Discovery of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Elephas</Emphasis> cf. <Emphasis Type="Italic">namadicus</Emphasis> from the late Pleistocene strata of Marginal Ganga Plain

We describe an elephant skull recovered from a cliff section of Dhasan river of Marginal Ganga Plain. The dental morphology and cranial features of the skull have been compared with the known species of Elephas from the Indian subcontinent. Although it shows very near resemblance to Elephas namadicus, but being an isolated specimen its specific identity cannot be proclaimed with certainty. As such, the specimen is provisionally referred as E. cf. namadicus. The Optically Stimulated Luminescence ages place this find at ~56 ka BP. This is the first chronologically well constrained report of E. cf. namadicus from the Ganga Plain.     

Reliability Analysis of Quick Sand Condition

First order reliability method (FORM) is generally used for reliability analysis in geotechnical engineering. This article adopts generalized regression neural network (GRNN) based FORM, Gaussian process regression (GPR) based FORM and multivariate adaptive regression spline (MARS) based FORM for reliability analysis of quick sand condition. GRNN is related to the radial basis function (RBF) network. GPR is developed based on probabilistic framework. MARS is a nonparametric regression technique. A comparative study has been carried out between the developed models. The performance of GPR based FORM and MARS based FORM match well with the FORM. This article gives the alternative methods for reliability analysis of quick sand condition.     

An innovative artificial recharge system to enhance groundwater storage in basaltic terrain: example from Maharashtra,India

The management of groundwater poses challenges in basaltic terrain as its availability is not uniform due to the absence of primary porosity. Indiscriminate excessive withdrawal from shallow as well as deep aquifers for meeting increased demand can be higher than natural recharge, causing imbalance in demand and supply and leading to a scarcity condition. An innovative artificial recharge system has been conceived and implemented to augment the groundwater sources at the villages of Saoli and Sastabad in Wardha district of Maharashtra, India. The scheme involves resectioning of a stream bed to achieve a reverse gradient, building a subsurface dam to arrest subsurface flow, and installation of recharge shafts to recharge the deeper aquifers. The paper focuses on analysis of hydrogeological parameters like porosity, specific yield and transmissivity, and on temporal groundwater status. Results indicate that after the construction of the artificial recharge system, a rise of 0.8–2.8 m was recorded in the pre- and post-monsoon groundwater levels in 12 dug wells in the study area; an increase in the yield was also noticed which solved the drinking water and irrigation problems. Spatial analysis was performed using a geographic information system to demarcate the area of influence of the recharge system due to increase in yields of the wells. The study demonstrates efficacy, technical viability and applicability of an innovative artificial recharge system constructed in an area of basaltic terrain prone to water scarcity.     

Epoch determination for neural network by self-organized map (SOM)

Artificial neural networks have a wide application in many areas of science and engineering and, particularly, in geotechnical problems with some degree of success due to the fact that the mechanical behavior of rocks are not salient. They are highly nonlinear, quite complex and complicated. While applying neural network in such complicated problems, epoch determination is based on hit-and-trail basis mainly. In this paper, the effect of different number of epochs is shown on the network and a method is proposed to determine the optimum number of epoch with the help of self-organized map (SOM) to avoid overtraining of the network. Data distribution is also done with the help of SOM and a statistical analysis is made to show consistency between training and testing dataset for ensuring the optimal model performance.     

An assessment of Dungale landslide using remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS), ground penetration radar (GPR), and Slide & RS2 Softwares

Natural Hazards - In the present study, slope stability analysis was done using limit equilibrium method and finite element method of the Dungale landslide situated in the NW Himalaya along Tons...     

A Semi-Empirical Approach for Rockfall Prediction Along the Lengpui-Aizawl Highway Mizoram,India

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - The Lengpui-Aizawl highway in the Northeastern part of India has witnessed several rockfall events in the past decades. This is the only highway that...