Tectonic controls on the geomorphic evolution of alluvial fans in the Piedmont Zone of Ganga Plain,Uttarakhand, India

The Piedmont Zone is the least studied part of the Ganga Plain. The northern limit of the Piedmont Zone is defined by the Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT) along which the Himalaya is being thrust over the alluvium of the Ganga Plain. Interpretation of satellite imagery, Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) and field data has helped in the identification and mapping of various morphotectonic features in the densely forested and cultivated Piedmont Zone in the Kumaun region of the Uttarakhand state of India. The Piedmont Zone has formed as a result of coalescing alluvial fans, alluvial aprons and talus deposits. The fans have differential morphologies and aggradation processes within a common climatic zone and similar litho-tectonic setting of the catchment area. Morphotectonic analysis reveals that the fan morphologies and aggradation processes in the area are mainly controlled by the ongoing tectonic activities. Such activities along the HFT and transverse faults have controlled the accommodation space by causing differential subsidence of the basin, and aggradation processes by causing channel migration, channel incision and shifting of depocentres. The active tectonic movements have further modified the landscape of the area in the form of tilted alluvial fan, gravel ridges, terraces and uplifted gravels.     

Spatial variability of aridity oyer northern India

Spatial variability of aridity over northern India (north of 20°N) is studied by examining variations in the arid area. Area with an objectively determined summer monsoon rainfall (June to September total) of less than 500 mm is identified as arid area. The summer monsoon rainfall of 212 rain-gauges from 212 districts of the region for the period 1871–1984 are used in the analysis. An interesting feature of the arid area series is that it shows decreasing trend from beginning of the present century. The summer monsoon rainfall fluctuations over five subjectively divided zones over northern India are examined to understand the association between rainfall and the arid area variations. The rainfall series for northwest India shows a significant increasing trend and that for northeast India a significant decreasing trend from the beginning of this century. Rainfall fluctuations over the remaining zones can be considered intermediate stages of a systematic spatial change in the rainfall pattern. This suggested that the recent decreasing trend in the arid area is due to a westward shift in the monsoon rainfall activities. From correlation analyses it is inferred that perhaps the recent decreasing trend in the arid area and increasing trend in the monsoon rainfall over northwest India are associated with a warming trend of the northern hemisphere.     

Scavenging of atmospheric ions and aerosols by drifting snow in Antarctica

Measurements of the small-, intermediate-, and large-ion concentrations and the air–earth current density along with simultaneous measurements of the concentration and size distribution of aerosol particles in the size ranges 4.4–163 nm and 0.5–20 μm diameter are reported for a drifting snow period after the occurrence of a blizzard at a coastal station, Maitri, Antarctica. Ion concentrations of all categories and the air–earth current simultaneously decrease by approximately an order of magnitude as the wind speed increases from 5 to 10 ms^− 1. The rate of decrease is the highest for large ions, lowest for small ions and in-between the two for intermediate ions. Total aerosol number concentration decreases in the 4.4–163 nm size range but increases in the 0.5–20 μm size range with wind speed. The size distribution of the nanometer particles shows a dominant maximum at ~ 30 nm diameter throughout the period of observations and the height of the maximum decreases with wind speed. However, larger particles show a maximum at ~ 0.7 μm diameter but the height of the maximum increases with increasing wind speed. The results are explained in terms of scavenging of atmospheric ions and aerosols by the drifting snow particles.     

A family of exact solutions of Einstein-Maxwell field equations in isotropic coordinates: an application to optimization of quark star mass

In the present paper, we have obtained a class of charged super dense star models, starting with a static spherically symmetric metric in isotropic coordinates for perfect fluid by considering Hajj-Boutros (in J. Math. Phys. 27:1363, 1986) type metric potential and a specific choice of electrical intensity which involves a parameter K. The resulting solutions represent charged fluid spheres joining smoothly with the Reissner-Nordstrom metric at the pressure free interface. The solutions so obtained are utilized to construct the models for super-dense star like neutron stars (ρ _b =2 and 2.7×10¹⁴ g/cm³) and Quark stars (ρ _b =4.6888×10¹⁴ g/cm³). Our solution is well behaved for all values of n satisfying the inequalities \(4 < n \le4(4 + \sqrt{2} )\) and K satisfying the inequalities 0≤K≤0.24988, depending upon the value of n. Corresponding to n=4.001 and K=0.24988, we observe that the maximum mass of quark star M=2.335M _⊙ and radius R=10.04 km. Further, this maximum mass limit of quark star is in the order of maximum mass of stable Strange Quark Star established by Dong et al. (in arXiv:1207.0429v3, 2013). The robustness of our results is that the models are alike with the recent discoveries.     

