Petrochemistry of the deccan trap flows of linga,Chhindwara district,M.P., India

Five representative cumulative samples of basal flows were chemically analysed. Normative composition (CIPW),DI, FI, MI, SI, f (norms) and ‘S’ indices have been calculated therefrom. It is concluded that the Linga flows are tholeiitic in nature with slightly more FeO, MgO and Al₂O₃ than most tholeiitic basalts. They represent eariy-middle stage basalts with DI less than 30. Thef-norms put these flows in the pyroxene field indicating an early fractionation of pyroxenes causing relative iron enrichment. Textural evidences, also, support a late fractionation of feldspar with overlapping periods of crystallisation of pyroxene and feldspar. The similarity in composition of the lower flows is more apparent than true. The trend of differentiation is characteristically tholeiitic. Oxygen and vapour fugacity may have been responsible for a shift in the general trend of differentiation. Explosive eruption of the magma, which was well mixed and which cooled rapidly, is borne by the features exhibited by these flows.     

Irrigation command area inventory and assessment of water requirement using IRS-1B satellite data

Monitoring the crop acreage and irrigation water requirements vis-a-vis irrigation water supplies is important to obtain a realistic view of the “irrigation potential” and “potential utilised”. Satellite data provides information on crop area and thereby net irrigation water requirements of crops. A pilot study was taken up in Mahendragarh distributary canal in Haryana State to estimate net irrigation water requirement of crops under 17 minors for kharif and rabi seasons of 1992–93 period using IRS-1B satellite geocoded FCC images. These water requirements, when analysed with canal and tubewell water supplies for crops, show largescale deficiencies in the irrigation command area.     

Cosmic ray ionization of the Jovian atmosphere

An approximate form of the Boltzmann equation has been used to obtain local ionization rates due to the absorption of galactic cosmic rays in the Jovian atmosphere. It is shown that the muon flux component of the cosmic ray-induced cascade may be especially importannt in ionizing the atmosphere at levels where the total number density exceeds 10¹⁹ cm^?3 (well below the ionospheric layers produced by solar euv). A model containing both positive and negative ion reactions has been employed to compute equilibrium electron and ion number densities. Peak electron number densities on the order of 10³ cm^?3 may be expected even at relatively low magnetic latitudes. The dominant positive ions are NH₄⁺ and C_nH_m⁺ cluster ions, with n ? 2; it is suggested that the absorption of galactic cosmic ray energy at such relatively high pressures in the Jovian atmosphere $\text{(M ? 10}{}^{18}\text{to}\text{10}{}^{20}\text{cm}{}^{\mathrm{?3}}\text{)}$ and the subsequent chemical reactions may be instrumental in the local formation of complex hydrocarbons.     

Relationship between 500 hPa ridge axis positions over the indian and the west Pacific regions and the Indian summer monsoon rainfall

500 hPa ridge positions over the Indian and the West Pacific regions during April are related with the summer monsoon rainfall over India. The ridge position over the Indian region shows better relation with monsoon rainfall than that shown by the ridge over the Pacific region. The multiple correlation of these ridge positions with monsoon rainfall exceeds 0.7. These predictive relationships are better than those shown by other parameters, viz. (1) Northern Hemispheric surface temperature; (2) East-Pacific sea surface tempera-ture; (3) El-Nino events and (4) Tahiti-Darwin pressure difference, and index of southern oscillation, over the 30-year samples analysed.     

Retrieval and Validation of Chlorophyll-a Concentrations in the Coastal Waters Off Yanam and Kakinada (Godavari) Basin Along East Coast of India

In this study chlorophyll measurements were made during March 2012 in the estuarine waters of Off Kakinada and Yanam coast, Bay of Bengal onboard a coastal vessel. In-situ water samples and optical data was collected at 21 stations (surface to 150 m depth) using Underwater radiometer (Hyperpro-II). In-vivo chlorophyll profiles were collected using wet labs fluorometer integrated with underwater Hyperspectral radiometer. Chlorophyll-a concentrations were estimated using HPLC by collecting the water samples at each sampling location. And also chlorophyll-a concentrations were retrieved from the OCM-2 data of OCEANSAT-2 satellite, processed using SeaDAS v.6.2 with the available global ocean colour algorithms namely, OC2 and OC4V4. A total of 33 samples used covering all the stations for chlorophyll-a estimation, and surface water samples of all the stations only being used for direct comparison among chlorophyll concentrations of HPLC, in-situ (fluorometrically integrated to Hyperpro-II) and retrieved from OCM-2. A good correlation found between the Fluorometer derived and HPLC measured chlorophyll-a concentration with an R² value of 0.78. The relation between Chlorophyll-a concentration measured from HPLC and retrieved from OCM-2 (OC2 and OC4V4 algorithms) using SeaDASv.6.2 for 10 samples has been compared for validation and obtained an R² value of 0.6. Also comparisons done with the in-situ measured (fluorometer) Chlorophyll-a concentration with OCM-2 chlorophyll data (OC4-V4 and OC2 algorithms) and validation with 10 concurrent in-situ surface measurements showed a significant overestimation by OCM-2 at low chlorophyll-a concentrations and underestimation at high chlorophyll-a concentrations.     

