Assessment of seismic hazard of roller compacted concrete dam site in Gilgit-Baltistan of northern Pakistan

The proposed site of the Diamer Bhasha Dam in northern Pakistan is situated in an active tectonic zone with intensive seismicity, which makes it necessary for seismic hazard analysis(SHA). Deterministic and probabilistic approaches have been used for SHA of the dam site. The Main Mantle Thrust(MMT), Main Karakaram Thrust(MKT), Raikot-Sassi Fault(RKSF) and Kohistan Fault(KF) have been considered as major seismic sources, all of which can create maximum ground shaking with maximum potential earthquake(MPE). Deterministically estimated MPE for magnitudes of 7.8, 7.7, 7.6, and 7.1 can be produced from MMT, MKT, RKSF and KF, respectively. The corresponding peak ground accelerations(PGA) of 0.07, 0.11, 0.13 and 0.05 g can also be generated from these earthquakes, respectively. The deterministic analysis predicts a so-called floating earthquake as a MPE of magnitude = 7.1 as close as 10 km away from the site. The corresponding PGA was computed as 0.38 g for a maximum design earthquake at the project site. However, the probabilistic analysis revealed that the PGA with 50% probability of exceedance in 100 years is 0.18 g. Thus, this PGA value related to the operational basis earthquake(OBE) is suggested for the design of this project with shear wave velocity(V_(s30)) equal to 760 m/s under dense soil and soft rock conditions.     

Factors determining the economic value of groundwater

Increasing groundwater extraction threatens aquifer sustainability for future generations. Making the best use of limited groundwater resources requires knowledge of its alternative extractive and non-extractive values, as well as the cost of extraction and the hydrological interlinkages between alternative uses. Groundwater value is driven by a number of factors including its supply and demand and institutional and policy factors. These factors and how they affect value of groundwater are described. Also described are the various components relevant to the economic valuation of groundwater and there is discussion on the potential difficulties in their practical estimation. It is argued that groundwater management is essential when there are large potential spatial and temporal externalities related to groundwater pumping. Maintaining non-extractive and option values is likely to require trade-offs with current extractive uses. Well-informed management will be required to allocate groundwater efficiently between different users such as agriculture, industry and the environment, while also balancing the needs of current and future generations.     

Parallel Proton Heating in Solar Wind Using Generalized (r, q) Distribution Function

Kinetic theory is used to calculate the power dissipated by obliquely propagating Alfvén waves to heat the solar wind protons, using the Generalized (r, q) distribution function. The evolution of power dissipation of protons with increasing heliocentric distance is subsequently determined. Comparison between theoretical and observational results with data shows good agreement, especially for the slow solar wind streams. Previous results where a Maxwellian distribution function was used to calculate the power dissipated did not match well with observations.     

Estimation of climatic transition in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) in global warming perspectives

The present exercise is a study to enquire into the recent climatic transition, if any in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Conventional climatic indicators such as rainfall distribution, temperature regime, relative humidity, sunshine duration, wind velocity and evaporation characteristics were examined over a period of twenty six years of available meteorological data. The analyses showed a remarkable mutual resemblance and unidirectional trend in all the temperature parameters like absolute monthly maximum, absolute monthly minimum, mean monthly maximum, mean monthly minimum and mean monthly temperatures and the mean monthly maximum and mean monthly minimum relative humidities. Similarly, the trends in sunshine duration, wind velocity and pan evaporation were also supportingly in accordance to the general trends of climatic transition. The analysis based on a smaller period climatic data shows a good deal of agreement with the trends of studies on global warming projections made by simulated models on the basis of CO₂ concentration changes in the atmosphere.     

Nonlinear kinetic Alfven waves in space plasmas with generalized ($$) distribution

In this paper, we have investigated linear and nonlinear propagation of kinetic Alfven waves in which the electrons have been assumed to follow generalized (\(r,q\)) distribution. We have shown that (\(r,q\)) distribution gives us most of the distributions observed in space plasmas. We have varied the flatness parameter \(r\) and the tail parameter \(q\) to explore the linear and nonlinear propagation characteristics of kinetic Alfven waves. We have also discussed the limiting cases. It has been shown that our results agree well with Fast and Freja observations of the nonlinear kinetic Alfven waves. An important feature of our study is the formation of rarefactive solitary structures. It has been shown that this result cannot be obtained with Maxwellian distribution and that it agrees well with the observations of Fast and Freja satellites.     

