Crusting effects on erosion processes under simulated rainfall on a tropical Alfisol

Sealing and crusting of soil surfaces have dramatic effects on water infiltration into and runoff from soils, thereby greatly influencing erosion processes. This study focused on the effect of the initial stage of crusting on inter-rill erosion processes for a crust-prone Alfisol sampled from south-central India. Soil aggregates ranging from 2·4 to 8 mm collected from ploughed (PL) and naturally vegetated (NV) treatments were subjected to rainfall simulation under laboratory conditions. Runoff from PL soil aggregates was 2–2·5 times higher, while percolation was 20–100% lower, than for NV aggregates. Soil wash and splash losses were 0·5–3 times greater for PL than for NV soil. Runoff and inter-rill erosion were significantly higher during the wet simulation run compared with the dry run. The results indicated that NV soil aggregates were more resistant to breakdown from raindrop impact and slaking, and subject to less rapid sealing, than PL soil. Total soil loss was influenced most by initial aggregate stability and the extent of seal development. Splash and wash losses of soil both increased as a result of surface sealing regardless of soil condition for short (30–60 min) rainfall durations. High drying rates resulted in the highest crust bulk densities. Increased crust strength for PL soil compared with NV soil reflected the greater susceptibility of cultivated soil to surface sealing and crusting. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geologic weathering and its implications on the age of the sphinx

The Great Sphinx of Giza is considered by Egyptologists to have been excavated by the Pharaoh Kephren nearly 4500 years ago. Schoch and West (1991) have suggested that the Sphinx is much older, based primarily upon the rounded profile of the strata of the Sphinx thorax and the deep channels present in the walls surrounding the Sphinx ditch. These features, according to them, are due to “precipitation-induced weathering” formed when the Sahara still experienced a humid climate at least 7000 years ago. In this article we show how weathering in an arid environment can produce the rounded profile given the gradual change in lithology of the alternating hard and soft limestone strata. We show further that the channels are actually the pre-Pliocene karst features formed by underground water and exposed due to the excavation of the Sphinx ditch. We propose therefore that, for now, the Sphinx may still be regarded as of pharaonic origin. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Integration of satellite remote sensing and geophysical techniques (electrical resistivity tomography and ground penetrating radar) for landslide characterization at Kunjethi (Kalimath), Garhwal Himalaya,India

Natural Hazards - During the extreme precipitation event of 15th–17th June 2013 in Garhwal Himalaya, glacial lake outburst flooding accompanied by numerous landslides and flash flood events...     

Stochastic ground-motion simulation of two Himalayan earthquakes: seismic hazard assessment perspective

The earthquakes in Uttarkashi (October 20, 1991, M _w 6.8) and Chamoli (March 8, 1999, M _w 6.4) are among the recent well-documented earthquakes that occurred in the Garhwal region of India and that caused extensive damage as well as loss of life. Using strong-motion data of these two earthquakes, we estimate their source, path, and site parameters. The quality factor (Q _β ) as a function of frequency is derived as Q _β (f) = 140f ^1.018. The site amplification functions are evaluated using the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio technique. The ground motions of the Uttarkashi and Chamoli earthquakes are simulated using the stochastic method of Boore (Bull Seismol Soc Am 73:1865–1894, 1983). The estimated source, path, and site parameters are used as input for the simulation. The simulated time histories are generated for a few stations and compared with the observed data. The simulated response spectra at 5% damping are in fair agreement with the observed response spectra for most of the stations over a wide range of frequencies. Residual trends closely match the observed and simulated response spectra. The synthetic data are in rough agreement with the ground-motion attenuation equation available for the Himalayas (Sharma, Bull Seismol Soc Am 98:1063–1069, 1998).     

Circular restricted three-body problem when both the primaries are heterogeneous spheroid of three layers and infinitesimal body varies its mass

The circular restricted three-body problem, where two primaries are taken as heterogeneous oblate spheroid with three layers of different densities and infinitesimal body varies its mass according to the Jeans law, has been studied. The system of equations of motion have been evaluated by using the Jeans law and hence the Jacobi integral has been determined. With the help of system of equations of motion, we have plotted the equilibrium points in different planes (in-plane and out-of planes), zero velocity curves, regions of possible motion, surfaces (zero-velocity surfaces with projections and Poincaré surfaces of section) and the basins of convergence with the variation of mass parameter. Finally, we have examined the stability of the equilibrium points with the help of Meshcherskii space–time inverse transformation of the above said model and revealed that all the equilibrium points are unstable.     

