A MEASURE OF CROPPING INTENSITY*

The measurement of agricultural intensity is fundamental to an understanding of spatial organization of agriculture. This paper develops a new index of cropping intensity from land use data. The length of time for which a crop stays in the field, a factor ignored in other indirect measures of cropping intensity, has been incorporated in the new index. To illustrate the method, cropping intensity in India is measured, mapped and discussed. Differences between the patterns derived from the new index and the traditional index are noted and explained.     

Free fall penetrometer: a performance evaluation

The application of a free fall penetrometer for determining the in situ shear strength properties of marine sediments is discussed. The penetrometer is instrumented with three sensors for measuring the acceleration/deceleration, cone thrust and local side friction simultaneously and continuously. The instrument is simple and fast in operation (the entire operation of deploying, testing and retrieving the instrument takes only 20 minutes) and may prove to be a useful ground truth equipment for deep toe acoustic surveys. Recent trials offshore Newfoundland are discussed. Preliminary field test results indicate that with this system the dynamic strength profile, the soil type and the location and depth of different stratigraphic layers can be directly evaluated up to penetrated depths. A procedure is outlined for estimating the static strength profile from the dynamic strength profile by applying the correction for penetration rate effects.The penetrometer developed to date is capable of penetrating to a maximum depth of about 4 m but, in the future, it may be possible to obtain soil profiles to a depth of approximately 15 m (50 ft) with some modifications in the instrument design.     

Cosmological solution in Brans-Dicke theory involving particle creation

By considering the Robertson-Walker line element exact cosmological solutions have been obtained by taking spin-half-generated particles as matter sources in the Jordan-Brans-Dicke theory. There exist exact solutions for which the gravitational constant decreases linearly with time and the mass of the Universe increases proportionally to the square of its age while the density decreases with time. The results have been studied corresponding to the three values of curvature index. It has been shown that the expansion law is determined by the particles created by the expansion itself.     

Application of trace metal anomalies for recognition of petroleum prospects in surface sediments of Kutch and Saurashtra Basins, India

Seepage of hydrocarbons, either as macroseepage or microseepage, can set up near-surface oxidation-reduction zones that favour the development of a diverse array of chemical and mineralogic changes. In this study trace metal alterations were mapped that appear to be associated with hydrocarbon microseepages in the oil/gas fields. A total of 210 soil samples were collected from near surface sediments of Kutch and Saurashtra Basins, India. The soil samples were collected from a depth of 2–2.5 m. The paper reports the chemical alterations associated with trace metals in soils that are related to hydrocarbon microseepages above the Kutch and Saurashtra Basins, India. The soil samples for trace metals; Scandium (Sc), Vanadium (V), Chromium (Cr), Cobalt (Co), Nickel (Ni), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Barium (Ba) and Strontium (Sr) were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The concentrations of the trace elements ranged between for Sc (12.69 to 21.91 ppm), V (109.20 to 436.05 ppm), Cr (87.15 to 481.57 ppm), Co (18.25 to 64.31 ppm), Ni (57.55 to 263.15 ppm), Cu (44.88 to 143.96 ppm), Zn (137.60 to 502.31 ppm), Ba (149.27 to 921.46 ppm) and Sr (143.93 to 425.63 ppm) were obtained. It was observed that trace elements concentrations were tremendously increased when compared with normal concentration in the soils. The adsorbed soil gas analysis showed the presence of high concentrations of ΣC₂₊ (C₂H₆, C₃H₈ and n-C₄H₁₀) ranged between 1 to 121 ppb respectively. Integrated studies of trace elements over adsorbed light gaseous hydrocarbon (ΣC₂₊) anomalies showed good correlation. The carbon isotopic composition of δ¹³C₁ of the samples ranges between — 36.6 ‰ to ?22.7‰ (Pee Dee Belemnite) suggest thermogenic source for hydrocarbon gases. The increase in trace metal concentrations near oil/gas producing areas, suggests that soil chemical change to a reducing environment, presumably due to the influence of hydrocarbon microseepage, which could be applied with other geo-scientific data to identify areas of future hydrocarbon exploration in the frontier areas.     

Treatment of vegetable oil mill effluent using crab shell chitosan as adsorbent

In this study, a naturally available crab shell chitosan of low molecular weight (20?kDa) has been used as adsorbent to evaluate the pollution load in vegetable oil mill effluent. A series of batch experiment was conducted by varying chitosan dosage (100?C400?mg), pH (2?C9), stirring time (15?C90)?min and agitation speed (25?C150?rpm) to study their effects on adsorption and flocculation processes. The parameters considered for adsorption study are chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, electrical conductivity and turbidity. The maximum reduction in chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, electrical conductivity and turbidity is 74, 70, 56 and 92?% , respectively. The observed experimental result showed that crab shell chitosan could able to reduce significantly the chemical oxygen demand, turbidity, electrical conductivity and suspended matter. The optimum conditions were estimated as 400?mg/l chitosan, pH 4 and 45?min of mixing time with mixing speed of 50?rpm. Chitosan showed very good pollution removal efficiency and can be used for the effective treatment of vegetable oil mill effluent.     

