The protocontinental growth of the Indian Shield and the antiquity of its rift valleys

The evolution of the Indian Shield has been envisaged from the analysis of available tectono-lithostratigraphic, geochronological, geochemical and geophysical data. It appears that the Dharwar schist belts and their equivalents, except the Kolar schist belt, are not typical greenstone belts, but are representative of a transitional era of rapid transformation from simatic to sialic crust. In the Archaean—Proterozoic tract of India, relics of rocks older than 3.0 b.y. are identified in five widely separated regions of distinct tectono-litho-stratigraphic assemblages which probably represent the primordial continental nucleii. It is suggested that the growth of the Indian Shield has taken place through nucleation, accretion and merger into three protocontinents named Dharwar, Aravalli and Singhbhum. The cratonisation of the Indian unit seems to have been rapid and almost completed by the middle Proterozoic, as there is no significant variation in the composition of the clastic sediments and basalts from middle Proterozoic onwards. The continental nucleii appear to merge along the deep-seated lineaments, which are reflected on the tectonic map of India. Further, the Dharwar, Aravalli and Singhbhum protocontinents also seem to merge along a Y=shaped Narmada—Son—Godavari lineament which along with the Mahanadi lineament, between the two continental nucleii of the Singhbhum protocontinent have later developed into rift valleys.     

Analysis of objective functions used in urban runoff models

The objective functions used in parameter estimation in urban runoff models are compared by using a method proposed by Diskin and Simon¹ and the urban runoff model ILLUDAS. Two sets of objective functions, the first one used by Diskin and Simon in their study and a second one which includes other objective functions are used. Rainfall-runoff data from urban watersheds in the US are used in the study. The results indicate that the least squares criterion is the best among those studied.     

地球化学计算中误差传递分析的应用

通过两个实例讨论了地球化学计算中的误差传递问题,对照了四种不同方法的潜力和限制,拓广了蒙特卡洛方法在相关变量分析中的应用,指出其在不同条件下总能用有限机时逼近合理结果,揭示出协方差矩阵法的特殊效益,可相对于独立初始变量展现中间变量的相关关系。     

Occurrence of thorite and radioactive zircon in syenite pegmatite,North of Ashwaraopet,Khammam district,Andhra Pradesh,India

This paper reports the occurrence of thorite and confirms the earlier find of radioactive zircon by Subbarao, Murali and others from syenite pegmatite in the Vinayakapuram-Kunavaram alkaline belt in the Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh, India. Thorite has also been found as residual concentrations in soil overlying the pegmatite.     

Characteristics of Pi2 pulsations at an equatorial station and its occurrence association with the phase of the Moon

Diurnal variations of occurrence hours and the period of Pi2 pulsations at Choutuppal (India) for nearly half a solar cycle are presented. Maximum occurrence is noticed to be around local midnight in all the seasons. Shorter periods are observed in the late afternoon hours in E-and J-seasons. Lunar influence on the occurrence of Pi2 pulsations at this station is inferred with the occurrence due to this influence peaking in the vicinity of the lunar phase4.     

Flotation of calcareous Mussorie phosphate ore

Separation of Mussorie rock phosphate (P₂O₅ = 20%) from Uttar Pradesh, India, containing pyrite, calcite and other carbonaceous impurities by flotation has been successfully attempted to upgrade the phosphate values. Based on Hallimond cell flotation results of single and synthetic mineral mixtures of calcite and apatite using oleic acid and potassium phosphate, conditions were obtained for the separation of calcite from apatite which is considered to be the most difficult step in the beneficiation of calcareous phosphates. Further studies using 250 g of the mineral (?60 +150 and ?150 mesh fractions, deslimed) in laboratory size Fagergren subaeration machine employed a stagewise flotation viz. carbonaceous materials using terpineol, pyrite using potassium-ethyl xanthate and calcite using oleic acid respectively. Separation was, however, found to be unsatisfactory in the absence of a depressant.Among starch, hydrofluosilicic acid and dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, which were tried as depressants for apatite in the final flotation stage, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate proved to be superior to others. However, the tests with the above fractions did not yield the required grade. This was possibly due to insufficient liberation of the phosphate mineral from the ore body and different experimental conditions due to scale up operations. Experiments conducted using ?200 mesh deslimed fractions has yielded an acceptable grade of 27.6% P₂O₅ with a recovery of about 60%. The results have been explained in terms of the specific adsorption characteristics of phosphate ions on apatite and the liberation size of the mineral.     

