Evaluation of magma mixing in the subvolcanic rocks of Ghansura Felsic Dome of Chotanagpur Granite Gneiss Complex,eastern India

Mineralogy and Petrology - The subvolcanic rocks exposed in the Ghansura Felsic Dome (GFD) of the Bathani volcano-sedimentary sequence at the northern fringe of the Rajgir fold belt in the...     

Correction: Impact of excessive groundwater pumping on rejuvenation processes in the Bandung basin (Indonesia) as determined by hydrogeochemistry and modeling

In the Bandung basin, Indonesia, excessive groundwater pumping caused by rapid increases in industrialization and population growth has caused subsurface environmental problems, such as excessive groundwater drawdown and land subsidence. In this study, multiple hydrogeochemical techniques and numerical modeling have been applied to evaluate the recharge processes and groundwater age (rejuvenation). Although all the groundwater in the Bandung basin is recharged at the same elevation at the periphery of the basin, the water type and residence time of the shallow and deep groundwater could be clearly differentiated. However, there was significant groundwater drawdown in all the depression areas and there is evidence of groundwater mixing between the shallow and deep groundwater. The groundwater mixing was traced from the high dichlorodifluoromethane (CFC-12) concentrations in some deep groundwater samples and by estimating the rejuvenation ratio (R) in some representative observation wells. The magnitude of CFC-12 concentration, as an indicator of young groundwater, showed a good correlation with R, determined using ¹⁴C activity in samples taken between 2008 and 2012. These correlations were confirmed with the estimation of vertical downward flux from shallower to deeper aquifers using numerical modeling. Furthermore, the change in vertical flux is affected by the change in groundwater pumping. Since the 1970s, the vertical flux increased significantly and reached approximately 15% of the total pumping amount during the 2000s, as it compensated the groundwater pumping. This study clearly revealed the processes of groundwater impact caused by excessive groundwater pumping using a combination of hydrogeochemical methods and modeling.

     

Investigating the removal of ethylbenzene from aqueous solutions using modified graphene oxide: application of response surface methodology

This research focused on the application of response surface methodology (RSM) for the removal of ethylbenzene by the graphene oxide grafted with polymethyl vinyl ketone and aniline (GO-MVK-ANI) from wastewater. The adsorbent was prepared through polymerization of graphene oxide with methyl vinyl ketone using ammonium persulfate initiator and further modification by aniline. The synthesized material was characterized via Fourier transform infrared resonance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis. RSM was used to minimize the number of experiments and investigate the effect of three selected parameters (contact time, initial pH and adsorbent dose) on the removal efficiency of ethylbenzene. Additionally, the affecting parameters were optimized based on the selected target (ethylbenzene removal efficiency). The results show that 73% ethylbenzene could be adsorbed with initial ethylbenzene concentration of 20 mg/l under the optimum conditions (the contact time of 11 min, pH of 5.64 and adsorbent dose of 3.75 g/l). In this paper, high R ²-value (97.18%) for ethylbenzene removal and a good agreement with adjusted R ²-value (94.65%) indicated that the model was successful and the results demonstrated a reasonable proportion of the experimental and the predicted results.     

Evaluation of coal as adsorbent for phosphate removal

This paper reports the adsorption of phosphate ions on coal, charcoal, and coal ash. The influences of factors such as contact time, and initial adsorbate concentration have been studied. Adsorption of phosphate ions on virgin coal was significant compared to charcoal, coal and coal ash evacuated at 200°C. The significant adsorption capability of coal is due to the porosity as well as due to organic carbon and inorganic elements present in coal. The evacuation of coal proved to be ineffective in enhancing its capability for phosphate ions retention. The adsorption behaviors of all the three adsorbent used was conformed using Freundlich’s adsorption model. The results suggest that coal could be used as an efficient adsorbent for removing phosphate ions from wastewater.     

2D and 3D rockfall hazard analysis and protection measures for Saptashrungi Gad Temple,Vani, Nashik,Maharashtra – A case study

The Saptashrungi gad temple (SGT) situated on basaltic hills belongs to Deccan volcanic of Upper Cretaceous to Lower Eocene, is one among the 51 Shakti Peeths and most holy place for pilgrims. Rockfall is a major problem in the past and causing danger to the lives of the villagers settled at the toe of the SGT hill as well as the pilgrims who perform parikrama along the tracks. On the evening of 16 April 2011, an old woman died due to rockfall at SGT hill when she was performing parikrama, moreover, two persons got injured during the deliverance process of this old woman from the continuous rockfall activity. The problem of rockfall could be linked to rainfall, jointing, weathering, man-made or the compounding of all. In this research, the rockfall hazard analysis at SGT hill is assessed using both 2D and 3D rockfall programs along the two parikrama paths: Parikrama Path 1 (or the Badi Parikrama Path ‘BPP’), and Parikrama Path 2 (or the Chhoti Parikrama Path ‘CPP’). Also, the study area of the SGT hill has been divided into eight zones (Zone#01 to Zone#08), based on field observations, orientations of joint sets and hill slope faces and eighteen topographic profiles (AA' to RR') have been taken from these eight zones for rockfall analysis. A detailed topographic survey along with field investigation has been carried out along the temple for ascertaining the nature of rock, discontinuity orientations, and slope geometry. DEM has been generated using topographic profile in ArcGIS to facilitate the 3D rockfall analysis. Maximum rock block sizes are taken into the analysis and run-out distance, bounce height, kinetic energy and velocity of the basaltic blocks are evaluated separately. Based on the analyzed data, the rockfall hazard zone map has been prepared and site having potential rockfall risks have been identified. Finally, wire/net meshing has been proposed after removal of unstable blocks as a stabilization and protection measures.It is worth mentioning here that for the first time rockfall hazard assessment was made in such detail for a site. Suggestions made are implemented by the State Government for the protection of the temple as well as the life of pilgrims performing the parikrama from the rockfall.     

