Recent seismicity in Northeast India and its adjoining region

Recent seismicity in the northeast India and its adjoining region exhibits different earthquake mechanisms – predominantly thrust faulting on the eastern boundary, normal faulting in the upper Himalaya, and strike slip in the remaining areas. A homogenized catalogue in moment magnitude, M _W, covering a period from 1906 to 2006 is derived from International Seismological Center (ISC) catalogue, and Global Centroid Moment Tensor (GCMT) database. Owing to significant and stable earthquake recordings as seen from 1964 onwards, the seismicity in the region is analyzed for the period with spatial distribution of magnitude of completeness m _t, b value, a value, and correlation fractal dimension D _C. The estimated value of m _t is found to vary between 4.0 and 4.8. The a value is seen to vary from 4.47 to 8.59 while b value ranges from 0.61 to 1.36. Thrust zones are seen to exhibit predominantly lower b value distribution while strike-slip and normal faulting regimes are associated with moderate to higher b value distribution. D _C is found to vary from 0.70 to 1.66. Although the correlation between spatial distribution of b value and D _C is seen predominantly negative, positive correlations can also be observed in some parts of this territory. A major observation is the strikingly negative correlation with low b value in the eastern boundary thrust region implying a possible case of extending asperity. Incidentally, application of box counting method on fault segments of the study region indicates comparatively higher fractal dimension, D, suggesting an inclination towards a planar geometrical coverage in the 2D spatial extent. Finally, four broad seismic source zones are demarcated based on the estimated spatial seismicity patterns in collaboration with the underlying active fault networks. The present work appraises the seismicity scenario in fulfillment of a basic groundwork for seismic hazard assessment in this earthquake province of the country.     

Humid Pleistocene−Holocene transition and early Holocene in sub‐tropical northern Mexico and possible Gulf of California forcing

A new geochemical record from the paaleolake Santiaguillo documents the hydrological variability of sub‐tropical northern Mexico over the last ～14 cal. ka. Summer‐season runoff, lake water salinity and deposition of sediments by aeolian activity were reconstructed from concentrations of K, Ca and Zr/K in bulk sediments. More‐than‐average runoff during c. 12.3–9.3 cal. ka BP represented an interval of enhanced summer precipitation. Arid intervals of c. 14–12.3 cal. ka BP and c. 6–4.3 cal. ka BP were characterized by average and more‐than‐average aeolian activity. Comparison with proxy records of summer as well as winter precipitation from tropical and sub‐tropical North America and sea surface temperatures from the Atlantic and Pacific provides insight into the source of moisture and possible forcing. The wet Pleistocene?Holocene transition and early Holocene was contemporary with warmer conditions in the Gulf of California. We suggest that the Atlantic had minimal influence on the summer precipitation of the western part of sub‐tropical northern Mexico and that the source of moisture was dominantly Pacific.     

Time variation analysis of the daily Forbush decrease indices

In the present paper we have analyzed the daily Forbush decrease indices from January 1, 1967 to December 31, 2003. First filtering the time series by Simple Exponential Smoothing, we have applied Scargle Method of Periodogram on the processed time series in order to search for its time variation. Study exhibits periodicities around 174, 245, 261, 321, 452, 510, 571, 584, 662, 703, 735, 741, 767, 774, 820, 970, 1062, 1082, 1489, 1715, 2317, 2577, 2768, 3241 and 10630 days with confidence levels higher than 90%. Some of these periods are significantly similar to the observed periodicities of other solar activities, like solar filament activity, solar electron flare occurrence, solar-flare rate, solar proton events, solar neutrino flux, solar irradiance, cosmic ray intensity and flare, spectrum of the sunspot, solar wind, southern coronal hole area and solar cycle, which may suggest that the Forbush decrease behaves similarly to these solar activities and these activities may have a common origin.     

Delineation of hydrologically similar units in a watershed based on fuzzy classification of soil hydraulic properties

Evaluation of flow and transport processes in a watershed‐scale requires that the watershed be divided into homogenous spatial units referred to as hydrologically similar units (HSUs). Although a few discretization schemes are already in use, a universally acceptable method of obtaining HSUs is yet to emerge. In this study, we developed a fuzzy inference system (FIS) to classify the saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s) and two water‐retention parameters α and n into fuzzy logic‐based soil hydrologic classes (FSHCs). Analysis of these classes showed that soil properties within an FSHC have less variability and those between two FSHCs have large variability. This result suggested that soils belonging to a specific FSHC may be more similar than those across different FSHCs and may be grouped together to represent an HSU. Soils within a specific hydrologic class were aggregated to delineate HSUs within the watershed. For the Dengei Pahad micro‐watershed (DPW), this approach showed five distinct regions representing a discretized zone having similar soil hydraulic properties. Application of this approach on a larger international database of soil hydraulic properties revealed that the developed hydrologic classes are quite comparable across different databases. The delineated HSUs based on these FSHCs were also better than the soil series map of the watershed in maintaining the soil heterogeneity of the watershed. Moreover, this new discretization scheme using the SWAT modelling environment showed better performance than the soil series‐based discretization approach. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Computation of Composite Mg II Core-to-Wing Ratio for Solar Cycle 22 and 23

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - The Mg II core-to-wing ratio (c/w ratio) data is used to derive the solar extreme UV emission which brings a vital role in the creation of the Earth’s ionosphere...     

