Numerical modelling-based pillar strength estimation for an increased height of extraction

Underground extraction of total thickness of a thick coal seam in single lift by bord and pillar method increases pillar height during retreat. Field studies found that the increase in pillar height affects the depillaring operation adversely, especially, during caving of the strong/massive roof strata. Dilution in strength due to the increased pillar height caused catastrophic failure of barrier pillars and goaf overriding. This warrants a systematic study of pillar strength variation for the different heights of pillar. A review of different pillar strength estimation approaches for an analysis of the dilution in strength of the heightened pillar suggested that numerical modelling provides a better option for such a systematic study. Accordingly, investigations are conducted on simulated models in laboratory adopting a recognised numerical modelling procedure. The observed nature of variations in pillar strengths with the increase in its height in the numerical models and empirical formula is found to be matched. But a mismatch is found between the strength values of the two approaches with an increase in height of the pillar. Considering validity of the empirical formulation in Indian coalfields, a relationship is developed to incorporate a correction in the strength values of the numerical models. The suggested correction on the basis of this simple study of the pillar strength variation would be helpful for the use of the established simulation tool during the depillaring of a thick coal seam.     

Climate change impact in the Western Himalaya: people’s perception and adaptive strategies

The Himalaya represents a vast mountain system and globally valued for its significant role in regulation of global as well as regional climate that has direct impact on biodiversity and ecosystem services crucial for sustenance of millions of people in Himalaya and adjoining areas. However, mountain regions worldwide are impacted by climate change and at the same time represent distinctive area for the assessment of climate related impacts. Climate change impacts in Himalayan region have its implications on food production, natural ecosystems, retreat of glacier, water supply, human and animal health and overall human well being. The livelihood and food security of the people inhabited in region largely depend on climate sensitive sectors i.e. agriculture, livestock, forestry and their interlinkages with each other, and has the potential to break down food and nutritional security as well as livelihood support systems. People’s perception and understanding of climate can be an important asset when it comes to adaptation to climate change impact; however it is not taken into consideration for the development of policy design and implementation of modern mitigation and adaptation strategies by governments and other civil society organizations. The knowledge of local people and farming communities for rural landscape management and sustainable use of bioresources is gaining credence as a key strategy to cope up with the climate change. Therefore, the present study analyzes the indigenous knowledge of local people and their perceptions on climate change, and also documented adaptation approaches at local level in mountain ecosystem of western Himalaya. The study could be useful to policy makers to design appropriate adaptation strategies to cope up with the impacts of climate change.     

Accumulation of Heavy Metals by Chickpea Grown in Fly Ash Treated Soil: Effect on Antioxidants

Chickpea grown in fly ash (FA) treated soil (25, 50, and 100% FA) was used to evaluate the effect of FA on antioxidants, metal concentration (Fe, Zn, Cu, Cr, and Cd), photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a (chl‐a), chlorophyll b (chl‐b), total chlorophyll (total chl), and carotenoids), growth and yield performance. All antioxidants in roots, shoots and leaves of chickpea increase with increasing FA doses to combat FA stress. The activities of antioxidants were more in the root tissues to cope with stress induced in the plants as compared to shoot and leaf. Concentration of metals was found maximum in roots than the shoots and seeds. The highest concentration of Fe and lowest level of Cd were recorded in all treatments of FA for different parts of the plant. The treated crop showed reduced level of chlorophyll but enhanced level of carotenoids and protein. However, root length, number of nodules and biomass in 25 and 50% FA treatments did not differ significantly in comparison to respective control plants. These results suggest that heavy metals of FA causes oxidative stress in this crop and the antioxidant enzymes could help a pivotal role against oxidative injury.     

Finite volume approach for finite strain consolidation

The paper presents the finite volume formulation and numerical solution of finite strain one‐dimensional consolidation equation. The equation used in this study utilises a nonlinear continuum representation of consolidation with varying compressibility and hydraulic conductivity and thus inherits the material and geometric nonlinearity. Time‐marching explicit scheme has been used to achieve transient solutions. The nonlinear terms have been evaluated with the known previous time step value of the independent variable, that is, void ratio. Three‐point quadratic interpolation function of Lagrangian family has been used to evaluate the face values at discrete control volumes. It has been shown that the numerical solution is stable and convergent for the general practical cases of consolidation. Performance of the numerical scheme has been evaluated by comparing the results with an analytical solution and with the piecewise piecewise‐linear finite difference numerical model. The approach seems to work well and offers excellent potential for simulating finite strain consolidation. Further, the parametric study has been performed on soft organic clays, and the influence of various parameters on the time ate consolidation characteristics of the soil is shown. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Motions, relative positions, and sizes of continua and bursts in solar noise storms

