A Coupled Groundwater–Surface Water Modeling Framework for Simulating Transition Zone Processes

There is an identified need for fully representing groundwater–surface water transition zone (i.e., the sediment zone that connects groundwater and surface water) processes in modeling fate and transport of contaminants to assist with management of contaminated sediments. Most existing groundwater and surface water fate and transport models are not dynamically linked and do not consider transition zone processes such as bioturbation and deposition and erosion of sediments. An interface module is developed herein to holistically simulate the fate and transport by coupling two commonly used models, Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC) and SEAWAT, to simulate surface water and groundwater hydrodynamics, while providing an enhanced representation of the processes in the transition zone. Transition zone and surface water contaminant processes were represented through an enhanced version of the EFDC model, AQFATE. AQFATE also includes SEDZLJ, a state‐of‐the‐science surface water sediment transport model. The modeling framework was tested on a published test problem and applied to evaluate field‐scale two‐ and three‐dimensional contaminant transport. The model accurately simulated concentrations of salinity from a published test case. For the field‐scale applications, the model showed excellent mass balance closure for the transition zone and provided accurate simulations of all transition zone processes represented in the modeling framework. The model predictions for the two‐dimensional field case were consistent with site‐specific observations of contaminant migration. This modeling framework represents advancement in the simulation of transition zone processes and can help inform risk assessment at sites where contaminant sources from upland areas have the potential to impact sediments and surface water.     

Slopes in relation to lithotectonic variations,around Kud,Kashmir Himalaya

Analysis of slopes entails a convenient method of natural sub-division of the surface into units for which numerical data can be obtained, for the quantitative study. Main emphasis has been laid in the present work upon the importance of studying slopes in the context of drainage basins to investigate whether or not any significant relationship exists between slope and stream-basin characteristics of the drainage basins. The main slope types that are recognizable in the field are — the cliff, the concave slope, the convex slope, and the rectilinear slope.Nature of slopes appears to have effected the drainage system of the area, and the development of slopes appear to be controlled by litho-tectonic changes.     

Estimation of lateral force contribution of boundary elements in steel plate shear wall systems

Steel plate shear walls (SPSWs) are used as lateral force‐resisting systems in new and retrofitted structures in high‐seismic regions. Various international codes recommend the design of SPSWs assuming the entire lateral load to be resisted by the infill plates. Such a design procedure results in significant overstrength leading to uneconomical and inefficient use of materials. This study is focused on the estimation of contribution of boundary elements in resisting the lateral force considering their interaction with the web plates of SPSW systems. Initially, the relative contribution of web plates and boundary frames is computed for a single‐bay single‐story frame with varying rigidity and end connections of boundary elements. Nonlinear static analyses are carried out for the analytical models in OpenSees platform to quantify this contribution. Later, this study is extended to the code‐based designed three‐story, six‐story, and nine‐story SPSWs of varying aspect ratios. Based on the results obtained, a new design procedure is proposed taking the lateral strengths of the boundary frames into account. Nonlinear time‐history analyses are conducted for 40 recorded ground motions representing the design basis earthquake and maximum considered earthquake hazard levels to compare the interstory and residual drift response and yield mechanisms of SPSWs designed as per current practice and the proposed methodology. Finally, an expression has been proposed to predict the lateral force contribution of the infill plate and the boundary frame of SPSWs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Plant pathogen Protocolletotrichum from a Deccan intertrappean bed (Maastrichtian), India

A fossil fungus related to Colletotrichum Corda, which causes leaf spot and red rot in plants, was recovered from an intertrappean bed intersected by a well at Mohgaon-Kalan village, Chhindwara District, Madhya Pradesh. The intertrappean bed is sandwiched between the two basaltic flows and is dated as Maastrichtian on the basis of plant and animal fossils. Radiometric dating of the volcanic rocks yielded ages of 67.8–61.6 Ma. The specimens are preserved on a leaf cuticle and are named Protocolletotrichum deccanensis gen. et sp. nov. They are strongly constructed, 1–2 septate, dark brown setae, each with a slightly swollen base and pointed tip.     

Far infrared emission from galaxies

Until recently far infrared (FIR) observations of galaxies were limited to about a dozen bright and/or active galaxies. New photometric data has become available from Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) on 33 galaxies (most of them faint) from IRAS Circular Nos. 1, 2, and 3 The FIR spectra of these galaxies are similar. The far infrared fluxF _FIR in the wavelength interval 9–118 m of the brighter galaxies is seen to be correlated with the integrated optical magnitudeB _T ⁰ . The 12 and 25 m fluxes of these galaxies exhibit the same dependence onB _T ⁰ as the 10 and 21 m fluxes from Seyferts and other emission-line galaxies. This suggests that the galaxies detected by IRAS are some type of active galaxies in accord with the high percentage of these galaxies predicted by Lock and Rowan-Robinson (1983).     

C-O Isotope Analysis of Dolostone of Vempalle Formation in Dhone-Gudipadu-Korivipalle Sector,Western Part of Papaghni Sub-basin,Andhra Pradesh and Its Impact on Uranium Mineralization

Cuddapah basin is an important uranium province, wherein unconformity related uranium deposit occur in Srisailam sub-basin in northern part and the dolostone hosted strata bound uranium deposit in Vempalle dolostone in southern part. The latter host the low-grade, large-tonnage uranium deposit. Vempalle Formation in Dhone-Gudipadu-Korivipalle (DGK) sector, along western part of the Papaghni sub-basin consists of three major units viz. (a) lower dolostone, (b) middle purple shale and (c) upper cherty dolostone. The lower dolostone has lot of detritus, represented mainly by quartz, feldspar, mica and clay. The upper cherty dolostone has chert as layers, nodules, rip-up clasts and at places do have conspicuous reddish brown shale bands with <2mm size siliceous oolite layers. They exhibit shallowing-upward carbonate depositional system with tidal flat environment. A number of uranium occurrences in Gudipadu-Korivipalle sector are hosted by the lower dolostone unit, especially at its lower stratigraphic level, i.e. 15-42m above the Gulcheru-Vempalle (GV) contact. Micro-stylolites are indicative of comparatively more burial pressure. Presence of fenestral voids filled with recrystallised fibrous calcite and thin mud drapes in the dolostone is indicative of precipitation in a shallow marine-tidal flat environment with late burial dolomitisation. Depletion of heavier C and O isotopes [¹³C: (-2.31 to 1.32%) and ¹⁸O: (-6.21 to -17.3%)] in the lower dolostone indicate mixing of fresh water with sea water in the depositional environment of tidal flat regime     

Near infrared photometry of some RS CVn systems and candidates

Infrared observations in the J, H, and K bands were made on eleven RS CVn systems. Infrared (IR) excess 0.3 mag in the J, H, and K bands was observed from the three systems UX Ari, HR 1099 and CrB. Similar observations were also made on the RS CVn candidates HD 26354, 39937, 42449, 51268, and 86005.The IR excess in the RS CVn systems for which near infrared photometric data are available is found to be correlated with the maximum of optical wave amplitude of these systems.The observed excess cannot be explained on the basis of a single process such as: (i) emission from cool spots on the photosphere; (ii) free-free emission from an optically thin circumstellar plasma; or (iii) dust grain emission from circumstellar material.On leave from TIFR, Bombay, India.