Distributions of O3, CO and NMHCs over the rural sites in central India

The surface level measurements of O₃, CO, CH₄ and light NMHCs were made at eight different rural sites in the central part of India during February, 2004. The online analyzer was used for in-situ measurement of O₃ while air samples were collected for the analyses of CO, CH₄ and NMHCs using the gas chromatography techniques. The average mixing ratios of O₃, which were in the range of 60–90 ppbv, are significantly higher compared to the typical values reported for urban sites of India. The increase rates of O₃ in the forenoon hours were estimated to be in the range of about 8.8–10 ppbv h⁻¹. The slopes of ∆O₃/∆CO, which is an indicator of the efficiency of photochemical production, were in the range of 0.24–0.33 ppbv ppbv⁻¹. However, levels of primary pollutants e.g., NMHCs, CO, etc. at these sites were much lower than urban sites, but higher compared to previously observed values surrounding marine region of India. The estimated ratios of NMHCs and CO indicate fossil fuel combustion process as the dominant source of primary pollutants in this corridor.     

Emission characteristic of ozone related trace gases at a semi-urban site in the Indo-Gangetic plain using inter-correlations

Measurements of surface O₃, CO, NO_x and light NMHCs were made during December 2004 at Hissar, a semi-urban site in the state of Haryana in north-west region of the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). The night-time O₃ values were higher when levels of CO, NO and NO₂ were lower but almost zero values were observed during the episodes of elevated mixing ratios of CO (above 2000 ppbv) and NO_x (above 50 ppbv). Slopes derived from linear fits of O₃ versus CO and O₃ versus NO_x scatter plots were also negative. However, elevated levels of O₃ were observed when CO and NO_x were in the range of 200–300 ppbv and 20–30 ppbv, respectively. Slope of CO-NO_x of about 33 ppbv/ppbv is much larger than that observed in the US and Europe indicating significant impact of incomplete combustion processes emitting higher CO and lesser NO_x. Correlations and ratios of these trace gases including NMHCs show dominance of recently emitted pollutants mostly from biomass burning at this site.     

Very high-resolution climate simulation over Fiji using a global variable-resolution model

A high-resolution climate model simulation has been performed for the first time for Fiji’s climatology. The simulation involved a numerical experiment for a 10-year period (1975–1984), and was conducted at a horizontal resolution of 8 km in a stretched-grid configuration, which is currently the highest resolution at which a global climate model has been applied for regional climatological simulations. Analysis of model-generated data demonstrates a fairly good skill of the CSIRO Conformal-Cubic Atmospheric Model (C-CAM) in the simulation of the annual cycles of maximum and minimum temperatures and rainfall at selected locations in Fiji. The model has also successfully reproduced the pattern of maximum and minimum surface air temperatures between the western and central divisions of Fiji. Model simulation of spatial and temporal distribution of monthly total rainfall (10-year mean) over the main island of Viti Levu in Fiji shows that it reproduces the observed intraseasonal and interannual variability; the influence of the El Niño phenomena has also been captured well in the model-simulated rainfall.     

Origin of Life

The evolution of life has been a big enigma despite rapid advancements in the field of astrobiology, microbiology and genetics in recent years. The answer to this puzzle is as mindboggling as the riddle relating to evolution of the universe itself. Despite the fact that panspermia has gained considerable support as a viable explanation for origin of life on the earth and elsewhere in the universe, the issue, however, remains far from a tangible solution. This paper examines the various prevailing hypotheses regarding origin of life-like abiogenesis, RNA world, iron–sulphur world and panspermia, and concludes that delivery of life-bearing organic molecules by the comets in the early epoch of the earth alone possibly was not responsible for kick-starting the process of evolution of life on our planet.     

Marine biogeochemistries of Be and Al: A study based on cosmogenic10Be, Be and Al in marine calcite, aragonite, and opal

The geochemical behaviors of Be and Al in ocean waters have been successfully studied in recent years using natural, cosmogenic, radioactive¹⁰Be and²⁶Al as tracers. The present day dissolved concentrations and distribution of the stable and radioactive isotopes of Be and Al in ocean waters have revealed their short residence times and appreciable effects of exchange fluxes at the coastal and ocean-sediment interfaces. It follows that concentrations of these particle-active elements must have varied in the past with temporal changes in climate, biological productivity and aeolian flux of continental detritus to the oceans. We therefore investigated the feasibility of extending the measurements of Be and Al isotope concentrations in marine systems to the 10³–10⁶ y BP time scale. We report here the discovery of significant amounts of intrinsic Be and Al in marine foraminiferal calcite and coral aragonite, and of Al in opal (radiolarians) and aragonite (coral), which makes it possible to determine¹⁰Be/Be and²⁶Al/Al in oceans in the past. We also report measured¹⁰Be/⁹Be in foraminiferal calcite in Pacific Ocean cores, which reveal that the concentrations and ratios of the stable and cosmogenic isotopes of Be and Al have varied significantly in the past 30 ky. The implications of these results are discussed.     