A new class of bulk viscous FRW cosmological models in a scale covariant theory of gravitation

Friedmann Robertson Walker cosmological models with bulk viscosity are constructed in the scale covariant theory of gravitation. A new class of solutions for the field equations of the model is found by applying variable deceleration parameter. Some physical models of these solutions are briefly discussed in this paper.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987113001114

The Deccan Syneclise is considered to have significant hydrocarbon potential.However,significant hydrocarbon discoveries,particularly for Mesozoic sequences,have not been established through conventional exploration due to the thick basalt cover over Mesozoic sedimentary rocks.In this study,near-surface geochemical data are used to understand the petroleum system and also investigate type of source for hydrocarbons generation of the study area.Soil samples were collected from favorable areas identified by integrated geophysical studies.The compositional and isotopic signatures of adsorbed gaseous hydrocarbons(methane through butane) were used as surface indicators of petroleum micro-seepages.An analysis of 75 near-surface soil-gas samples was carried out for light hydrocarbons(C1-C4) and their carbon isotopes from the western part of Tapti graben,Deccan Syneclise,India.The geochemical results reveal sites or clusters of sites containing anomalously high concentrations of light hydrocarbon gases.High concentrations of adsorbed thermogenic methane(C_1 = 518 ppb) and ethane plus higher hydrocarbons(ΣC_(2+) = 977 ppb) were observed.Statistical analysis shows that samples from 13% of the samples contain anomalously high concentrations of light hydrocarbons in the soil-gas constituents.This seepage suggests largest magnitude of soil gas anomalies might be generated/source from Mesozoic sedimentary rocks,beneath Deccan Traps.The carbon isotopic composition of methane,ethane and propane ranges are from-22.5‰ to-30.2‰ PDB,-18.0‰to 27.1‰ PDB and 16.9‰-32.1‰ PDB respectively,which are in thermogenic source.Surface soil sample represents the intersection of a migration conduit from the deep subsurface to the surface connected to sub-trappean Mesozoic sedimentary rocks.Prominent hydrocarbon concentrations were associated with dykes,lineaments and presented on thinner basaltic cover in the study area,which probably acts as channel for the micro-seepage of hydrocarbons.     

Relationships between sagittal otolith size and body size of Terapon jarbua (Teleostei,Terapontidae) in Malaysian waters

Journal of Oceanology and Limnology - Length-weight relationship provides basic information of a fish’s condition while the morphometric data of otolith has been traditionally used to...     

Near surface manifestation of hydrocarbons in Proterozoic Bhima and Kaladgi Basins: Implications to hydrocarbon resource potential

Reconnaissance surface geochemical survey for adsorbed soil gas analysis conducted in Proterozoic Bhima and Kaladgi Basins, have revealed occurrence of anomalous concentrations of light gaseous hydrocarbons i.e. C₁ to C₄ (CH₄, C₂H₆, C₃H₈, i-C₄H₁₀ and n-C₄H₁₀) in the near surface soils. The concentrations of C₁ and ΣC₂₊(C₂H₆+C₃H₈+ i-C₄H₁₀+ n-C₄H₁₀) in Bhima and Kaladgi Basins are in the range of 1–2594 ppb and 1 to 57 ppb and 1–1142 ppb and 1–490 ppb, respectively. The carbon isotopic data of adsorbed soil gas methane in few selected samples are in the range of −29.9 to −39‰ (PDB). The evaluation of adsorbed soil gas data indicates that all the gas components are cogenetic and hydrocarbon ratios of C₁/(C₂+C₃) < 10 and C₃/C₁*1000 between 60–500 and 20–60 suggest that the adsorbed gases are derived from oil and gas-condensate zones. The carbon isotopic values of methane further support thermogenic origin of these migrated gases. The concentration distribution of C₁ and ΣC₂₊ in the study areas illustrate C₁ and ΣC₂₊ anomalies near Katamadevarhalli, Andola and Talikota in Bhima Basin and near Kaladgi, Lokapur and north of Mudhol in Kaladgi Basin. The hydrocarbon anomalies near the surface coincide with the favourable subsurface structural features and correlate with existing geochemical and geophysical data in these basins suggesting seepage related anomalies.