from the river. During the 9.7-day pumping period, 33 % of the water pumped from the DW1 well was river water, and 38 % from DW2 throughout 4.6 days was river water. The models provide necessary information for water operators in the design and construction of pumping and sampling schedules of BI practices.     

Stabilization of rock slopes using geogrid boxes

The effect of using geogrid boxes as a new approach for reinforcement of rock slopes (with a case study at rock slope perched along km 11?+?060 of Mianeh–Ardabil railway track) was investigated. The limit equilibrium (LE) and finite element (FE) analysis were conducted to predict the response of the slope to a broad range of possible conditions, namely dry, half saturated, and saturated states as well as static and quasi-static conditions. The objective is to contribute towards the establishment of best practice in the design and construction of engineered slopes. Various design considerations were developed to investigate the effect of varying height and width of geogrid boxes on the factor of safety. The LE and FE based methods were compared based on the factor of safety. The results demonstrated that considering the design consideration, installing geogrids yields increasing the stability of rock slope.     

Monsoonal changes inferred from the Middle to Late Holocene sediments off Landfall Island,North Andaman

In this paper, sediment texture, clay mineral composition, and δ ¹⁸O data on Globigerinoides ruber of a sediment core collected from a water depth of 250 m near Landfall Island, Bay of Bengal, is presented to understand paleoenvironmental shifts during the Mid–Late Holocene period. From the sediment core, five organic carbon-rich samples were radiocarbon dated and the reservoir-corrected ages range from 6,078 to 1,658 years BP. The marine sediment core is represented dominantly by clayey silt with incursions of coarser components that occur around 6,000, 5,400, and 3,400 years BP. The sedimentation of the coarser detritus is due to strengthened southwest monsoon (SWM) since 6,500 to 5,400 years BP. Clay minerals are represented by smectite, illite, kaolinite, and chlorite in varying amounts. High kaolinite content and K/C ratio indicate intense SWM and strong bedrock weathering from the hinterland (~6,500–5,400 years BP). Incidence of smectite (48.82 to 25.09 %) and chlorite/illite (C/I) ratio (0.56 to 0.28) indicate an overall weakened southwest monsoon since 6,000 to 2,000 years BP with a brief incursion of extremely reduced SWM around 4,400 to 4,200 years BP. This is corroborated with the oxygen isotope on G. ruber that reveals a significant shift in the isotopic values ~4,300 years BP (?3.39?‰), indicating weakening in SWM. Subsequently, fluctuations in the intensity of SWM are observed since 2,000 years to present.     

Elemental hydrochemistry assessment on its variation and quality status in Langat River, Western Peninsular Malaysia

This paper discusses the hydrochemistry variation and its quality status in Langat River, based on the chemistry of major ions, metal concentrations and suitability for drinking purposes. Water samples were collected from 30 different stations to assess their hydrochemical characteristics. The physico-chemical parameters selected were temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity, dissolved oxygen , pH, redox potential, HCO₃, Cl, SO₄, NO₃, Ca, Na, K, Mg, ²⁷Al, ¹³⁸Ba, ⁹Be, ¹¹¹Cd, ⁵⁹Co, ⁶³Cu, ⁵²Cr, ⁵⁷Fe, ⁵⁵Mn, ⁶⁰Ni, ²⁰⁸Pb, ⁸⁰Se and ⁶⁶Zn to investigate the variation of the constituents in the river water. Most of the parameters comply with the Drinking Water Quality Standard of the World Health Organization and the Malaysian National Standard for Drinking Water Quality by the Malaysia Ministry of Health except for EC, TDS, Cl, HCO₃, SO₄, Na, Mg, Al, Fe and Se. The results show that the Langat River is unsuitable for drinking purposes directly without treatment.     

Changes of biochemical properties and heavy metal bioavailability in soil treated with natural liming materials

This study evaluated the efficiency of naturally occurring lime-based waste materials (oyster shells, eggshells, and mussel shells) on immobilization of selected heavy metals (Cd and Pb) and a metalloid (As) in a contaminated agricultural soil. A 30-day incubation experiment was performed using soil mixture with natural liming materials or calcite (CaCO₃) at 0, 1, 3, 5, and 10 wt %. Soil biochemical properties including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable cations, organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), microbial populations, and enzyme activities were determined to ensure the changes in soil quality during incubation. The results showed that the application of natural liming materials led to an increase in soil pH similar to that of CaCO₃. Soil concentrations of Cd, Pb, and As extracted with 0.1 or 1 M HCl, and diethylene triamine pentacetic acid (DTPA) were decreased significantly after adding liming materials, accompanied by increased microbial population and enzyme activities of dehydrogenase, phosphatase, β-glucosidase, and arylsulfatase. Additionally, eggshells and mussel shells induced significant increases in OM and TN in the soil. Application of natural liming materials offers a cost-effective way to immobilize heavy metals and metalloids in soils.     

Facies analysis and depositional environment of the Jurassic, Jumara Dome sediments, Kachchh, western India

The study deals with the depositional environment of Jumara Dome sediments. The Jumara Dome is an important outcrop of Bathonian to Oxfordian sediments amongst the Kachchh Mainland exposures. On the basis of facies analysis three associations have been documented, namely, G-1 consisting of low energy facies comprising of cross-bedded sandstone, massive sandstone, grey shale and thin bedded sandstone, bioclastic — lithoclastic grainstone, bioclastic — lithoclastic packstone, microbioclastic packstone/wackestone, bioturbated laminated wackestone to mudstone and pelagic lime mudstone; G-II consisting of moderate energy facies comprising of laminated sandstone and grapestone or agglutinated grainstone; G-III consisting of high energy facies comprising of interbedded gypsiferous shale and sandstone/siltstone, oolitic grainstone to conglomerate and bioclastic grainstone. The facies associations reflect an ideal shallowing upward sequence representing slope, bioclast bar, lagoon and inner shelf. Presence of wide range of facies indicates that the rocks of the studied area were deposited during the fluctuating sea level, interrupted by the storms, in the shallow marine environment.     

Evaluation of long-term groundwater level data in regular monitoring wells,Barka, Sultanate of Oman

A detailed investigation was carried out to evaluate long-term groundwater level fluctuation in regular monitoring wells constructed by the Ministry of Water Resources in Barka, Sultanate of Oman. For this study, groundwater level data for 71 wells and rainfall data from six stations were collected from 1984 to 2003 and analysed. Based on long-term water level fluctuation, groundwater wells are classified into three groups. In group 1, water level shows a long-term cyclic trend without yearly fluctuation whereas in group 2 the water level declined continuously until 1995 followed by a constant water level. In group 3, water level decreases continuously throughout the study periods with rapid annual cyclic variation. Group 1 wells show high water-level fluctuations (5 to 10 m) and seem to be regulated by discharge (lateral flow) from this aquifer and recharge from the adjacent Jabal Akhdar mountainous region. Constant trend in water level after 1995 in group 2 wells illustrates the advancement of saline–fresh water interface to the inland due to heavy pumping which is justified by higher electrical conductivity and Cl/HCO₃ ratio. In group 3 wells, the water level dropped continuously due to overabstraction by agricultural farms and human settlements. In addition, wells existing near the recharge dams express the influences of recharge dams and rainfall, and exhibit high water-level fluctuations during heavy rainfall periods. The long-term regional variation indicates that water level drops continuously in the coastal and central parts of the study region. Linear regression analysis revealed that the decline in water level is 0·3–0·4 m year⁻¹ near the coastal and central parts of the study area and is almost constant in the remaining area. We conclude that the contribution of man-made activities on groundwater level is well compared with natural factors. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.