A Combination of Expert-Based System and Advanced Decision-Tree Algorithms to Predict Air-Overpressure Resulting from Quarry Blasting

Natural Resources Research - This study combined a fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) and two advanced decision-tree algorithms to predict air-overpressure (AOp) caused by mine blasting. The FDM was used...     

Brainstorming, Modified Logframes and the Conversion of Research Hypotheses into Field Questions: Reflections from Team-based Fieldwork in Eastern India

This paper considers some practical problems associated with organising large‐scale comparative field research in eastern India. The focus of the paper is on the use of brainstorming and “modified logframes” as two means by which hypotheses about the working of the local state from the point of view of the rural poor could be turned into concrete field questions. The paper is less concerned with ethical and positional issues relating to team‐based research in “the tropics” (on this, see Williams et al., 2003a) than with the equally important if apparently more prosaic issues relating to the flawed but necessary search for objectivity and rigour in comparative field studies.     

The geometry of the Burmese-Andaman subducting lithosphere

The gross seismotectonic features for the Burmese-Andaman arc system which defines the northeast margin of the Indian plate are rather well known but variations in the subduction zone geometry along and across the arc and fault pattern within the subducting Indian plate have not been studied. Present workaims to study these by using seismicity data whose results are presented in the form of: (a) Lithospheric across-the-arc sections at about every 100–120 km (approximately one degree latitude apart) covering the 3500 km longBurmese-Andaman arc system, (b) a structure contour map showing the depth tothe top surface of the seismically active lithosphere and (c) interpretationof focal mechanism solutions for 148 Benioff zone earthquakes. Both penetrationdepth and the dip of the Benioff zone vary considerably along the arc in correspondence to the curvature of the fold-thrust belt which varies from concave to convex in different sectors of the arc. Several extensive `Hinge faults' that abut at high angles to the arc orientation, are inferred from aninterpretation of the structure contour map. Active nature of the hinge faultsis established in several areas by their association with earthquakes andcorroborated through fault plane solutions. At shallow level of the Benioffzone along these faults, focal mechanism solutions display left lateral strikeslip movement while at deeper levels reverse fault solutions are common.     

A numerical and experimental study on tank wall influences in drag estimation

This study has been undertaken to quantify the tank wall effects on resistance estimation of ship models. Given the finite width of a tank, the flow around a ship model has been numerically modelled and the pressure and pressure related drag have been estimated.Since the model runs at speeds essentially in the laminar and transient speed range, an inviscid model has been chosen for obtaining the pressure drag component in the numerical studies. Grid dependency study has been done to optimize the mesh in the control volume for the numerical studies. An unstructured grid consisting of hexahedral cells has been used in the volume of fluid (VOF) model. The model chosen is a medium speed, ocean going barge and the residuary resistance has been obtained for different tank width conditions. The tank width has been defined using a non-dimensionalized parameter W/B (tank width W, model width B) ratio. The study shows that the residuary resistance obtained at W/B=5.0 is free from tank wall influence for the chosen model. The findings of the study have been compared by testing two geosim models under the same tank width conditions. The residuary resistance values have been compared with numerical results. The combined numerical experimental approach provides interesting results of consistency for comparison. The tank wall influences suggested by the numerical study are well quantified in the experimental study and give useful guideline for limiting wall influences.     

Analysis of seasonal and annual rainfall trends for Ranchi district,Jharkhand, India

The aim of this study was to investigate temporal variation in seasonal and annual rainfall trend over Ranchi district of Jharkhand, India for the period (1901–2014: 113 years). Mean monthly rainfall data series were used to determine the significance and magnitude of the trend using non-parametric Mann–Kendall and Sen’s slope estimator. The analysis showed a significant decreased in rainfall during annual, winter and southwest monsoon rainfall while increased in pre-monsoon and post-monsoon rainfall over the Ranchi district. A positive trend is detected in pre-monsoon and post-monsoon rainfall data series while annual, winter and southwest monsoon rainfall showed a negative trend. The maximum decrease in rainfall was found for monsoon (? 1.348 mm year^?1) and minimum (? 0.098 mm year^?1) during winter rainfall. The trend of post-monsoon rainfall was found upward (0.068 mm year^?1). The positive and negative trends of annual and seasonal rainfall were found statistically non-significant except monsoon rainfall at 5% level of significance. Rainfall variability pattern was calculated using coefficient of variation CV, %. Post-monsoon rainfall showed the maximum value of CV (70.80%), whereas annual rainfall exhibited the minimum value of CV (17.09%), respectively. In general, high variation of CV was found which showed that the entire region is very vulnerable to droughts and floods.     

Interstellar Medium and Star Formation Studies with the Square Kilometre Array

Stars and planetary systems are formed out of molecular clouds in the interstellar medium. Although the sequence of steps involved in star formation are generally known, a comprehensive theory which describes the details of the processes that drive formation of stars is still missing. The Square Kilometre Array (SKA), with its unprecedented sensitivity and angular resolution, will play a major role in filling these gaps in our understanding. In this article, we present a few science cases that the Indian star formation community is interested in pursuing with SKA, which include investigation of AU-sized structures in the neutral ISM, the origin of thermal and non-thermal radio jets from protostars and the accretion history of protostars, and formation of massive stars and their effect on the surrounding medium.     

India at crossroads for energy

As one of the fastest growing economies and further larger consumer of energy in the world,there has been a paradigm shift in India's energy demand.Here we evaluate the growth of Indian economy its,diversification of agriculture-based economy to industrial production,service and digital-technology based economy and deepening of income sources,although the dependence on foreign sources for energy demands has not markedly improved.This situation has placed India at the crossroads for energy sufficiency,especially under the highly fluid and changing geopolitical,strategic,environmental and economic scenarios of the World order.We attempt to un-derstand the issue from geological perspective and address some of the impediments.