Ultra-low-frequency (ULF) and total electron content (TEC) anomalies observed at Agra and their association with regional earthquakes

Employing a three-component search coil magnetometer (f = 0.01–30 Hz) the ultra-low-frequency (ULF) magnetic field observations have been taken in a noise free rural site at Bichpuri, Agra, India since 20 April 2007. We have analysed 7 months of night time data from 01 May to 30 November 2007. The data show seven occurrences of ULF bursts with periods ranging from a few minutes to an hour in a wide frequency range up to 15 Hz. The occurrence of such ULF bursts has been statistically analysed. The polarization parameter analysis shows that two of these bursts occurred from sources in the ionosphere and magnetosphere (Z/X < 1). It is further seen that four bursts correlated very well with some regional earthquakes (M > 4.5), which occurred at distances less than 628 km from the observation site at Agra. In some cases the bursts occurred 1–3 days prior to the main shocks.Since earthquakes are also known to perturb the ionosphere, we have analysed total electron content (TEC) data obtained from a GPS receiver stationed at Agra since June 2006. Analysis of the data for the same period as the magnetic field observations shows that there existed TEC anomalies on all the days when ULF bursts occurred. The TEC anomalies show enhancement and depletion in the data in all cases. While the mechanisms of the ULF and TEC anomalies are not well known, it is expected that the ULF bursts occurred due to microfracturing of the earth's crust during stress accumulation and that the TEC anomalies occurred as a result of the electric field induced in the ionosphere during such processes.     

Water quality of the Chhoti Gandak River using principal component analysis,Ganga Plain,India

Chhoti Gandak is a meandering river which originates in the terai area of the Ganga Plain and serves as a lifeline for the people of Deoria district, Uttar Pradesh. It travels a distance of about 250 km and drains into Ghaghara near Gothani, Siwan district of Bihar. It has been observed that people of this region suffer from water-borne health problems; therefore water samples were collected to analyse its quality along the entire length of Chhoti Gandak River.     

Hydrogeochemistry of groundwater and anthropogenic control over dolomitization reactions in alluvial sediments of the Deoria district: Ganga plain,India

Groundwater is a critical resource in Deoria district, as it is the main source of drinking water and irrigation. The aquifer has deteriorated to a high degree, during the last two to three decades, in quality and quantity due to high population growth and environmental pollution. More than 90% of the population get their drinking water from subsurface waters. Fifteen wells were sampled in June 2006 to probe the hydrogeochemical components that influence the water quality. The results show that groundwater have EC, TDS, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, HCO₃⁻ and TH higher than the WHO, 1997 maximum desirable limits. A hydrogeochemical numerical model for carbonate minerals was constructed using the PHREEQC package. The regression analysis shows that there are three groups of elements which are significantly and positively correlated. The main hydrochemical facies of the aquifer (Ca + Mg–HCO₃) represents 33.33% of the total wells. The geochemical modeling demonstrated that the reactions responsible for the hydrochemical evolution in the area fall into three categories: (1) dissolution of salts, (2) precipitation of dolomite, (3) ion exchange. Solubility of dolomite, calcite, aragonite and gypsum were assessed in terms of the saturation index. The thermodynamic prerequisites for dolomite supersaturation reactions are satisfied by subsurface waters, since they are supersaturated with respect to dolomite, undersaturated (or in equilibrium) with respect to calcite, and undersaturated with respect to gypsum. The Ca²⁺ versus SO₄²⁻ and Mg²⁺ versus SO₄²⁻ trends are also compatible with homologous trends resulting from dolomite supersaturation.     

The effect of pH of water and mineralogical properties on the slake durability (degradability) of different rocks from the Lesser Himalaya, India

Slake durability is an important geotechnical parameter and is a measure of degradability of rocks due to the process of mechanical and chemical breakdown. It is closely related to the mineralogical composition and the texture of the rocks. In this paper, mineralogical examination along with slake durability tests under variable pH conditions, both in acidic and alkaline environments, on the limestone, shale and siltsone were evaluated to understand the relationship between mineralogy and the degradability of rocks. The study revealed that rocks rich in calcium carbonate and or magnesium carbonate are adversely affected in the acidic environment, whereas, the rocks rich in quartz, feldspar and muscovite are independent of the pH of the slaking fluid, which in turn, is more influenced by the texture of the constituent minerals. It has also been observed that fine grained rocks are more susceptible to degrade in comparison to the coarse grained rocks.     