We present multifrequency radioheliograph observations of solar radio noise storms. The data base consists of observations carried out over 7 different days in the spring months of 1992 and 1993. In all, we present about 82 hours of data with 1 s time resolution at 4 different frequencies between 164 and 410 MHz. The spatial resolutions in the EW and NS directions vary with frequency from 1.2 to 0.8 and 3.7 to 1.5 arc min, respectively. In order to study the characteristics of bursts and continuum, we have developed a method for separating them in the time domain at each frequency. Our main results are: (i) there are no systematic large-scale motions of the continuum, the position is usually stable to within 2 of arc over durations of 3–4 hours and more; (ii) the positions of the continuum at different frequencies are often closer to each other than 1 of arc and have strongly correlated small-scale motions; (iii) the bursts have their positions scattered over the continuum extent and are slightly smaller in size than the underlying continuum; and (iv) there is no evidence for bipolar structures. We discuss the implications of these results for the current models of noise storm emission and for the trapping of suprathermal electrons.Presented at the CESRA Workshop in Potsdam, Germany, 16–20 May, 1994.     

Nonlinear Viscous Damping of Surface AlfvÉn Waves in Polar Coronal Holes

We quantitatively re-examine the nonlinear viscous damping of surface Alfvén waves in polar coronal holes, using recently reported observational data on electron density and temperature and the magnetic field spreading near the edges. It is found that in the nonlinear regime the viscous damping of surface Alfvén waves becomes a viable mechanism of solar coronal plasma heating when strong spreading of magnetic field is taken into account. Our estimations confirm that coronal heating is more pronounced in the nonlinear case than in the linear one in presence of magnetic field spreading.     

Garnet-staurolite-mica schist from Rangli Rangliot,Eastern Himalaya: Constraints from phase equilibria and Thermobarometry

Rangli Rangliot is an integral part of lesser Himalaya. The area around Rangli Rangliot consists of garnetstaurolite-mica schist and it is characterized by mineral assemblage garnet-biotite-muscovite-staurolite-quartz± plagioclase. Different reaction textures are of particular interest as they reflect discontinuous or continuous reactions under changing physical conditions. The relative X_Mg in the minerals varies in the order: muscovite> biotite> staurolite> garnet, and the X_Mn decreases in the order: garnet>staurolite>biotite>muscovite. The P-T evolution of the garnet-staurolite-mica schist has been constrained through the use of internally consistent TWEEQU programme and Perple_X software in the KFMASH model system. The combination of these two approaches demonstrates that the garnet-staurolite-mica schist experienced peak pressure and temperature at 5.8 kbar and 590 °C. The proposed clockwise P-T path implies that rocks from the study area could have resulted from thickened continental crust undergoing decompression.     

Horizon-free gravitational collapse of radiating fluid sphere

In this paper we present a detailed study of BCT Ist solution Tewari (Astrophys. Space Sci. 149:233, 1988) representing time dependent balls of perfect fluid with matter-radiation in general relativity. Assuming the life time of quasar 10⁷ years our model has initial mass≈10⁸ M _Θ with an initial linear dimension≈10¹⁵ cm. Our model is radiating the energy at a constant rate i.e. L _∞=10⁴⁷ ergs/sec with the gravitational red shift, z=0.44637. In this model we have 2GM(u)/c ² R _S (u))=0.3191 i.e. the model is horizon free.     

Interspecific association of heavy minerals in late Paleozoic Gondwana sandstones of Singrauli sub-basin,central India: Implications for provenance

Heavy mineral analysis of the late Paleozoic Barakar and Raniganj sandstones from the Singrauli Gondwana sub-basin shows relative abundance of garnet, epidote, zircon, tourmaline and muscovite in the Raniganj Sandstone and epidote, garnet, rutile and tourmaline in the Barakar sandstones. Stratigraphically, the heavy mineral crops donot exhibit marked variation in their relative abundance, though garnet, epidote and muscovite form the bulk of the heavy minerals. Significant interspecific association among heavy minerals and provenance of the Barakar and Raniganj sandstones are evaluated by using σ-M multivariate model. Quantitative result suggests that the Barakar Sandstone are characterized by the basic pair match significantly more than expected due to chance alone (p value <<0.05) are garnet-tourmaline and epidote-rutile, whereas, the succeeding Raniganj sandstone are characterized by zircon-rutile and epidote-garnet. These basic pairs may be regarded as interspecific association among the heavy minerals. The basic pairs deduced from heavy mineral suites suggest that the source rocks of late Paleozoic Barakar and Raniganj sandstones have been principally derived from the acid plutonic rocks and low to high grade metasediments lying to the south and southeast of the Singrauli Gondwana sub-basin.     

Kinematics of horizontal simple shear zones of concentric arcs (Taylor–Couette flow) with incompressible Newtonian rheology

We present preliminary kinematic analyses of Taylor–Couette flow. We consider deformation of a Newtonian incompressible ductile material inside rotating horizontal listric (concentric circular) boundaries. The velocity profile is curved indicating non-uniform shear strain but leads to the same shear sense. Each material point on progressive shear keeps increasing shear strain linearly with time. A curve of no movement, the ‘neutral curve’, may exist inside the shear zone. Irregular geometries of initially regular markers and their individual non-matching strain paths indicate inhomogeneous deformaion in such Taylor–Couette flow.