A structured analysis of uncertainty surrounding modeled impacts of groundwater-extraction rules

Integrating economic and groundwater models for groundwater-management can help improve understanding of trade-offs involved between conflicting socioeconomic and biophysical objectives. However, there is significant uncertainty in most strategic decision-making situations, including in the models constructed to represent them. If not addressed, this uncertainty may be used to challenge the legitimacy of the models and decisions made using them. In this context, a preliminary uncertainty analysis was conducted of a dynamic coupled economic-groundwater model aimed at assessing groundwater extraction rules. The analysis demonstrates how a variety of uncertainties in such a model can be addressed. A number of methods are used including propagation of scenarios and bounds on parameters, multiple models, block bootstrap time-series sampling and robust linear regression for model calibration. These methods are described within the context of a theoretical uncertainty management framework, using a set of fundamental uncertainty management tasks and an uncertainty typology.     

Mesozoic deltaic system along the western margin of the Indian plate: lithofacies and depositional setting of Datta Formation,North Pakistan

Over 1 km thick Mesozoic sedimentary sequence is exposed over a wide area in the Upper Indus basin of north Pakistan along the western margin of the Indian Plate. The Mesozoic sequence is comprised of clastic facies in the lower part, while carbonate facies are dominant in the upper part. About 200 m thick mixed sequence of interbedded sandstone, siltstone, clay, and carbonaceous shale represents the lower Jurassic Datta Formation in the Salt and Trans Indus Ranges in North Pakistan. The Datta Formation constitutes important reservoir horizons in a number of oil fields in the western Himalayan foreland basins where it is encountered at a depth of about 4 km in various wells. The Datta Formation is described from different parts of the range front to understand the internal architecture of various sedimentary facies and their depositional system. The thickness and lithofacies assemblages of the Datta Formation change in different parts of the range front as well as in subsurface of the Upper Indus basin. The Datta Formation represents a coarsening upward deltaic sequence in most parts of the basin. On the basis of lithological variations and sedimentary structures, a number of depositional facies have been recognized which include channel belt facies, floodplain/abandoned channel facies, swamp facies, and lagoonal facies. Further north, in the Kalachitta and Hazara regions, the siliciclastic facies change to more complex assemblages of interbedded bauxite, silcrete, marl, and some limestone. These sediments represent deposition in a delta-plain setting of a fluvial-dominated delta with northwestward flowing channels.     

The use of low frequencies in a full‐waveform inversion and impedance inversion land seismic case study

Velocity model building and impedance inversion generally suffer from a lack of intermediate wavenumber content in seismic data. Intermediate wavenumbers may be retrieved directly from seismic data sets if enough low frequencies are recorded. Over the past years, improvements in acquisition have allowed us to obtain seismic data with a broader frequency spectrum. To illustrate the benefits of broadband acquisition, notably the recording of low frequencies, we discuss the inversion of land seismic data acquired in Inner Mongolia, China. This data set contains frequencies from 1.5–80 Hz. We show that the velocity estimate based on an acoustic full‐waveform inversion approach is superior to one obtained from reflection traveltime inversion because after full‐waveform inversion the background velocity conforms to geology. We also illustrate the added value of low frequencies in an impedance estimate.     

Novel Calix[4]arene‐based Amberlite XAD‐4 Modified Resin for As(III) Removal from Water

The present article describes As(III) sorption behavior of novel calix[4]arene appended TS‐4 resin. The sorption ability of TS‐4 resin has been evaluated at wide range of pH, i.e., pH 2–14. The maximum As(III) sorption efficiency (95%) was achieved at pH 2, which shows that the TS‐4 resin possesses greater affinity for As(III) at this pH. Column sorption mechanism was evaluated through various operating parameters, i.e., change in concentration, flow rate, bed heights, and pH. The experimental data were also tested against bed depth service time model and from the results; it has been observed that the data is in close agreement with the theoretically calculated values. Thus, from the data it has been revealed that TS‐4 resin has maximum column efficiency of 0.13 mmol g^?1. Application of TS‐4 to real samples indicates a slight decrease (2–3%) in extraction efficiency of TS‐4 because of high concentration of total dissolved salts. Thermal behavior was tested by differential scanning calorimetry and it has been observed that TS‐4 resin is stable up to 160°C. TS‐4 resin was found to be regenerable and best regeneration was achieved by using 4% solution of NaOH. It can be deduced from the study that the resin will find its applicability in small as well as industrial scale water purification plants.