Satellite remote sensing in soil resource inventory of Dibrugarh district (part), Assam

Remote sensing techniques have been employed to identify and delineate soils in a part of Dibrugarh district of Assam. Landsat-4 MSS data in the form of FCC (4, 5, 7) were interpreted visually for physiographic analysis in conjunction with Survey of India topographic maps. Ground data were translated in terms of soils using composite interpretation map as base. The abstraction level attained was Families of Soil Taxonomy. Four major physiographic units were delineated, viz. active flood plain, recent alluvial plain, gently undulating old alluvial plain and gently sloping to undulating piedmont plain. Dominant soils identified are: coarse loamy Aeric Fluvaquents and fine loamy Typic Udifluvents in active flood plain; fine Typic Haplaquepts and fine loamy Aquic Dystrochrepts in recent alluvial plain; fine loamy Umbric Dystrochrepts and fine Ultic Hapludalfs in old alluvial plain; coarse loamy Typic Udorthents and fine Mollic Hapludalfs in piedmont plain.     

Geology of the area around Dharmsala,Kangra District,H. P., India

In the present paper an attempt has been made to describe the geology of the area around Dharmsala, Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh. The stratigraphic position of the problematic horizons, i. e., Dharmkot Limestone and Dharmsala Traps is discussed in detail.     

The Turkei anorthosite complex revisited

Geological investigation in recent years reveals that the anorthosite-leuconorite massif (81 sq km) is much larger than known from previous studies. The massif is bordered by a suite of garnetiferous felsic rocks comprising quartz monzonite gneiss, granite gneiss and megacrystic K-feldspar-bearing granite. Ferrodiorites, hitherto unknown from this area, occur as veins at the massif-felsic suite interface, and as rare apophyses within leuconorites at the massif margin. The massif and the bordering felsic rocks were presumably emplaced during the earliest of the three phases of folding documented by the metasedimentary gneisses that host the massif. The petrographic and geochemical characteristics suggest that the low-K anorthosite-leuconoriteferrodiorite suite does not share a common parentage with the bordering high-K felsic intrusives. The anorthosites and leuconorites were derived by polybaric fractionation of mantle-derived melts. The ferrodiorites are anorthosite residual melts that were not entirely segregated from the host solids. By contrast, the granite gneisses and granites originated by incongruent melting of crustal rocks. The chemical differences between quartz monzonite and granite gneisses point to their derivation from different crustal precursors.     

2012—2016年拉萨市热岛效应的时空分布及对土地利用/覆盖的响应

本文利用2012—2016年拉萨市8个自动气象观测站所采集的常规观测资料,结合2012和2016年Landsat8 TM影像数据对拉萨市土地利用类型分类,并且收集分析了拉萨市大量工、农业生产和居民生活等相关数据资料,评估了拉萨市热岛效应的时空分布特征及其与土地利用的关系。结果表明：拉萨市城市热岛的年、季节变化呈逐渐增强趋势;月变化呈现出“W”型的周期变化特征,城市热岛强度主要集中在冬季,其次是夏季,春秋季的热岛效应较弱;城市热岛的空间分布具有极不平衡性,总体表现为西南高,东北低,热岛区范围有所扩大,且热岛中心由经济开发区向南偏移至柳梧火车站,热岛低值范围一直位于税务林、拉鲁湿地附近。城市热岛强度与土地利用类型有较好的对应关系：市内开发区,建筑物密集、人为活动较多的地方有较高的热岛强度,林地、湿地对应的热岛强度较低。拉萨市热岛效应与人口密度、房屋建成面积和当年减少耕地面积成正相关性,与造林面积成负相关性,而与农业生产总值没有显著相关。     

Organic matter characterization of carbonaceous shales from Raniganj coalfields and its implications on depositional condition: A palynofacies and petrographic overview

The present work deals with the palaeoenvironment and depositional setting of the subsurface sediments from bore hole RT-4 of Tamra block from Raniganj coalfield of Damodar Basin, India. Nineteen shale samples were subjected to palynological and coal petrographical analyses. On the basis of botanical affinity between the miospores and the parent plants as well as the different plant groups, each coal plant assemblage was determined. The dominance of bisaccates such as Scheuringipollenites, Faunipollenites (=Protohaploxypinus), Striatopodocarpites and presence of monosaccates such as Densipollenites, Parasaccites reflect a peat forming community composed mainly of gymnosperms. Subordinate trilete spores derived from filicopsids (Cyclogranisporites, Horriditriletes, Brevitirletes, Callumispora, Microbaculsispora, Microfoveolatispora, Cyclobaculisporites), lycopsids (Indotriradites, Gondispoirtes and Didecitriletes) and sphenopsids (Laevigatosporites ) are less abundant occurring in variable proportions reflecting a hypautocthonous taphocenose. Presence of Botryococccus algae has been recorded. Palynofacies and petrographic analyses suggest deposition in open mires in a Limnic to limno-telmatic conditions with intermittent flooding of the site.     

