Garnet-clinopyroxene geothermometer

A garnet-clinopyroxene geothermometer based on the available experimental data on compositions of coexisting phases in the system MgO-FeO-MnO-Al₂O₃-Na₂O-SiO₂ is as follows: $$T({\text{}}K) = \frac{{8288 + 0.0276 P {\text{(bar)}} + Q1 - Q2}}{{1.987 \ln K_{\text{D}} + 2.4083}}$$ where P is pressure, and Q1, Q2, and K _D are given by the following equations $$Q1 = 2,710{\text{(}}X_{{\text{Fe}}} - X_{{\text{Mg}}} {\text{)}} + 3,150{\text{ }}X_{{\text{Ca}}} + 2,600{\text{ }}X_{{\text{Mn}}} $$ (mole fractions in garnet) $$\begin{gathered}Q2 = - 6,594[X_{{\text{Fe}}} {\text{(}}X_{{\text{Fe}}} - 2X_{{\text{Mg}}} {\text{)]}} \hfill \\{\text{ }} - 12762{\text{ [}}X_{{\text{Fe}}} - X_{{\text{Mg}}} (1 - X_{{\text{Fe}}} {\text{)]}} \hfill \\{\text{ }} - 11,281[X_{{\text{Ca}}} (1 - X_{{\text{Al}}} ) - 2X_{{\text{Mg}}} 2X_{{\text{Ca}}} ] \hfill \\{\text{ + 6137[}}X_{{\text{Ca}}} (2X_{{\text{Mg}}} + X_{{\text{Al}}} )] \hfill \\{\text{ + 35,791[}}X_{{\text{Al}}} (1 - 2X_{{\text{Mg}}} )] \hfill \\{\text{ + 25,409[(}}X_{{\text{Ca}}} )^2 ] - 55,137[X_{{\text{Ca}}} (X_{{\text{Mg}}} - X_{{\text{Fe}}} )] \hfill \\{\text{ }} - 11,338[X_{{\text{Al}}} (X_{{\text{Fe}}} - X_{{\text{Mg}}} )] \hfill \\\end{gathered} $$ [mole fractions in clinopyroxene Mg = MgSiO₃, Fe = FeSiO₃, Ca = CaSiO₃, Al = (Al₂O₃-Na₂O)] K _D = (Fe/Mg) in garnet/(Fe/Mg) in clinopyroxene. Mn and Cr in clinopyroxene, when present in small concentrations are added to Fe and Al respectively. Fe is total Fe²⁺+Fe³⁺.     

Study of morphogenetic characteristics of surgad catchments for watershed management

The problem of surveying watersheds for strategic planning in the Himalayan terrain has attracted the attention of the land surveyors recently. A small watershed in Surgad Catchment has been surveyed to select various parameters that determine soil loss, which can be studied using aerial photo-interpretation technique with a view to watershed management. Soil, slope, landuse and micro climatic factors have been used to delineate different morphogenetic categories. The result shows that on steeper slopes, well developed soils are found which indicates a high tolerance limits of these soils. In Himalayan terrain soils and vegetation are therefore, better indices of sediment losses than slopes. Small scale aerial photographs can be successfully used to judge the tolerance limits of soils in Himalayan terrain.     

Terrain analysis of Panna District,Bundelkhand, Madhya Pradesh,using LANDSAT imagery

Visual interpretation of LANDSAT imagery in bands 6 and 7 covering Panna district, Bundelkhand, Madhya Pradesh was carried out for terrain analysis and present land use. The physiographic units viz. hills and hill ranges, escarpments, ridges, table-land, pediment, piedmont plain and sub-units of second order were identified and delineated using inter pretation elements. Area of each unit and sub-unit is calculated and presented in the table showing extent, tone, texture, shape and land use. Land use in relation to physiographic units is also described in the paper and shown in the form of small scale map. Visual interpretation technique helps in broad terrain analysis on scale 1:1 million. This information could be used for making a rapid resource inventory.     

High temperature phase equilibria in a solar-composition gas

Using recent additions to thermochemical data on minerals and information on their solid solution behavior, new equilibrium phase diagrams have been computed in a system of solar gas composition (Si, Al, Mg, Ca, Fe, Ni, Ti, Na, K, C, H, O, S, N) in the pressure and temperature ranges of 1 to 10^?6 bar and 1153 to 1773 K respectively. These calculations show that Fe-Ni alloy condenses before all silicates included here (except melilite) down to a pressure of 2 · 10^?4 bar below which plagioclase and clinopyroxene condense first. Orthopyroxene condenses next followed by ilmenite. Pressure-temperature variation of the chemical composition of melilite, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, metal alloy and plagioclase may be used for cosmothermometry and cosmobarometry for equilibrium assemblages.The major transition from the refractory oxides and melilite (the meteorite ‘inclusion assemblage’) to an assemblage of Fe-Ni alloy, olivine, plagioclase and pyroxenes (‘planet-forming’) takes place within a narrow interval of pressure and temperature. Small fluctuations of either pressure or temperature across this narrow region result in drastic changes in types and modes of minerals, which may explain the wide mineralogical varieties of meteorites.     