Site-Specific Modeling of SH and P-SV Waves for Microzonation Study of Kolkata Metropolitan City, India

Kolkata, one of the oldest cities of India, is situated over the thick alluvium of the Bengal Basin, where it lies at the boundary of the zone III and zone IV of the seismic zonation map of India. An example of the study of site effects of the metropolitan Kolkata is presented based on theoretical modeling. Full synthetic strong motion waveforms have been computed using a hybrid method that combines the modal summation and finite difference techniques. The 1964 Calcutta earthquake, which was located at the southern part of Kolkata, is taken as the source region, with the focal mechanism parameters of dip?=?32°, strike?=?232° and rake?=?56°. Four profiles are considered for the computation of the synthetic seismograms from which the maximum ground acceleration (A _MAX) is obtained. Response spectra ratios (RSR) are then computed using a bedrock reference model to estimate local amplifications effects. The A _MAX varies from 0.05 to 0.17?g and the comparison of the A _MAX with the different intensity scales (MM, MSK, RF and MCS) shows that the expected intensity is in the range from VII to X (MCS) for an earthquake of magnitude 6.5 at an epicentral distance of about 100?km. This theoretical result matches with the empirical (historical and recent) intensity observations in Kolkata. The RSR, as a function of frequency, reaches the largest values (largest amplification) in the frequency range from 1.0 to 2.0?Hz. The largest site amplification is observed at the top of loose soil.     

U–Cr-rich high Mg-Al granulites from Karimnagar Granulite Belt, India: implications for Neoarchean-Paleoproterozoic events in southern India

High Mg-Al granulite occurs as enclave within granite gneisses at Karimnagar, southern India, and it contains coarse granoblastic aggregates of orthopyroxene and sapphirine with minor amount of cordierite, spinel and phlogopite. An important chemical characteristic of these minerals is their extremely high MgO content and the high Cr₂O₃ in sapphirine and spinel. Textural analysis shows sapphirine + orthopyroxene + cordierite as the peak-metamorphic assemblage that possibly evolved though the breakdown of a spinel-bearing assemblage. Cation exchange geothermometers involving orthopyroxene, sapphirine and spinel yield temperatures of 600–800 °C with a maximum of 860 °C implying an event of high temperature (HT) metamorphism. Pseudosection analysis in the FeO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂ chemical system shows the stability of the peak- assemblage below 6.2 kbar. Subsequently, the rock underwent hydration and cooling with the appearance of phlogopite in the assemblage. Chromium enrichment is possibly inherited from the protolith and its presence presumably stabilized sapphirine and spinel below their high-temperature stability field. The recorded Rb–Sr age of ca. 2,500 Ma in host granite gneiss marks the upper age limit of HT metamorphism. Presence of patchy, lobate grains as well as veinlets of uraninite and brannerite is also a characteristic feature of the rock. Uranium mineralization took place during the post peak metamorphic stage, sulfide mineralization represented by tiny grains and veinlets of pyrite, millerite and pentlandite coincided with, and outlasted the uranium mineralization. The U–Th–Pb chemical ages of uraninite grains suggest ca. 2,200?±?12 Ma for the age of uranium mineralization in the granulite. Based on the field relations, it is surmised that the granulite metamorphism in the study area is older than ca. 2,500 Ma and is comparable with an event in the other parts of Eastern Dharwar Craton. It can be conceived as a widespread event in southern India.     

Search for periodicities of the Solar Irradiance Data from Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) using Rayleigh Power Spectrum Analysis

The solar irradiance data plays a very important role for understanding of Solar internal Structure and the solar terrestrial relationships. The Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) is integrated solar energy flux over the entire spectrum which arrives at the top of the atmosphere at the mean sun earth distance. TSI has been monitored from several satellites, e.g. Nimbus 7, Solar Maximum Mission (SMM), The NASA, Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS), NOAA9, NOAA10, Eureca and the Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite (UARS) etc. From these observations it reveals that the total solar irradiance varies about a small fraction of 0.1 over solar cycle being higher during maximum solar activity condition. In the present paper we have analysed the solar irradiance data from ERBS during the time period from October 15, 1984 to October 15, 2003. First filtering the data by Simple Exponential Smoothing we have applied the Rayleigh Power Spectrum Analysis on the processed data in order to search for its time variation. Study exhibits multi-periodicities on these data around 7, 11, 42, 80, 104, 130, 160, 254, 536, 752, 1142, 1388, 2474 and 4951 days with very high confidence levels (more than 95%). Apart from these strong periods there are some other weak periods around 22, 47, 53, 67, 69, 149, 167, 365, 489 and 683 days. These periods are significantly similar with the periods of other solar activities which may suggest that solar irradiance may be associated with other solar activities.     

A unified earthquake catalogue for South Asia covering the period 1900–2014

Seismicity analysis is very much pertinent for Indian subcontinent and its adjoining region which is seismically active including many great earthquakes associated with collision and subduction tectonics in the northern, north-eastern part of the subcontinent and in the Andaman and Nicobar Island. An earthquake catalogue has been generated for South Asia covering the period 1900–2014 by compiling the records of earthquake occurrences from International Seismological Center, Global Centroid Moment Tensor (GCMT), US Geological Survey, India Meteorological Department and published literature. The uniform magnitude scaling in moment magnitude M _W,GCMT is achieved through connecting relationships between different magnitude types. These relationships are derived by orthogonal standard regression analysis on available data pairs. The derived relationships have been compared with the existing equations already reported by others. The catalogue is subsequently subjected to a seismicity declustering algorithm to identify the foreshocks, main-shocks and aftershocks. The catalogue thus compiled is envisaged to be a useful resource for seismotectonic and seismic hazard studies in the region.