An assessment of wind forcing impact on a spectral wave model for the Indian Ocean

The focus of the present study is the assessment of the impact of wind forcing on the spectral wave model MIKE 21 SW in the Indian Ocean region. Three different wind fields, namely the ECMWF analyzed winds, the ECMWF blended winds, and the NCEP blended winds have been used to drive the model. The wave model results have been compared with in-situ observations and satellite altimeter data. This study also evaluated the performance of the wind products during local phenomenon like sea breeze, since it has a significant impact on the wave prediction in the Indian coastal region. Hence we explored the possibility of studying the impact of diurnal variation of winds on coastal waves using different wind fields. An analysis of the model performance has also been made during high wind conditions with the inference that blended winds generate more realistic wave fields in the high wind conditions and are able to produce the growth and decay of waves more realistically.     

Weathering and mineralogical variation in gneissic rocks and their effect in Sangrumba Landslide,East Nepal

Sangrumba landslide is one of the largest and the most active landslides in Nepal Himalaya. Geologically the landslide belongs to the Higher Himalaya and consists of Pre-Cambrian biotite–garnet and sillimanite gneiss with some quartzite. The present paper aims at describing various degrees of rock weathering and their effect in Sangrumba landslide. Field study followed by mineralogical, geochemical and geotechnical analyses of the collected rock and soil samples from the landslide zone were used in characterizing weathering degree. The gneisses are intensely weathered while quartzite is unweathered. Petrographical and X-ray diffraction analyses showed that the rocks in the landslide zone had undergone weathering process with the formation of different types of clay minerals as kaolinite, vermiculite, smectite and chlorite. This was further confirmed by the Scan Electron Microscope and Energy Dispersive X-ray analyses. These clay minerals drastically reduced the rock strength facilitating the extensive failure of the Sangrumba landslide. The major and trace element composition of the rock and soil samples was calculated from the XRF analyses. The geochemical analyses and weathering indexes of rocks showed that they are significantly weathered and had a major influence in the formation of the Sangrumba landslide. In addition, mechanical strength measurement of rock/soil showed that the strength drastically decreases as the weathering intensity increases. Rainfall followed by the rock type are the most dominant parameters influencing the weathering process which leads to the formation of large landslide as the present one. These findings can be used in other areas with similar geological and topographical conditions.     

Kinetic Energy Variability in the North Indian Ocean Using a Numerical Model

The North Indian Ocean exhibits profound impact of variation in lower tropospheric winds. In the present study climatological monthly winds are used to force a nonlinear reduced gravity model of the North Indian Ocean to simulate climatological surface circulation and sea level anomaly for all 12 months of the year. The sea level anomalies agree reasonably well with satellite altimeter derived sea level anomalies. The model successfully simulates the varying eddy structure and current pattern of the North Indian Ocean. Finally, the kinetic energy variation in the North Indian Ocean with special reference to equatorial region and the boundaries is analyzed in detail.     

Bianchi Type I string dust cosmological model with magnetic field in general relativity

Bianchi Type I string dust cosmological models in presence and absence of magnetic field following the techniques used by Letelier and Stachel, are investigated. To get the deterministic solution, we have assumed that σ ₁¹ is proportional to the expansion (θ) where σ ₁¹ is the eigen value of shear tensor (σ _i ^j ) and which leads to A=N(BC)⁻ⁿ , n>0 where A,B,C are metric potentials and , N and ℓ are constants. The behaviour of the models in presence and absence of magnetic field are discussed. The other physical and geometrical aspects of the model are also discussed.     

Drinking and irrigational feasibility of groundwater,GIS spatial mapping in upper Thirumanimuthar sub-basin,Cauvery River,Tamil Nadu

In the present study, the chemical characteristics of groundwater with respect to drinking and Irrigation water quality in upper Thirumanimuthar sub-basin, Cauvery River, have been studied. 51 groundwater samples were collected and analysed for pH, conductance, total dissolved solids, total hardness, calcium, magnesium, carbonate, bicarbonate, total alkalinity, chloride, sodium, potassium, sulphate etc. The values analyzed were evaluated in detail and compared with WHO water quality standards. It is observed that, for most of the groundwater quality parameters, the values are not potable for drinking and irrigational use. To understand the spatial distribution of unsuitable zones, ArcGIS was employed. Attributes were linked and spatial interpolation mapping was done. Inverse distance weighted interpolation technique was followed for raster and vector mapping. Finally the overlay analyses were also carried out to locate the worst quality zone.     

Numerical model and flume experiments of single- and two-layered hillslope flow related to slope failure

A hillslope flow model is developed considering 3D saturated and unsaturated flow of water during rainfall events. A finite difference-based numerical model of hillslope flow processes is developed. Four different experiments are done to see the effects of a single- and double-layered soil in pore-water pressure dynamics and slope failure. Results from the numerical model are verified with experimental results. The numerical and experimental values of the pore-water pressure and moisture contents are in good agreement. The results show that the hillslope heterogeneity caused by multiple layers of soil has greater influence on hillslope pore-pressure dynamics and slope failure patterns. The depth of slope failure shows high dependency on layering characteristics of the soil slope and pattern of rainfall. The proposed model provides a perspective on failure mechanism of a single- or double-layered slope under rainfall infiltration.     

Simulation of severe thunder storm event: a case study over Pune,India

Numerical simulation of a typical tropical thunder storm event at Pune (18.53°N, 73.85°E), India, has been performed using the three nested domain configuration of Weather Research and Forecasting-Advanced Research Weather Model (version 3.2). The model simulations have been compared with observations. Sensitivity to cumulus parameterization schemes, namely Betts–Miller (BM), Grell–Devenyi (GD), and Kain–Fritsch (KF), for simulation of vertical structure and time evolution of weather parameters has been evaluated using observations from automatic weather station and global positioning system radiosonde ascents. Comparison of spatial distribution of 24-h accumulated rain with Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission data shows that BM scheme could simulate better rain than GD and KF schemes. The BM scheme could well simulate the development of storm and heavy rain as it could generate sufficiently humid and deep layer in the lower and middle atmosphere, along with co-existence of updrafts and downdrafts and frozen hydrometeors at the middle level and rain water near the surface.