Occurrence of heavy rainfall around the confluence line in monsoon disturbances and its importance in causing floods

It is well known that heavy rainfall occurs in the southwestern sector of the monsoon depressions due to strong convergence in that sector. By examining the rainfall distribution associated with the monsoon disturbances (lows and depressions) in one of the central Indian river basins, ‘Godavari’, the author found that when the disturbance-centre is away from the basin, heavy rainfall may also occur in the basin area close to the confluence line and cause severe floods in the river. The confluence line is the zone of convergence between the northeasterlies to the west of the disturbance centre and the monsoon westerlies. This study further reveals the importance of the position and movement of the confluence line with respect to the basin, on which the intensity and the raising period of the resulting flood depend.     

Seasonal and solar cycle association of zonal drifts of ionospheric plasma irregularities in the Indian equatorial region

Long series of simultaneous VHF scintillation observations at two stations situated in near magnetic east-west direction in the vicinity of the dip equator in the Indian region have been employed to investigate the night-time ionospheric plasma zonal drifts. The drifts are found to be predominantly easterly. On comparing the magnitudes of the drifts with those results derived earlier by HF fading technique, monitoring signals from two satellites at a station and spaced receiver experiment, their associations with the season and the degree of solar activity are discussed. On a broader scale, the annual mean sunspot number is shown to have a direct control on the derived drift, the positive relationship even on day to day basis with the solar flux is established. However, the relationship, as understood by the slope of the best fit line, in the Indian region (0.27) is found to be weaker when compared with the similar slope (0.45) in the American sector. There appears to be no geomagnetic activity control on the estimated drifts.     

Estimation of periodicities in hydrologic data

Periodicites in hydrologic data are frequently estimated and studied. In some cases the periodic components are subtracted from the data to obtain the stochastic components. In other cases the physical reasons for the occurrence of these periodicities are investigated. Apart from the annual cycle in the hydrologic data, periods corresponding to the 11 year sunspot cycle, the Hale cycle and others have been detected.The conclusions from most of these studies depend on the reliability and robustness of the methods used to detect these periodicities. Several spectral analysis methods have been proposed to investigate periodicities in time series data. Several of these have been compared to each other. The methods by Siddiqui and Wang and by Damsleth and Spjotvoll, which are stepwise procedures of spectrum estimation, have not been evaluated.     

Hydrography and circulation in the northwestern Bay of Bengal during the retreat of southwest monsoon

The distribution of temperature and salinity in the upper 500 m of the northwestern Bay of Bengal, adjoining the east coast of India, during the retreat of southwest monsoon (September) of 1983 is presented. This study reveals coastal upwelling (limited to the upper 40 m) induced by the local winds. Waters of higher surface salinity near the coast characterize the upwelling. The freshwater influx near the head of the Bay diluted the surface salinity to as low as 26.0 × 10⁻³. The surface circulation was weak and led to a net transport of 2.0 × 10⁶m³.s⁻¹ directed towards northeast.     

The value ofC efor the Arabian Sea during summer monsoon

We estimate, from the moisture budget the bulk aerodynamic coefficient for latent heat flux (C _e) during the monsoon season over the central Arabian Sea. The average value ofC _eunder active monsoon conditions was found to be 2.25 × 10⁻³ which is nearly 60% higher than those previously used.     

Parabolic density function in sedimentary basin modelling

For modelling sedimentary basins of large thickness from their gravity anomalies, the concept of parabolic density function which explains the variation of true density contrast of the sediments with depth in such basins is introduced inBott's (1960) procedure. The analytical expression the gravity anomaly of a two-dimensional vertical prism with parabolic density contrast needed to estimate the gravity effect of the basin in modelling procedure is derived in a closed form. Two profiles of gravity anomalies, one across San Jacinto Graben, California and the other across Tucson basin, Arizona where the density of sediments is found to vary with depth are interpreted.     

Miscellaneous information 1989 (Addendum)

Miscellaneous information 1989 (Addendum)     

Lunar and luni-solar variations of the geomagnetic field in the Indian region

Summary Lunar and luni-solar geomagnetic components have been computed upto four harmonics for low latitude station Alibag, outside equatorial electrojet belt, and the equatorial electrojet stations Annamalainagar, Kodaikanal and Trivandrum in the south Indian region. The computations are confined to data of very high solar activity period 1958–61. Amplitudes of lunar semidiurnal component (L ₂), in the horizontal intensity (H), undergo an equatorial enhancement. Phase difference of 2 hrs is noticed inL ₂ (H) between nonelectrojet and electrojet stations. In the vertical intensity (Z), L ₂ is maximum ine andj-seasons at Trivandrum, close to the magnetic equator. Ind-season, however, maximumL ₂ (Z) occurs at Annamalainagar (dip 5°.4N). The phase difference between the electrojet and nonelectrojet stations observed inL ₂ (H) is not noticed inL ₂ (Z). The differential vertical upward drift motion of charged particles may explain the observed phase difference inL ₂ (H). Seasonal variations in amplitudes and times of maxima are noticed at all the stations inL ₂ (H) andL ₂ (Z). Similar variation is also noticed at Alibag inL ₂ of declination (D).     

Easy method of interpreting dyke anomalies

Summary An entirely new procedure is proposed in this paper for interpreting anomalies of dykes. This reduces the ambiguity in magnetic interpretation. Measurements of the first vertical derivative simplifies the problem of interpretation and also supplies additional information concerning the parameters of a dyke. The first vertical derivative profile cuts the distance axis at two points whose separation is related to the depth and direction of magnetisation of a dyke.