Lake sedimentary processes and vegetation changes over the last 45k cal a bp in the uplands of south-eastern Amazonia

This study addresses paleoclimate influences in a southern Amazonia ecotone based on multiproxy records from lakes of the Carajás region during the last 45k cal a bp. Wet and cool environmental conditions marked the initial deposition in shallow depressions with detrital sediments and high weathering rates until 40k cal a bp. Concomitantly, forest and C3 canga plants, along with cool-adapted taxa, developed; however, short drier episodes enabled expansion of C4 plants and diagenetic formation of siderite. A massive event of siderite formation occurred approximately 30k cal a bp under strong drier conditions. Afterwards, wet and cool environmental conditions returned and persisted until the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The LGM was marked by lake-level lowstands and subaerial exposure. The transition from the LGM to the Holocene is marked by the onset of oscillations in temperature and humidity, with an expansion of forest and canga plants. Cool taxa were present for the last time in the Carajás region ~ 9.5–9k cal a bp. After 10k cal a bp , shallow lakes became upland swamps due to natural infilling processes, but the current vegetation types and structures of the plateaus were acquired only after 3k cal a bp under wetter climatic conditions.     

Geochemistry of sedimentary rocks from Permian–Triassic boundary sections of Tethys Himalaya: implications for paleo-weathering,provenance, and tectonic setting

The geochemical characteristics of two sections—the Permian–Triassic boundary (PTB) Guryul Ravine section, Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Kashmir, India; and the Attargoo section, Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India—have been studied in the context of provenance, paleo-weathering, and plate tectonic setting. These sections represent the siliciclastic sedimentary sequence from the Tethys Himalaya. The PTB siliciclastic sedimentary sequence in these regions primarily consists of sandstones and shales with variable thickness. Present studied sandstones and shales of both sections had chemical index of alteration values between 65 and 74; such values reveal low-to-moderate degree of chemical weathering. The chemical index of weathering in studied samples ranged from 71 to 94, suggesting a minor K-metasomatism effect on these samples. Plagioclase index of alteration in studied sections ranged from 68 to 92, indicating a moderate degree of weathering of plagioclase feldspars. The provenance discriminant function diagram suggests that the detritus involved in the formation of present studied siliciclastic sedimentary rocks fall in quartzose sedimentary and felsic igneous provenances. These sediments were deposited in a passive continental margin plate tectonic setting according to their location on a Si₂O versus K₂O/Na₂O tectonic setting diagram.     

Hydrologic and hydrogeologic analyses of an alluvial aquifer underlying Kushabhadra-Bhargavi River basin,Odisha, India

This paper deals with the analysis of groundwater condition in an alluvial aquifer system underlying Kushabhadra-Bhargavi River basin of Odisha, India. The rainfall data and river-stage data of the Kushabhadra River were analyzed for the periods of 1995–2009 and 1991–2010, respectively. Using the available lithologic data, geologic profiles along North-South and East-West sections were prepared and stratigraphy analysis was performed to characterize aquifers and confining layers present in the river basin. The results of stratigraphic analyses indicated that a two-layered aquifer system consisting of an unconfined aquifer and a confined aquifer exists in the study area. The thickness of unconfined aquifer varies from 3.4 to 46.5 m, whereas that of confined aquifer varies from 3.1 to 80.3 m over the basin with an interconnecting confining layer of thickness ranging from 2.1 to 60.0 m. The rainfall-groundwater dynamics and hydraulic connectivity were also investigated for gaining insights into groundwater characteristics. The analysis of groundwater levels indicated that the correlation among the 14 sites is better for most pairs of the sites (r = 0.50 to 0.96) in case of pre-monsoon season’s data and annual data as compared to monsoon and post-monsoon season’s data. This indicates good hydraulic connectivity among the observed sites in the study area. The significant seasonal groundwater fluctuations in the study area indicate appreciable recharge to the aquifer during the monsoon season. The findings obtained and insights gained from this study can be helpful for the water managers and decision makers to understand groundwater dynamics for the efficient planning and management of vital groundwater resources in the region. It is recommended that groundwater monitoring should be continued at more sites to understand long-term spatio-temporal characteristics of groundwater in the study area.     

Using spatial statistics to identify the uranium hotspot in groundwater in the mid-eastern Gangetic plain,India

The occurrence of uranium in groundwater is of particular interest due to its toxicological and radiological properties. It has been considered as a relevant contaminant for drinking water even at a low concentration. Uranium is a ubiquitously occurring radionuclide in the environment. Four hundred and fifty-six (456) groundwater samples from different locations of five districts of South Bihar (SB) were collected and concentrations of uranium (U) were analyzed using a light-emitting diode (LED) fluorimetric technique. Uranium concentrations in groundwater samples varied from 0.1 µg l^?1 to 238.2 µg l^?1 with an average value of 12.3 µg l^?1 in five districts of Bihar in the mid-eastern Gangetic plain. This study used hot spot spatial statistics to identify the distribution of elevated uranium concentration in groundwater. The hypothesis whether spatial distribution of high value and low value of U is more likely spatially clustered due to random process near a uranium hotspot in groundwater was tested based on z score and Getis-Ord Gi* statistics. The method implemented in this study, can be utilized in the field of risk assessment and decision making to locate potential areas of contamination.