Bela oceanic lithosphere assemblage and its relation to the Réunion hotspot

The Bela ophiolite of Pakistan contains a complete ophiolite-accretionary wedge-trench sequence emplaced onto the Indian continental margin during the northward drift of India-Seychelles over the active Réunion hotspot. A structurally higher ophiolite overlies an accretionary prism, which is thrust over a foreland basin. Shear-sense determinations in peridotite mylonites in the ophiolite footwall and imbrication structures in the underlying accretionary wedge indicate an ESE emplacement. Sedimentary rocks in the accretionary wedge indicate Aptian-Albian pillow lavas, initially deep water conditions, and increasing influence from the continent until the Maastrichtian. The ophiolite emplacement was predated and accompanied by Fe-tholeiitic and alkaline magmatism related to the Réunion hotspot and continuous incorporation of trench sediments into the accretionary wedge. ³⁹Ar/⁴⁰Ar dating shows that the ophiolite formed around 70 Ma. Intraoceanic subduction initiated between 70 and 65 Ma, obduction onto the Indian passive margin occurred during the formation of the Deccan traps at ≈ 66 Ma, and final thrusting onto the continental margin ended in the early Eocene (≈ 50 Ma). The ophiolite emplacement occurred during the counterclockwise separation of Madagascar and India-Seychelles which caused shortening and consumption of oceanic lithosphere between the African-Arabian and the Indian-Seychelles plates.     

Textural parameters of desert sediments — Thar desert (India)

The textural study of a sizable number of samples from the various microenvironments of the Thar Desert reveals that the overall size of the desert sediments corresponds to fine sand (2–3 φ); the crests of the dunes are coarser than the flanks; the sediments have bimodal and/or polymodal population, they show a high sand/silt ratio, are well sorted, and are fine-skewed to strongly-fine-skewed; most of the sediments show platykurtic and very platykurtic curves, exhibit subangular to subrounded outlines, and show a moderate to high degree of sphericity.It is concluded that the scatter plots between moment mean ($\text{χ}$) and moment skewness (α₃), moment mean ($\text{χ}$) and first percentile, graphic mean (M_z) and inclusive graphic skewness (Sk_I), moment standard deviation (σ) and moment mean ($\text{χ}$), moment standard deviation (σ) and first percentile, cubed standard deviation and mean cubed deviation (α₃σ³), moment standard deviation (σ) and moment skewness (α₃), and moment standard deviation (σ) and mean cubed deviation (α₃σ³), can safely be used to distinguished the desert sediments from those accumulated in river and beach environments.     

Assessment of Land-use and Land-cover Change and its Impact on Groundwater Quality Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques in Raipur City,Chhattisgarh, India

Monitoring of land use and land cover change (LULC) is essential for water conservation and management. In this study, an attempt has been made to understand the impact of LULC change on groundwater quality. In the present study LULC map of the study area prepared using satellite image of year 1999 and 2016 which are visually interpreted with help of ERDAS IMAGINE and ArcGIS software. In this study different image interpretation elements like tone, texture, size, pattern and association were used and verified with field check and total eight LULC classes were recognized such as settlement, road, cultivation, industry, drainage, lake, open land and vegetation. Comparison of LULC of year 1999 and year 2016 indicates that the settlement (net increases 16.2%), road (net increases 0.8%), open land (net increases 14.8%) and industry (net increases 3.1%) area has expanded. In the study area groundwater pollution is mainly associated with LULC change and as well as poor waste management practices. Obtained result has been validated with nitrate concentration and found 73.33% accuracy reflecting that, applied techniques has produced significantly reliable results.     

Groundwater quality assessment for drinking purpose in Raipur city,Chhattisgarh using water quality index and geographic information system

An effort has been made to comprehend the groundwater quality of Raipur city for drinking purpose utilizing Water Quality Index (WQI) and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. In this study thirty four groundwater samples were collected during May, 2015. Standard methods has been adopted in groundwater sampling which are prescribed by the American Public Health Association (APHA, 1995). Eight water quality parameters have been considered to ascertained water quality index viz. pH, chloride, fluoride, calcium, magnesium, alkalinity, hardness and nitrate. The Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS, 2009) has been considered to assess the suitability of groundwater for drinking purposes and for the calculation of WQI. This study reveals that 76% area is falling under excellent, very good and good category and 24% area is falling under poor, very poor and unfit category as per the WQI classification. The predicted accuracy of the obtained result is around 97.05% reflecting capability of adopted techniques. Anthropogenic activities are influencing the groundwater quality of the study area. The present study is helpful in proper planning and management of available water resource for drinking purpose.     

Lithospheric deformation under pre- and post-seismic stress fields along the Nicobar–Sumatra subduction margin during 2004 Sumatra mega-event and its tectonic implications

A high-resolution study was carried out under pre-seismic (i.e., static) and post-seismic stress fields (i.e., dynamic) in a space–time frame along the Nicobar–Sumatra margin. The study reveals that the descending lithosphere records minimum stress obliquity, predominant thrust movement, and down-dip least compressive stress axis under static stress field in northwest Sumatra (sector III). The imbalance between down-dip component of slab pull force and viscous resistive force possibly caused cyclic stress loading in compressive field around the flexing zone ( 25 km), and that undergone brittle failure through generation of mega-thrust event on 26th December' 2004. A sharp decrease in stress obliquity towards north (sector II), redressing of least compressive stress axes from horizontal to down-dip direction, and increasing thrust movements under dynamic stress field account for continued upward shortening of the lithosphere. The weak thinner zone (i.e., between  159 and  217 km depth), an age-discontinuity portion, possibly was collapsed through rapid enhancement of stress-induced weakening and strain localization following the 2004 Sumatra mega-shock. It is also well appreciated in the literature that such shallow disruption of the lithosphere is inevitable in the upper mantle, if the slab is weakened or broken there, and this phenomenon is not uncommon below the Sumatra.     

Subsidies to high seas bottom trawl fleets and the sustainability of deep-sea demersal fish stocks

The life spans of demersal species of fishes occurring in deep-waters are much longer and their potential growth rates much lower than those of related shallow water species. As a result, deep-sea demersal fish species are more vulnerable to exploitation. This is because low growth rates relative to the available market discount rate for capital makes it desirable for fishing firms to mine, rather than sustainably exploit, these resources even in the absence of fisheries subsidies. However, it is common knowledge that governments around the world do provide subsidies to their fishing industries. The objective of this contribution is to estimate the global amount of subsidies paid to bottom trawl fleets operating in the high seas, i.e., outside of the Exclusive Economic Zones of maritime countries. Our study suggests that fisheries subsidies to these fleets stand at about US$152 million per year, which constitutes 25% of the total landed value of the fleet. Economic data for bottom trawlers suggest that the profit achieved by this vessel group is normally not more than 10% of landed value. The implication of this finding is that without subsidies, the bulk of the world's bottom trawl fleet operating in the high seas will be operating at a loss, and unable to fish, thereby reducing the current threat to deep-sea and high seas fish stocks.