Generalized Elliptic Restricted Four-Body Problem with Variable Mass

Astronomy Letters - The elliptic case of restricted four-body problem with variable mass of infinitesimal body is studied here. The three primary bodies which are placed at the vertices of an...     

Study of Ozone and NO2 over Gadanki – a rural site in South India

We have studied long-term changes in tropospheric NO₂ over South India using ground-based observations, and GOME and OMI satellite data. We have found that unlike urban regions, the region between Eastern and Western Ghat mountain ranges experiences statistically significant decreasing trend. There are few ground-based observatories to verify satellite based trends for rural regions. However, using a past study and recent measurements we show a statistically significant decrease in NO_X and O₃ mixing ratio over a rural location (Gadanki; 13.48° N, 79.18° E) in South India. In the ground-based records of surface NO_X, the concentration during 2010–11 is found to be lower by 0.9 ppbv which is nearly 60 % of the values observed during 1994–95. Small but statistically significant decrease in noon-time peak ozone concentration is also observed. Noon-time peak ozone concentration has decreased from 34?±?13 ppbv during 1993–96 to 30?±?15 ppbv during 2010–11. NO_X mixing ratios are very low over Gadanki. In spite of low NO_X values (0.5 to 2 ppbv during 2010–11), ozone mixing ratios are not significantly low compared to many cities with high NO_X. The monthly mean ozone mixing ratio varies from 9 ppbv to 37 ppbv with high values during Spring and low values during late Summer. Using a box-model, we show that presence of VOCs is also very important in addition to NO_X in determining ozone levels in rural environment and to explain its seasonal cycle.     

Near-surface study of a hot spring site in Fiji

A geophysical investigation of a hot spring system located in Rabulu, Fiji, was carried out from October 2014 to March 2015. The investigation covered a survey area of 6075 m². Self-potential (SP), ground temperature and soil carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations were measured and investigated for their distribution characteristics and inter-linkages. Results indicated obvious anomalous zone at the hot spring discharge site. The SP profile analysis highlighted thermal water upwelling zones and elevation-driven subsurface groundwater pathways. Measurement of subsurface temperatures up to 1 m depths revealed increasing temperatures, indicating potentially high thermal gradients in the area. Surface soil CO₂ distributions also agreed with SP and ground temperature results. The overall result of the study demonstrated that synchronised measurements of SP, ground temperature and soil CO₂ can be instrumental in identifying anomalous zones near the hot spring sites. Other parameters such as spring water temperature, discharge rate and energy flux estimates from the spring were calculated and analysed. The high-dense multi-parameter data coverage allowed interpretation of geothermal features at a scale never conducted in Fiji before. The near-surface investigations reported in this study corroborate previously suggested steady geothermal activity in the region, deserving further detailed investigation.     

Plant species diversity along an altitudinal gradient of Bhabha Valley in western Himalaya

The present study highlights the rich species diversity of higher plants in the Bhabha Valley of western Himalaya in India. The analysis of species diversity revealed that a total of 313 species of higher plants inhabit the valley with a characteristic of moist alpine shrub vegetation. The herbaceous life forms dominate and increase with increasing altitude. The major representations are from the families Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Lamiaceae and Poaceae, suggesting thereby the alpine meadow nature of the study area. The effect of altitude on species diversity displays a hump-shaped curve which may be attributed to increase in habitat diversity at the median ranges and relatively less habitat diversity at higher altitudes. The anthropogenic pressure at lower altitudes results in low plant diversity towards the bottom of the valley with most of the species being exotic in nature. Though the plant diversity is less at higher altitudinal ranges, the uniqueness is relatively high with high species replacement rates. More than 90 % of variability in the species diversity could be explained using appropriate quantitative and statistical analysis along the altitudinal gradient. The valley harbours 18 threatened and 41 endemic species, most of which occur at higher altitudinal gradients due to habitat specificity.