Non-ideal mixing in the phlogopite-annite binary: constraints from experimental data on Mg−Fe partitioning and a reformulation of the biotite-garnet geothermometer

The existing experimental data [Ferry and Spear 1978; Perchuk and Lavrent'eva 1983] on Mg?Fe partitioning between garnet and biotite are disparate. The underlying assumption of ideal Mg?Fe exchange between the minerals has been examined on the basis of recently available thermochemical data. Using the updated mixing parameters for the pyrope-almandine asymmetric regular solution as inputs [Ganguly and Saxena 1984; Hackler and Wood 1984], thermodynamic analysis points to non-ideal mixing in the phlogopite-annite binary in the temperature range of 550°C–950°C. The non-ideality can be approximated by a temperature-independent, one constant Margules parameter. The retrieved values for enthalpy of mixing for Mg?Fe biotites and the standard state enthalpy and entropy changes of the exchange reaction were combined with existing thermochemical data on grossular-pyrope and grossular-almandine binaries to obtain geothermometric expressions for Mg?Fe fractionation between biotite and garnet. [T in K] $$\begin{gathered} {\text{T(HW) = [20286 + 0}}{\text{.0193P - \{ 2080(X}}_{{\text{Mg}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} {\text{)}}^{\text{2}} {\text{ - 6350(X}}_{{\text{Fe}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} {\text{)}}^{\text{2}} \hfill \\ {\text{ - 13807(X}}_{{\text{Ca}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} {\text{)(1 - X}}_{{\text{Mn}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} {\text{) + 8540(X}}_{{\text{Fe}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} {\text{)(X}}_{{\text{Mg}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} {\text{)(1 - X}}_{{\text{Mn}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} {\text{)}} \hfill \\ {\text{ + 4215(X}}_{{\text{Ca}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} {\text{)(X}}_{{\text{Mg}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} {\text{ - X}}_{{\text{Fe}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} {\text{)\} + 4441}}{{{\text{(2X}}_{{\text{Mg}}}^{{\text{Bt}}} {\text{ - 1)]}}} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{{\text{(2X}}_{{\text{Mg}}}^{{\text{Bt}}} {\text{ - 1)]}}} {{\text{[13}}{\text{.138}}}}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {{\text{[13}}{\text{.138}}}} \hfill \\ {\text{ + 8}}{\text{.3143 InK}}_{\text{D}} {\text{ + 6}}{\text{.276(X}}_{{\text{Ca}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} ){\text{(1 - X}}_{{\text{Mn}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} )] \hfill \\ {\text{T(GS) = [13538 + 0}}{\text{.0193P - \{ 837(X}}_{{\text{Mg}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} )^{\text{2}} {\text{ - 10460(X}}_{{\text{Fe}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} )^2 \hfill \\ {\text{ - 13807(X}}_{{\text{Ca}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} )(1{\text{ - X}}_{{\text{Mn}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} {\text{) + 19246(X}}_{{\text{Fe}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} ){\text{(X}}_{{\text{Mg}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} ){\text{(1 - X}}_{{\text{Mn}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} ) \hfill \\ {\text{ }}{{{\text{ + 5649(X}}_{{\text{Ca}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} ){\text{(X}}_{{\text{Mg}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} {\text{ - X}}_{{\text{Fe}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} ){\text{\} + 7972(2X}}_{{\text{Mg}}}^{{\text{Bt}}} {\text{ - 1)]}}} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{{\text{ + 5649(X}}_{{\text{Ca}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} ){\text{(X}}_{{\text{Mg}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} {\text{ - X}}_{{\text{Fe}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} ){\text{\} + 7972(2X}}_{{\text{Mg}}}^{{\text{Bt}}} {\text{ - 1)]}}} {{\text{[6}}{\text{.778}}}}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {{\text{[6}}{\text{.778}}}} \hfill \\ {\text{ + 8}}{\text{.3143InK}}_{\text{D}} {\text{ + 6}}{\text{.276(X}}_{{\text{Ca}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} )(1{\text{ - X}}_{{\text{Mn}}}^{{\text{Gt}}} )] \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ The reformulated geothermometer is an improvement over existing biotite-garnet geothermometers because it reconciles the experimental data sets on Fe?Mg partitioning between the two phases and is based on updated activity-composition relationship in Fe?Mg?Ca garnet solid solutions.