Intensified oxygen minimum zone on the western shelf of Bay of Bengal during summer monsoon: influence of river discharge

A study on biogeochemical cycling in the west coastal Bay of Bengal was undertaken during the peak discharge period to understand the influence of enhanced stratification and primary production on the possible intensification of the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). Our study reveals that oxygen concentrations were below the detection limits in the northwestern (NW) coastal Bay of Bengal between 100 and 500 m associated with strong stratification and high phytoplankton biomass. Such low oxygen concentrations have never been reported so far from the coastal Bay of Bengal. Despite the existence of an environment conducive to denitrification in the coastal Bay of Bengal, accumulation of neither secondary nitrite nor nitrous oxide (N₂O) was observed. The absence of denitrification was reported to be caused by faster scavenging of organic matter and low bacterial respiration rates; in contrast, our results suggest that neither of these factors are potential reasons for the absence of denitrification in the coastal Bay of Bengal.     

One-Dimensional Consolidation of Sedimented Stowed Pond Ash

Use of fly ash locked in the ash ponds in geotechnical applications such as stowing or backfilling of the mines is an attractive alternative to solve the disposal problem. Before it is used as a stowing or backfilling material, the response of the fly ash?to imposed load must be determined in order to assess its load taking ability. The present study examines the effect of time and incremental load on the consolidation characteristics of the sedimented stowed pond ash using a fixed ring consolidometer. The important parameters, viz. rate of settlement, consolidation coefficients and void ratio, etc. of the hydraulically stowed pond ash collected after 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35?days of stowing under step incremental loads are determined. The study revealed that 60.42–84.87% settlement of the sedimented stowed pond ash takes place in the initial 1?min of the loading. In addition, it is observed that the coefficient of consolidation of the sedimented stowed pond ash, which varies in the range of 0.0195–0.1882?cm²/min, is comparatively low and decreases with the increment of applied load and time. This indicates that the structures lying above the stowed pond ash mass will undergo gradual settling and not suffer large deformation.     

An integrated approach to investigate saline water intrusion and to identify the salinity sources in the Central Godavari delta, Andhra Pradesh, India

The Central Godavari delta is located along the Bay of Bengal Coast, Andhra Pradesh, India, and is drained by Pikaleru, Kunavaram and Vasalatippa drains. There is no groundwater pumping for agriculture as wells as for domestic purpose due to the brackish nature of the groundwater at shallow depths. The groundwater table depths vary from 0.8 to 3.4 m and in the Ravva Onshore wells, 4.5 to 13.3 m. Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) surveys were carried out at several locations in the delta to delineate the aquifer geometry and to identify saline water aquifer zones. Groundwater samples collected and analyzed for major ions for assessing the saline water intrusion and to identify the salinity origin in the delta region. The results derived from ERT indicated low resistivity values in the area, which can be attributed to the existence of thick marine clays from ground surface to 12–15 m below ground level near the coast and high resistivity values are due to the presence of coarse sand with freshwater away from the coast. The resistivity values similar to saline water <0.01 Ω m is attributed to the mixing of the saline water along surface water drains. In the Ravva Onshore Terminal low resistivity values indicated up coning of saline water and mixing of saline water from Pikaleru drain. The SO ₄ ^?2 /Cl^?and Na⁺²/Cl^?ratios did not indicate saline water intrusion and the salinity is due to marine palaeosalinity, dilution of marine clays and dissolution of evaporites.     

Chemical,isotopic and amino acid composition of Mukundpura CM2.0(CM1) chondrite: Evidence of parent body aqueous alteration

The carbonaceous chondrites are intriguing and unique in the sense that they are the only rocks that provide pristine records of the early solar nebular processes. We report here results of a detailed mineralogical, chemical, amino acid and isotopic studies of a recently observed fall at Mukundpura, near Jaipur in Rajasthan, India. Abundance of olivines in this meteorite is low and of serpentine minerals is high. FeO/SiO_2 = 1.05 in its Poorly Characterized Phases(PCP) is similar to that observed in other CM2.0 chondrites. The water content of ～9.8 wt.% is similar to that found in many other CM chondrites.Microscopic examination of matrix shows that its terrestrial weathering grade is WO but aqueous parent body alteration is high, as reflected in low abundance of identifiable chondrules and abundant remnants of chondrules(～7%). Thus, most of the chondrules formed initially have been significantly altered or dissolved by aqueous alterations on their parent bodies. The measured bulk carbon(2.3%) and nitrogen content and their isotopic(δ¹³C =-5.5‰, δ¹⁵N = 23.6%0) composition is consistent with CM2.0 classification probably bordering CM1. Several amino acids such as Alanine, Serine, Proline, Valine, Threonine,Leucine, Isoleucine, Asparagine and Histamine are present. Tyrosine and Tryptophan may occur in trace amounts which could not be precisely determined. All these data show that Mukundpura chondrite lies at the boundary of CM2.0 and CM1 type carbonaceous chondrites making it one of the most primitive chondrites.