Chemographic relationships in sapphirine-bearing rocks from Sonapahar,Assam, India

Silica-deficient rocks in which sapphirine coexists with cordierite, gedrite, chondrodite, spinel, corundum and phlogopite in various parageneses, occur in association with cordierite-garnet-sillimanitebearing granulitic gneisses in a Precambrian metamorphic terrain displaying amphibolite-granulite transition facies. Brucite coexists with spinel and corundum and its unusual stability in this environment has been attributed to its significant fluorine content. Kornerupine occurs as armoured relics within cordierite in one sample of the sapphirine-spinel-cordierite-phlogopite-bearing rock. Sapphirines (X Mg 0.77 to 0.92) plot near the 793 composition.X Mg varies in the order: chondrodite and brucite>gedrite>cordierite >phlogopite>sapphirine>spinel.The consistent topology of the observed mineral assemblages with reference to the system MgO-FeO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂-H₂O, systematic partitioning of Mg and Fe in the coexisting phases, and textural relations are in accord with attainment of chemical equilibrium during the regional metamorphism. The sequence of metamorphic reactions has been deduced as a function of changing MgO/(MgO+FeO) ratio in the bulk composition and it has been shown that the topology in the SiO₂-(FeO+MgO)-Al₂O₃ diagram for more magnesian compositions is consistent with experimental data in the system MgO-SiO₂-Al₂O₃-H₂O. The stable occurrence of the spinel-cordierite and spinel-sillimanite joins in less magnesian bulk compositions suggests that these tie lines are stable to higher pressures and lower temperatures respectively as compared to the Fe-free synthetic system.Using experimental and theoretical data on garnet-cordierite, garnet-biotite, garnet-plagioclase and orthopyroxene-clinopyroxene equilibria, PT conditions have been estimated to be 750 °±50 °C/ 5±0.5 Kb for the thermal peak of metamorphism.It is suggested that the unusual bulk composition of the sapphirine-bearing rocks viz. higher Al₂O₃, MgO and MgO/(MgO+FeO) and lower SiO₂, Na₂O and CaO compared to the parent cordierite-bearing granulitic gneisses may be attributed to partial melting and removal of granitic melt. This is in agreement with the variation of oxides in the restites and parent rock. The restites consisted of the assemblage cordierite-spinel—corundum which then reacted to form sapphirine. This reaction, which in the synthetic Fe-free system is confined to extremely low-pressures (300 bars), is likely to occur at higher pressures with MgFe substitution.     

Comments on some aspects of particulate transport in the oceans

Recent studies of dissolved and particulate concentrations of trace elements and radionuclides amply demonstrate the importance of particulate transport in the case of several elements. A significant in-situ addition (J-flux) or removal (J-efflux) occurs in the case of a number of elements. However, to date it is not clear how the particulate processes occur and how the particles themselves are transported. Some of the problems are outlined briefly.It is shown that whereas a substantial flux in the case of some elements is due to transport by consolidated fecal particles, this transport does not generally lead to any substantial in-situ addition to deep waters. Changes in the dissolved concentrations of elements within the oceans occur due to small particles (1–10 μm) which sink stochastically with a mean speed of ～10^?3 cm/s. The larger particles sinking at higher Stokes' velocities impact and carry along the small particles. The smaller particles, ～1 μm size are thus transported down rapidly by the larger particles by apiggy-back mechanism. Simple theoretical calculations are consistent with the measured vertical transport rates based on studies of radionuclides.     

Fission track etching studies of different planes of epidote

Etching characteristics of different planes of epidote indicate that the bulk etching rate V _g for the plane (100) is a minimum and also that no angular track orientation anisotropy is observable on this or on the basal plane. The significance of these studies in the light of fission track dating of the mineral has also been discussed.     

Annual fallout of32Si,210Pb,22Na,35S and7Be in rains in India

The concentration of radioisotopes⁷Be,³⁵S were measured in Bombay since 1956 and²²Na,²¹⁰Pb,³²Si since 1963. In Khandala and other stations such measurements have been made at irregular periods since 1961. In addition several measurements especially that of³²Si were made in 1970. Data available todate from Indian stations is summarised and critically analysed. We conclude that appreciable amounts of³⁵S,²²Na and³²Si, over and above their production by cosmic rays, were produced during the high yield Russian tests as evidenced by their fallout between 1962–66. Based on the bomb produced excess the half period for their removal from the stratosphere is deduced to be less than 1 year. The ‘excess’ contribution of³²Si due to bombs is, however, small; about 1% of its inventory in the oceans. The present study shows that for stations where orogeny is the principal mechanism of precipitation, the annual fallout is independent of the annual rainfall.     

Rocket measurements of ozone concentrations in the stratosphere and mesosphere over Thumba

A rocket-borne solar middle ultraviolet photometer has been developed at the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad for the measurement of ozone concentrations at stratospheric and mesospheric heights. The instrument has now been flown successfully several times from thumba and ozone concentrations determined over an altitude range of 15 to 80 km. This paper describes the instrumentation, data analysis technique as well as the laboratory calibration procedures. Also presented are the results from four successful rocket experiments conducted during equinoctial months under an Indo-USSR collaborative programme for strato-mesospheric studies. The results show that at Thumba peak ozone concentrations vary between 2·2 and 3·1×10¹² molecules per cc and the peak altitude varies from 25 to 29 km from flight to flight. In the altitude region above about 40 km the ozone concentrations over Thumba are lower than the standard mid-latitude model values, by a factor lying between 1·5 and 2·5.