Influence of large dam on seismic hazard in low seismic region of Ulu Padas Area,Northern Borneo

The seismic hazard assessment of a site that lies in the low seismic region affected by the future existence of a large dam has been given less attention in many studies. Moreover, this condition is not addressed directly in the current seismic codes. This paper explains the importance of such information in mitigating the seismic hazard properly. Ulu Padas Area in Northern Borneo is used as an example for a case study of a site classified as a low seismic region. It is located close to the border of Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Indonesia and may have a large dam in the future as the region lies in hilly geography with river flow. This study conducts probabilistic and deterministic seismic hazard analyses, and reservoir-triggered seismicity of a site affected by the future existence of a large dam. The result shows that the spectrum acceleration of the maximum design earthquake for the investigated site in the Ulu Padas Area in Northern Borneo is taken from the reservoir-triggered seismicity earthquake at short periods and from the current condition at longer periods.     

Disaster risk management in agriculture: tragedies of the smallholders

Agriculture sector is exposed to a variety of risks and uncertainties which can lead to sizeable losses in crop yields and alter farm incomes. Risk management is, therefore, an essential element of the overall farm management process. Farmers have number of options in managing farm risks; however, smallholders, due to their small operations and limited financial capabilities, find it difficult to adopt sophisticated risk management strategies to overcome yield and income instabilities at farm level. This study is, therefore, designed to investigate the enabling environment for small farmers to manage climatic risks at farm level. A total of 330 sampled respondents from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan are randomly selected for the study using multistage sampling technique. Analysis of variance technique is employed to compare the risk management adoption decision of small, medium and large farmers. A post hoc analysis is also performed to highlight the difference in means and the magnitude of differences. The results indicate that smallholders have significantly lower access to credit (both formal and informal), formal information sources along with significantly higher perceptions of pest and diseases. Smallholders are also at the tail end in the adoption of precautionary savings and agricultural credit to manage climatic risk at farm level. The study urges for risk management policies particularly in favor of the small farmers and intervention in the existing information and credit provision programs to facilitate smallholders in managing farm risks.     

Erratum to: A spatio-temporal three-dimensional conceptualization and simulation of Dera Ismail Khan alluvial aquifer in visual MODFLOW: a case study from Pakistan

The Gour Oumelalen area exposes Paleoproterozoic (1.9 Ga) marbles and calc-silicate granulites. Some marbles show a specific mineralogy characterized by the presence of a highly aluminous clinopyroxene with Al₂O₃ content exceeding16 wt%. This clinopyroxene shows a marked zoning with a hedenbergitic core rimmed by fassaite. Phase relations are expressed by spectacular reaction textures in calc-silicate granulites as Opx + Cpx + Pl + H₂O  == > Grt + Qtz ± Am and Cpx + Ilm + Pl ± Mt = > Grt + Qtz + Spn. In olivine-bearing marbles, clinopyroxene and dolomite occur around olivine and calcite. According to thermodynamic modeling in the Na₂O–CaO–FeO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O–TiO₂–Fe₂O₃ (NCFMASHTO) system, the first stage of metamorphism is located at 800 °C and 6–7 kbar, which is followed by an increase in pressure at 9–10 kbar and 800 °C and an isobaric cooling at 680 °C. The deduced anticlockwise P–T path is consistent with a granulitic metamorphism occurring in an active continental margin context.

     

Contribution of offshore islands in the prediction of water levels due to tide�Csurge interaction for the coastal region of Bangladesh

In this study, a doubly nested tide?Csurge interaction model was established for the coastal region of Bangladesh. A fine grid model, capable of incorporating all major offshore islands, was nested into a coarse grid model extending up to 15°N latitude of the Bay of Bengal. To take into account the thickly populated small and big islands between Barisal and Chittagong and the extreme bending of the coastline accurately, a very fine grid model for this region was again nested into the fine grid model. Along the northeast corner of this very fine grid model, the Meghna River discharge was taken into account. The boundaries of the coast and islands were approximated through proper stair step, and the model equations were solved by semi?Cimplicit finite difference technique using staggered grid. Appropriate tidal regime over the model domain was generated by forcing the sea level to be oscillatory with the constituent M2 along the southern open boundary of the coarse grid model omitting wind stress. This previously generated tidal regime was introduced as the initial state of the sea for nonlinear tide?Csurge interaction phenomenon. The model was applied to estimate water levels along the coastal region of Bangladesh due to the interaction of tide and surge associated with the storm April 1991, and the results were found to be in a reasonable agreement with those observed. The model was used to investigate the influence of offshore islands on water levels and water levels were found to be significantly influenced by offshore islands.