Assessment of groundwater pollution due to tannery industries in and around Dindigul, Tamilnadu, India

The overexploitation of groundwater in some parts of the country induces water quality degradation. The untreated industrial effluents discharged on the surface causes severe groundwater pollution in the industrial belt of the country. This poses a problem of supply of hazard free drinking water in the rural parts of the country. There are about 80 tanneries operating in and around Dindigul town in upper Kodaganar river basin, Tamilnadu, India. The untreated effluents from the tanneries have considerably affected the quality of groundwater in this area. To assess the extent of groundwater deterioration, a detailed analysis of groundwater quality data has been carried out. The concentration of cations such as Calcium (Ca²⁺), Magnesium (Mg²⁺), Sodium (Na⁺) and Potassium (K⁺), and anions such as Bicarbonate (HCO₃^–), Sulphate (SO₄^2–), Chloride (Cl^–) and Nitrate (NO₃^–) in the groundwater have been studied. Apart from these constituents, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solid and total hardness (TH as CaCO₃) were also studied. The correlation of these constituents with the EC has been carried out. The highest correlation is observed between EC and chloride with a correlation coefficient of 0.99. Progressive reduction in correlation coefficients for Mg²⁺, (Na⁺ + K⁺), Ca²⁺ and SO₄^2– are observed as 0.91, 0.87, 0.86 and 0.56, respectively. It is found that the quality of groundwater in the area under investigation is deteriorated mainly due to extensive use of salt in the leather industries.     

Application of GIS for land-use/land-cover change analysis in a mountainous terrain

Integration of remote sensing data with other spatial/non-spatial data was carried out using ARC/INFO software package. A simple classification technique was adopted for land cover/land-use change analyses in relation to elevation, slope, aspect and bio-climatic classes. Suitability assessment of land where agricultural extension occurred between 1963 and 1993 was made using GIS software package. Expansion of agriculture and was found to be maximum in 2200-2400 m elevation zone and 20–30° slope classes. When topographic aspects were considered expansion was maximum on south east and west facing slopes. The loss of vegetal cover is estimated to be 15 per cent between 1963–1993. However regeneration of forest was found to be maximum in elevation ranges of 1600–2000 metre and mostly having 20–30° average slope, Land deterioration over the two mapping periods was identified and strategies were suggested to mitigate the problem.     

Physiography of the tons basin,Western Himalaya

Landsat RBV imagery on 1:500,000 was interpreted to prepare small scale physiography map of the part of the Tons basin. Aerial photographs on 1:60,000 to 1:80,000 scale were interpreted to prepare medium scale physiography map of the basin. The basin has been sub-divided into three physiographic regions viz. High to very high mountains constituting of glaciated and temperate high mountains; Low to moderately high mountains and very low maountains. The physiographic regions have been further sub-divided based on landforms, slope and dissection index. The major physiographic units are summits, repose slopes, serrated ridges with horn/arates; mountain and valley glaciers, morains, solufluction terraces, intrenched incised river valleys, engrown valleys, alluvial terraces, rocky slopes/cliffs and debris.     

A thermochemical data base for phase equilibria in the system Fe-Mg-Si-O at high pressure and temperature

A thermochemical data base for phases in the system Fe-Mg-Si-O at high pressures up to 300 kbar is established by supplementing the available calorimetric data with data calculated from experimental high pressure synthesis studies. Phases included in the data base are the SiO₂ polymorphs, rock salt solid solutions (Fe-Mg-O), Fe₂O₃, Fe₃O₄, (Mg, Fe)₂SiO₄ olivine, spinel, modified spinel and (Mg, Fe)SiO₃ perovskite and pyroxene. Phases not included are the MgSiO₃-ilmenite and -garnet. Fe-Mg solution properties of olivine, spinel, perovskite and wustite (rock salt) are estimated. The wüstite solid solution has been modeled as a nonideal solution of three end members; FeO, FeO_1.5 and MgO. The new data base is made consistent with most of the available information on high pressure phase studies. The data base is useful in generating phase diagrams of various different compositions for the purpose of planning new experiments and analysing existing phase synthesis data.     

Evaluation of reservoir temperatures and local utilization of geothermal waters of the Konkan Coast, India

Geochemical studies on fifteen geothermal manifestations (38–70°C) from the Konkan coast geothermal province of India have been used to evaluate the reservoir temperatures. Activity studies of the minerals and the waters present in the reservoirs suggest that the thermal waters are in equilibrium with montmorillonite, kaolinite and quartz at about 100°C. Reservoir temperatures of these geothermal systems as estimated by geochemical thermometers, are 88 to 128°C, and thus too low for economic electricity production.