Seasonal and solar cycle variations of night-time anomalous enhancements in total electron content

Seasonal and solar cycle variations of the various characteristics of night-time anomalous enhancements in total electron content (TEC) of the ionosphere are presented for a low latitude station, Hawaii by considering TEC data for a full solar cycle. All the characteristics of the TEC enhancements have seasonal and solar cycle dependence. TEC enhancement characteristics such as frequency of occurrence, amplitude and duration are positively correlated with solar activity. The possible source mechanisms for the observed enhancements are also discussed.     

Crustal structure from deep seismic soundings along the Koyna II (Kelsi-Loni) profile in the Deccan Trap area, India

The crustal depth section obtained from deep seismic soundings along the Koyna II (Kelsi-Loni) profile, which lies near latitude 18°N roughly in the east-west direction in that part of the Deccan Trap Maharashtra State, India, shows a number of reflection segments below the Deccan Traps down to the Moho discontinuity. A deep fault below the Deccan Traps 13 km east of Mahad divides the entire cross-section including the Moho boundary into two crustal blocks. The reflection segments show updip towards the west coast in the western block. The Moho discontinuity which is at a depth of 39 km near the deep fault starts rising towards the coast, reaching a depth of 31.5 km at the west coast. The eastern block is thrown up by 1.5 km with respect to the western block along the deep fault. A structural contour map of the Moho discontinuity for the Koyna reservoir area has been prepared from the present results and the crustal information obtained along the Koyna I profile (Kaila et al., 1979a), shows that the deep fault in the Koyna area is aligned in the NNW-SSE direction.Refraction seismic data analysis by the wave front method reveals that the thickness of the Deccan Trap increases towards the west coast. The Deccan Trap is 600–700 m thick in the eastern region between Nira (SP 130) and Loni (SP 200) and attains a thickness of 1500 m at 10 km east of the west coast. The longitudinal wave velocity in the Deccan Traps along the profile varies from 4.8 to 5.0 km/sec and in the crystalline basement from 6.0 to 6.15 km/sec. A tentative isopach contour map of the Deccan Traps and a tentative structural contour map of the Pre-Deccan Trap contact have been prepared for the Koyna reservoir area from the results along the Koyna II and Koyna I profiles. A flexure aligned in a NNW-SSE direction, in the Pre-Deccan Trap contact, which is an expression of the deep fault into the basement, has been clearly brought out. The flexure coincides in general with the orientation of the Deccan volcanic scarp in this area.     

Excitation of electromagnetic lower hybrid instability in the region of bouncing electron beams

The region of bouncing electron beams in the earth’s magnetosphere can be unstable against a non-resonant electromagnetic lower hybrid instability. The instability is purely growing in the rest frame of the plasma, and can be excited either by the temperature anisotropy or the drift velocity of the bouncing electron beams. The growth rates of the instability decrease with the increase of cold electron density. Consequently the growth rate is maximum at the equator where the cold electron density is minimum. The intense turbulence generated by this instability could broaden the bouncing electron beams thereby explaining the observed wider cone width of the beams at the equator. The instability could generate magnetic pulsations in the frequency range of orderPc ₁?Pc₃ with typical wavelength ≈ (3–10) km in the, magnetosphere during magnetic storms or substorms.     

Magnetic properties of mafics and ultramafics from Eastern Ghats

Magnetic properties, namely intensity of natural remanent magnetisation (NRM) and magnetic susceptibility, of mafic and ultramafic formations of Eastern Ghats belt in the Godavari Districts, Andhra Pradesh are studied. The formations sampled for the study are, iron-ore, chromite-ore, amphibolite, gabbro, charnockite and khondalite gneiss. Mineralogical differences in iron-ore and the degree of martitisation are reflected in magnetic susceptibility. NRM and susceptibility of chromite-ore are feeble. The gabbro exhibits strong magnetic properties because of its contiguity with iron formation. The Koenigsberger ratio is found to indicate relative palaeomagnetic stability.