TheH-functions of radiative transfer in an active amplifying medium

We obtain two explicit closed form representations of Chandrasekhar'sH-functionsH(z) characterising transfer of radiation in an active amplifying medium corresponding to the dispersion function $$T(z) = 1 - 2z^2 \int\limits_0^1 {Y(x)dx/(z^2 - x^2 ), Y(x)< 0 on [0, 1]} .$$ Their basic properties are derived and the values of theH-functionH(z, ω) whenY(x)=ω/2, are approximately computed for values of ω in the range (?10^?12)–(?10²) and for values ofzε[0, 1].     

Microbial mat-induced sedimentary structures in siliciclastic sediments: Examples from the 1.6 Ga Chorhat Sandstone, Vindhyan Supergroup, M.P., India

This paper addresses macroscopic signatures of microbial mat-related structures within the 1.6Ga-old Chorhat Sandstone of the Semri Group — the basal stratigraphic unit of the Vindhyan succession in Son valley. The Chorhat Sandstone broadly represents a prograding succession of three depositional facies ranging from shallow shelf to coastal margin with aeolian sandsheet. The mat-mediated structures were generated because of plastic or brittle deformation of sand, turned cohesive and even thixotropic because of microbial mat growth. Mat growth also favoured abundant preservation of structures that usually have low preservation potential. Prolific growth of microbial mat in the subtidal to intertidal zone of the Chorhat sea was facilitated due to lack of grazing and burrowing activities of organisms in the Precambrian. It further indicates low rate of sedimentation between the storms, as also attested by frequent superposition of storm-beds, even near the storm wave base. It also reduces erosion and that, in turn, would imply low sediment concentration in flows leading to development of bedforms that are likely to be smaller in size and isolated from each other in a single train in contrast to those that form in mat-free sands.     

Influence of a permanent low-friction boundary on rotation and flow in rigid inclusion/viscous matrix systems from an analogue perspective

Natural occurrences and recent experimental work show that a low-friction inclusion/matrix boundary can be responsible for antithetical rotation and development of stable shape preferred orientations in simple shear. The flow of a viscous matrix around a rigid inclusion to which it may or may not be adherent is still not well studied, but it is relevant to the understanding of the behaviour of structural elements in mylonite zones. We used two-dimensional (2-D) analogue experiments to address these issues. The experimental results with a permanent low-friction inclusion/matrix boundary (nonadherent mode) show the following. (1) The rotation behaviour of inclusions in this mode is markedly different from the theoretical predictions and experimental results for the adherent mode. (2) Inclusions with aspect ratio equal to 1 rotate synthetically at a rate that depends upon inclusion shape and orientation. (3) Ellipse-, rectangle- and lozenge-shaped inclusions rotate antithetically when starting with their greatest axis parallel to the shear direction. (4) Back rotation is limited in all cases studied, and the angle between the inclusion greatest axis and the shear direction represents a stable orientation, which depends on inclusion aspect ratio and shape. (5) A metastable orientation exists, which is strongly dependent upon inclusion shape and aspect ratio, and separates fields of antithetic and synthetic rotation.Our experimental results show that the overall flow pattern is bow tie-shaped in adherent and nonadherent modes. However, there are major differences in the way the matrix flows near the inclusion. (i) In the nonadherent mode, the nearby matrix flows past the inclusion, whereas in the adherent mode, the nearby matrix flows with and follows the inclusion. Therefore, in the adherent mode, passive marker lines parallel to the shear direction and streamlines show considerable deflections at the inclusion crests, in marked contrast with their straight character in the nonadherent mode. (ii) Stagnation points or closed flow lines near the inclusion were not observed in the nonadherent mode, which means that there is no closed separatrix around the inclusion in this mode, despite the fact that the overall flow shape is bow tie. (iii) In the adherent mode, the line of flow reversal is stable throughout deformation, but in the nonadherent mode, it changes position and orientation with progressive shearing. This shifting of the line of flow reversal can be an important factor controlling rotation behaviour in the nonadherent mode. (iv) In the nonadherent mode, the inclusion behaviour is similar to that observed in confined flow. (v) The flow pattern in the nonadherent mode provides an explanation for the observed lack of drag folds associated with small-scale rigid inclusions in mylonites.     

The 2020 Mw 5.5 Mizoram earthquake and associated swarm activity in the junction of the Surma Basin and Indo-Myanmar Subduction Region

Natural Hazards - Two Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods, Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN), are applied to Landslide Susceptibility Mapping (LSM), to compare...     

SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL CHANGES IN THE BRAHMAPUTRA RIVER BED

1 INTRODUCTION Originating in the Kanglung Kang Glacier near Konggya Tso Lake (Lat. 30°30' N - long. 82°10'E) at an altitude of 4,877 m and 63 km southeast of the Manasarowar Lake in the Kailash Range of the Great Himalayas, the Brahmaputra River flows …     

Moment Magnitude (M W) and Local Magnitude (M L) Relationship for Earthquakes in Northeast India

An attempt has been made to examine an empirical relationship between moment magnitude (M _W) and local magnitude (M _L) for the earthquakes in the northeast Indian region. Some 364 earthquakes that were recorded during 1950–2009 are used in this study. Focal mechanism solutions of these earthquakes include 189 Harvard-CMT solutions (M _W?≥?4.0) for the period 1976–2009, 61 published solutions and 114 solutions obtained for the local earthquakes (2.0?≤?M _L?≤?5.0) recorded by a 27-station permanent broadband network during 2001–2009 in the region. The M _W–M _L relationships in seven selected zones of the region are determined by linear regression analysis. A significant variation in the M _W–M _L relationship and its zone specific dependence are reported here. It is found that M _W is equivalent to M _L with an average uncertainty of about 0.13 magnitude units. A single relationship is, however, not adequate to scale the entire northeast Indian region because of heterogeneous geologic and geotectonic environments where earthquakes occur due to collisions, subduction and complex intra-plate tectonics.     

Constraining the prograde and retrograde P-T paths of granulites using decomposition of initially zoned garnets: an example from the Central Indian Tectonic Zone

The present study from the Sausar Mobile Belt (SMB) in the southern part of the Central Indian Tectonic zone (CITZ) demonstrates how microdomainal compositional variation of a single garnet porphyroblast in a metapelite granulite sample records the different segments of a near complete P-T path of metamorphic evolution. The microdomainal variation is ascribed to the preservation of growth zoning and heterogeneous distribution of diverse inclusion mineral assemblages. Subsequent mineral reactions under changing P/T conditions were controlled by this compositional heterogeneity. Four stages of metamorphic evolution have been deciphered. An early prograde stage (M_o) is implied by the rare presence of staurolite-biotite-quartz and in places of kyanite inclusion assemblages in other metapelite samples, together with the growth zoning preserved in garnet. The peak metamorphism (M₁) at ~9.5 kbar, ~850 °C is consistent with the biotite dehydration melting that produced garnet-K-feldspar and granitic leucosomes. This was followed by near isothermal decompression (M₂) at ~6 kbar, ~825 °C, during which different garnet segments behaved as separate microscale bulk compositions and decomposed both internally and externally to produce different retrograde mineral assemblages. In the quartz-bearing domain of almandine-rich and grossular-rich garnet core, grossular components in garnet reacted with included sillimanite and quartz to produce coronal plagioclase (X_An=0.90). By contrast, grossular-rich garnet in quartz-absent domain reacted with included sillimanite to produce layered spinel_ss {X_Mg (Mg/Mg+Fe²⁺) = 0.23–0.26}, X_Al (Al/Al+Fe³⁺)=0.71–0.81}-plagioclase (X_An=0.91)-cordierite {X_Mg (Mg/Mg+Fe²⁺) = 0.80–0.83} coronas both in the core and inner rim region of garnet. During post-decompression cooling, reactions occurred at about 600 °C (M₃), whereby quartz-bearing, sillimanite-absent microdomains of pyrope-rich, grossular-poor garnet outer rim decomposed to form relatively magnesian assemblages of cordierite-anthophyllite and cordierite-biotite-quartz. M₂ spinel_ss decomposed to polyphase domains of spinel-magnetite±högbomite at this stage. Collating the textural and geothermobarometric results, a clockwise P-T path has been deduced. The deduced P-T loop is consistent with a model of crustal thickening due to continental collision, followed by rapid vertical thinning, which appears to be the general feature of the Sausar Mobile Belt. Using model calculations of the preserved growth and diffusion zoning in garnet, we demonstrate rather short-lived nature of this collision orogeny (in the order of 40–60 Ma).Editorial responsibility: W. Schreyer     

Intertidal foraminifera in the macro-tidal estuaries of the Gulf of Cambay: Implications for interpreting sea-level change in palaeo-estuaries

The Gulf of Cambay is a macro-tidal estuarine embayment lying in an active monsoon zone characterized by a high annual sediment load. The present study examines the distribution of foraminifera in the Narmada and Tapti estuaries of the Gulf in order to use these as analogues for the study of palaeo-macro-tidal estuarine environments and as a means of recording the extent of sea-level change in estuarine settings. Foraminifera are widely distributed in sand flats, mud flats and marshes at the mouths of the estuaries. The overall foraminiferal assemblage is low diversity, comprising epifaunal and infaunal taxa dominated by Ammonia, Murrayinella, Haynesina, Quinqueloculina, Nonion, Cibicides, Cibicidoides, Elphidium, Trochammina and Miliammina. The triserial planktonic foraminifer Gallitellia vivans, an indicator of stressed and up-welling areas, is also recorded in the intertidal sediments of the estuaries. These foraminifera are carried into estuaries up to 50 km up the river mouths by the strong tidal currents in the bay. Three biofacies are recognized: Trochammina–Miliammina biofacies (high marsh); Murrayinella-Haynesina biofacies (low marsh and mud flats) and Ammonia-Elphidium-Quinqueloculina biofacies (shallow marine).     

Seismic induced soil gas radon anomalies observed at multiparametric geophysical observatory,Tezpur (Eastern Himalaya), India: an appraisal of probable model for earthquake forecasting based on peak of radon anomalies

Natural Hazards - We applied multiple linear regressions to scrutinize the maximum variability produced in soil gas radon (Rn-222) by pressure, temperature and rainfall. Statistical methodologies...