The Chandrayaan-1 X-ray Spectrometer: First results

We present X-ray fluorescence observations of the lunar surface, made by the Chandrayaan-1 X-ray Spectrometer during two solar flare events early in the mission (12th December 2008 and 10th January 2009). Modelling of the X-ray spectra with an abundance algorithm allows quantitative estimates of the MgO/SiO₂ and Al₂O₃/SiO₂ ratios to be made for the two regions, which are in mainly basaltic areas of the lunar nearside. One of these ground tracks includes the Apollo 14 landing site on the Fra Mauro Formation. Within the 1σ errors provided, the results are inside the range of basaltic samples from the Apollo and Luna collections. The Apollo 14 soil composition is in agreement with the results from the January flare at the 1σ uncertainty level. Discrepancies are observed between our results and compositions derived for the same areas by the Lunar Prospector gamma-ray spectrometer; some possible reasons for this are discussed.     

科西河跨境流域水旱灾害与防治

科西河流域是恒河的一个重要支流,地跨中国、尼泊尔和印度3个国家,流域面积7.15万km2,流域具有世界上最大的高差(从海拔8 848 m的珠穆朗玛峰到海拔60 m的恒河平原),最为完整的气候、土壤和植被带谱。流域发育有罕见的多类型水旱灾害,主要有冰湖溃决、洪水、干旱、水土流失等。通过实地调查这一代表性跨界流域的水文、气象、地质、地貌、土壤植被和区域社会经济等基本特征并结合已有的研究资料,揭示流域冰湖溃决、洪水、干旱等水旱灾害的特征和时空发育规律。流域冰湖溃决灾害集中于科西河流域上级支流,灾害损失巨大,并由于溃决洪水的侵蚀,沿途链状滑坡泥石流灾害发育;洪水灾害主要集中于流域下游,在相对较高标准的防洪体系中,洪水灾害是自然因素和人为因素相结合产生的,并造成流域水土流失严重;干旱灾害范围大,年内持续时间长,并且由于人口增加和生态退化进一步严重化。最后,依据流域水旱灾害特点,提出一系列减灾策略与措施。     

High-pressure phase of natural fullerene C60 in iridium-rich Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary layers of Deccan intertrappean deposits, Anjar, Kutch, India

We report here for the first time the presence of the natural, toluene-soluble C₆₀ and the toluene-insoluble high-pressure and temperature phase of fullerene C₆₀ in the carbonaceous matter extracted from the iridium-rich layers of the intertrappean sediments of Anjar, India. The toluene-insoluble form of fullerene is formed at high-temperature and pressure (HPT) and is distinguished from normal fullerene by UV-visible and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic techniques. The C₆₀ fullerene has been identified by high-resolution electron-impact ionization mass spectrometric analysis, as well as by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), UV-visible, and ¹³C-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In iridium-poor horizons of this section, fullerenes are absent, but complex hydrocarbons are sometimes present. The FT-IR spectroscopic studies on the insoluble fullerenes show strong absorption peaks at about 740 and 509 cm⁻¹ and a number of weak peaks at 1380, 1300, 1205, 1120, 1000, 608, 554, and 441 cm⁻¹, which are characteristic of a high-pressure and temperature C₆₀ fullerene. The UV-visible spectra of the toluene-soluble fullerene, as well as the insoluble fullerene, show strong absorption bands at 270 and 348 nm, which are characteristic of pristine fullerene C₆₀. The toluene-insoluble carbon-rich residue shows additional absorption bands at 710, 640, and 395 nm. These UV-visible bands independently confirm the presence of the high-pressure-temperature (HPT) phase of fullerene C₆₀. Conditions of high-pressure and temperature required for formation of the HPT fullerene phase can be created by an energetic impact event. Therefore, the presence of HPT fullerene in the KT boundary layer at Anjar is linked to the impact event at the KT transition.     

Rodent fossils from Dharmsala Group in Himachal Pradesh: Addition to pre-Siwalik Himalayan Miocene fauna

While constraining Cenozoic evolution of the Himalaya through enlightening fossils we find that Dharmsala Group (intervening Subathu Group and Siwalik Group) in Kangra Valley and adjoining coevals yield sporadic fossils. Hence, this first record of fossil rodents from Dharmsala Group is an important addition to an earlier report of dinothere from these horizons. The rodent material from grey facies of the Dharmsala Group comprises of an isolated premolar and fragments of a tooth and an incisor. Available crown details in conjunction with distinctive dimensions of the premolar lead to its assignment to Hodsahibia, a baluchimyine taxon; this taxon of Eocene lineage of south Asian-African distribution is already on record from early Oligocene horizons in Bugti area, Pakistan.     