Solute dynamics of meltwater of Gangotri glacier,Garhwal Himalaya,India

The present study investigates solute dynamics of meltwater of Gangotri glacier system in terms of association of different chemical compounds with the geology of the area. In the meltwater, the presence of cations varied as c(Mg²⁺) > c(Ca²⁺) > c(Na⁺) > c(K⁺), while order of concentration of anions has been c(HCO₃ ⁻) > c(SO₄ ²⁻) > c(Cl⁻) > c(NO₃ ⁻) in years 2003 and 2004. The magnesium and calcium are found as the dominant cations along with bicarbonate and sulphate as dominant anions. The high ratios of c(Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)/total cations and c(Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)/c(Na⁺ + K⁺) indicate that the meltwater chemistry of the Gangotri glacier system catchment is mostly controlled by carbonate weathering. Attempts are made to develop rating curves for discharge and different cations. Sporadic rise in discharge without corresponding rise in concentration of most of cations is responsible for their loose correlation in a compound valley glacier like Gangotri glacier.     

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Conformally-flat metric representing a radiating fluid ball

We present a conformally-flat metric in general relativity representing the gravitational field of a spherically-symmetric material distribution-radiating energy in the form of photons and neutrinos. A particular case of the solution is discussed and the corresponding expressions for mass function, linear dimension, and the luminosity have been derived. The solution seems to be physically sound as it corresponds to positive expressions for fluid pressure, fluid density, and radiation flux density.     

Environmental geoinformaicts of fast growing Himalaya’s foothill towns and surrounding: concept and implementation

Himalaya foothill zone have fragile geo-environment due to active tectonics and dynamic hydrological process and its associated reshaped geomorphology. Rapid urbanization and development of new colonies leads to high rate of land use change and natural resource degradation since last three decades which has been accumulating the fragility of the area. Consequently entire Himalaya foothill zone requires a comprehensive local level geo-environmental appraisal for effective sustainable development planning of the region. Keep in view this; the Ramnagar Himalayan Foothill area (RHFA) in district Nainital, Uttarakhand (India) has been selected for the case illustration. The main objective of the study was to develop a GIS database on Ramnagar environmental geo-informatics (REGI) to facilitate all the concern line departments to implement their socioeconomic developmental activities in the most suitable and safe places throughout the study area. REGI suggests, although landscape of the study area have few favorable conditions for the inhabitant (i.e. maximum proportion (92 %) of the study area enjoys sub-tropical to sub-temperate climatic conditions, easy approachable, thick vegetation cover, rich water resources) but the active tectonics and dynamic hydrological process and its associated reshaped geomorphology poses a stressed geo-environment which need to be consider to formulate a decision support system (DSS) for sustainable development planning.     

An ocean-atmosphere index for ENSO and its relation to Indian monsoon rainfall

An Ocean-Atmosphere Index (OAI) for ENSO is developed using data on Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and sea surface temperature (SST) over eastern equatorial Pacific. Seasonal values of OAI, SOI and SST have been computed for the seasons September-October-November (SON), December-January-February (DJF), March-April-May (MAM) and June-July-August (JJA). Similarly SON to DJF, DJF to MAM, MAM to JJA and JJA to SON tendencies have been worked out for SOI, SST and OAI. The relationships between Indian Monsoon Rainfall (IMR) and SOI/SST/OAI, (i) for the seasons SON, DJF and MAM before and after the monsoon and JJA concurrent with the monsoon and (ii) for SON to DJF and DJF to MAM tendencies before and after the monsoon, and MAM to JJA tendency concurrent with the monsoon have been explored. It is found that IMR is more influenced by SOI before the monsoon than it is influenced by SST before the monsoon and IMR affects SST after monsoon more strongly than it affects SOI after the monsoon. It is also observed that DJF to MAM tendencies for SOI, SST and OAI before monsoon are significantly related to IMR, among which the relationship between IMR and DJF to MAM tendency for OAI is the best.