Zircon U‐Pb/Lu‐Hf and monazite chemical dating of the Tirodi biotite gneiss: implication for latest Palaeoproterozoic to Early Mesoproterozoic orogenesis in the Central Indian Tectonic Zone

In this investigation, we reconstruct the latest Palaeoproterozoic to Early Mesoproterozoic orogenic events along the southern margin of the Central Indian Tectonic Zone (CITZ), using sensitive high resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U‐Pb zircon dating and Lu‐Hf isotope analyses of zircon and Th‐U‐Pb chemical dating of monazite from samples of the Tirodi biotite gneiss (TBG) unit in the Sausar Mobile Belt (SMB), the latter constituting the southernmost litho‐tectonic component of the CITZ. U‐Pb zircon dating of one migmatitic gneiss sample from the type locality of the Tirodi biotite gneiss in the northern domain of the SMB has yielded an age of 1618 ± 8 Ma, which is considered to be the time of magmatic crystallization of its protolith. Combined U‐Pb zircon and monazite chemical dating of two granite gneiss samples from the southern domain of the SMB broadly constrain magmatic crystallization between 1603 ± 23 Ma and 1584 ± 17 Ma and an overprinting metamorphic recrystallization event at 1572 ± 7 Ma. Monazites from the granite gneiss samples also record a terminal metamorphic event at 1415 ± 23 Ma. Lu‐Hf isotopic analyses of zircons reveal fundamentally different source rock reservoirs for the protoliths of these magmatic rocks across the SMB. While the type TBG from the northern domain was derived from an Early Palaeoproterozoic source T(Hf) from 2093 to 2523 Ma, with a mean value at 2379 Ma) of essentially juvenile material with minor crustal components (εHf(t) from −3.3 to + 3.7), the granite from the southern domain had a mature crustal source (εHf(t) from −12.5 to −21.9) of Palaeoarchaean age T(Hf) from 3051 to 3630 Ma, with a mean value at 3218 Ma). When integrated with metamorphic information previously obtained from the 1.6 Ga ultra‐high temperature granulite facies metamorphic event in the SMB, the discrete magmatic and metamorphic events between 1.62/1.60 Ga and 1.42 Ga can be correlated with the formation of an Early Mesoproterozoic accretionary orogen in the CITZ. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Strain localization in soft rock—a typical rate‐dependent solid: experimental and numerical studies

Strain localization developing inside soft rock specimens is examined through experimental observation and numerical simulation. In the experimental study, soft rock specimens are sheared at different strain rates under plane strain conditions and deformation and strain localization characteristics are analysed. Transition of localization mode from highly localized mode for higher strain rate to distributed and diffused mode of strain localization for lower strain rates was observed. In the numerical study, simulations of plane strain compression tests are carried out at different strain rates by using an overstressed‐type elasto‐viscoplastic model in finite element computations. The role of strain rates on setting gradients of strain fields across shear band is clarified. The probable mechanism for transition of localization mode is discussed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Disposition of aquifer system, geo-electric characteristics and gamma-log anomaly in the Kuttanad alluvium of Kerala

Kuttanad near the western coast of Kerala is a low lying area below mean sea level. The hydrogeological scenario in this wet land dominated tract, known as kole lands, was investigated by using the lithological and geophysical data generated under the R&D exploration programme of Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) during the year 2000, as also other related data generated till the year 2009. The hydrogeology of the tract is complex, and the presence of carbonaceous and organic matter in the soil and sub-soil influences the geochemical and geo-electric characteristics of the sub-surface geological formations as reflected by SP and resistivity logs. The lithologs and geophysical logs of bore wells were used to define the aquifer geometry. While the lateral and vertical variations of the aquifer systems identified were high, the bottom aquifer was relatively brackish over a large area. The gamma log behavior in these granular zones is anomalous and misguiding in nature. The radioactivities recorded against clay horizons were in the range of 130 to 200cps and in the granular zones 150 to 350 cps. The presence of monazite bearing sands at certain depths was responsible for anomalously high gamma counts against granular zones. The water quality in the granular zones was inferred from the electrical logs. The depth of occurrence of high radiation sand beds was also demarcated.     

The scientific rationale for the C1XS X-ray spectrometer on India's Chandrayaan-1 mission to the moon

The UK-built Chandrayaan-1 X-ray Spectrometer (C1XS) will fly as an ESA instrument on India's Chandrayaan-1 mission to the Moon, launched in October 2008. C1XS builds on experience gained with the earlier D-CIXS instrument on SMART-1, but will be a scientifically much more capable instrument. Here we describe the scientific objectives of this instrument, which include mapping the abundances of the major rock-forming elements (principally Mg, Al, Si, Ti, Ca and Fe) in the lunar crust. These data will aid in determining whether regional compositional differences (e.g., the Mg/Fe ratio) are consistent with models of lunar crustal evolution. C1XS data will also permit geochemical studies of smaller scale features, such as the ejecta blankets and central peaks of large impact craters, and individual lava flows and pyroclastic deposits. These objectives all bear on important, and currently unresolved, questions in lunar science, including the structure and evolution of any primordial magma ocean, as revealed by vertical and lateral geochemical variations in the crust, and the composition of the lunar mantle, which will further constrain theories of the Moon's origin, thermal history and internal structure.     

Assessment of Groundwater Recharge Through Rainfall and Water Harvesting Structures in Jamka Microwatershed Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Water harvesting works had been conducted at Jamka micro-watershed of Saurashtra region of Gujarat in India for augmenting artificial groundwater recharge in hard rock aquifers of the semi arid region. In present study groundwater recharge of Jamka micro-watershed was estimated. The natural groundwater recharge through rainfall in the study area was estimated using empirical equations and the artificial groundwater recharge through water harvesting structures which was estimated using remote sensing and GIS. The area under submergence due to water harvesting structures is estimated using remote sensing images. The groundwater recharge in study area was also estimated using water table fluctuation method and compared with total recharge through rainfall and water harvesting structures. The natural groundwater recharge through rainfall in the study area was found varying from 11 to 16 per cent of annual rainfall. The total groundwater recharge in the study area was estimated 390.29?ha?m, in which the contribution of recharge through water harvesting structures was about 38.53%; this revealed that the water harvesting structures played an important role in increasing the groundwater recharge in the region.