Lower hybrid wave model for aurora

In the framework of non-linear fluid theory we use a lower hybrid (LH) wave of the form as a pump which interacts with the small fluctuations with the low-frequency vibrations _i or =0, where _i , is the hydrogen ion-cyclotron (HIC) gyrofrequency. The ponderomotive force generated by the beating of the high-frequency pump wave ₀ and the sideband LH waves (±₀) produces a non-linear coupling between the high- and low-frequency motions of electrons and ions. Under certain conditions the HIC waves and the zero-frequency waves both become parametrically unstable and start to grow. These excited waves then heat the ions by stochastic acceleration in the transverse direction, thus explaining the formation of ion comics along the auroral field lines. Electrons would be heated in the parallel direction directly by the pump field as well as by low-frequency waves. Thus a single mechanism can explain the existence of ion-cyclotron waves, zero-frequency waves, ion conics, and energetic electrons along the auroral field lines.     

Land use land cover classification of Orissa using multi-temporal IRS-P6 awifs data: A decision tree approach

An attempt has been made to understand the potential of temporal Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) data aboard IRS-P6 (Resourcesat) to generate the land use land cover information along with the net sown area. The temporal data sets were georeferenced, converted to top of atmosphere reflectance and classified using decision tree classifier, See5. Results indicate that the temporal data set could give a better definition of training sites thereby resulting in good overall kappa (kappa = 0.8651) as well as individual classification accuracies. However, co-registration of temporal datasets accuracies also has got a significant influence on the classification accuracy. Temporal variation in cloud infestation and availability of appropriate data sets within the season (before harvest of the crop) has also affected the classification accuracy.     

Inversion of sonic waveforms with unknown source and receiver functions

A seismogram that is several times the length of the source-receiver wavelet is windowed into two parts—these may overlap—to obtain two seismograms with approximately the same source function but different Green's functions. A similarly windowed synthetic seismogram gives two corresponding synthetic seismograms. The spectral product of the window 1 data with the window 2 synthetic is equal to the spectral product of the window 1 synthetic with the window 2 data only if the correct earth model is used to compute the synthetic. This partition principle is applied to well-log sonic waveform data from Ocean Drilling Project hole 806B, a slow formation, and used there to estimate Poisson's ratio from a single seismogram whose transmitter and receiver functions are unknown. A multichannel extension of the algorithm gives even better results. The effective borehole radius R _b, was included in the inversion procedure, because of waveform sensitivity to R _b. Inversion results for R _b agreed with the sonic caliper, but not the mechanical caliper; thus if R _b is not included in the inversion its value should be taken from the sonic caliper.     

Vegetation and landuse analysis of aglar watershed using satellite remote sensing technique

Wetershed management requires spatial knowledge of vegetation attribute, alongwith landuse, socio-economic and physical parameters. Aglar watershed, which drains in the river Yamuna, is situated in a socio-economically backward region. Any development plan in this region will require an approach which considers natural unit of watershed and its parameterisation. The study highlights the utility of space remote sensing data in obtaining spatial information of vegetation and existing landuse through visual interpretation of 1:50,000 scale Landsat TM false colour composite. Aglar watershed has been identified as forested having distinct vegetation distribution and landuse practice in southern and northern aspects of the watershed. Southern aspects are more inhabited and subjected to terrace cultivation and acute shortage of vegetation resources for fuelwood and fodder. The northern aspect is thickly vegetated with low-population density.     

Deciphering some unique paleotemperature indicators in halite-bearing saline lake deposits from Death Valley, California, USA

Saline lake deposits are arguably the best source of mid- to low-latitude terrestrial paleoclimate data. Alternating clastic sediments and evaporites of different chemical composition have long been recognized as sensitive records of changes in inflow and aridity related to a variety of climate parameters. Several sources of paleotemperature information from a halite-bearing saline lake deposit are described here – pseudomorphs of a cold-temperature evaporite mineral, homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions in halite, and stable-isotope compositions of fluid inclusions in halite. Examples of these paleoclimate data come from analysis of the lower half of a 185-m core drilled in Pleistocene saline lake deposits at Death Valley, California. Daily and seasonal temperature variations in saline lake waters create conditions for the appearance and disappearance of temperature-dependent mineral phases. In the Death Valley core, hexagonal-shaped halite crystals, probable pseudomorphs of the cold-temperature hydrous mineral, hydrohalite (NaCl2H₂O), provide evidence of brine temperatures below about 0 °C. Homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions in primary halite offer an actual (not proxy) record of surface-brine temperatures. Samples with primary fluid-inclusion textures are carefully selected and handled, and data are collected from single-phase aqueous-brine inclusions chilled to nucleate vapor bubbles. Temperature variations are observable at scales of individual halite crystals (hours to days), single halite beds (weeks to months or years), and multiples of beds to entire facies (hundreds to tens of thousands of years). A ¹⁸O/D stable isotope record from the minute quantities of brines in fluid inclusions in halite is accessible using a method recently developed at the University of Calgary. The stable isotope record from the Death Valley core, a complex response to climate variables including temperature, humidity, storm patterns or seasons, and inflow sources, compliments and expands the interpretation emerging from the stratigraphy and homogenization temperatures.     

Reaction enhanced channelised fluid-flux along mid- crustal shear zone: An example from Mesoproterozoic Phulad Shear Zone,Rajasthan, India

Fluid infiltration at great depth during regional metamorphism plays a major role in mass transport and is responsible for significant rheological changes in the rock. Calc-silicate rocks of the Kajalbas area of Delhi Fold Belt, Rajasthan, are characterised by foliation parallel alternate bands of amphibole-rich and clinopyroxene–plagioclase feldspar-rich layers of varying thicknesses (mm to decimetre thick). Textural relation suggests that the amphibole grains formed from clinopyroxene and plagioclase in the late phase of regional deformation. Algebraic analysis of the reaction textures and mineral compositions was performed with the computer program C-Space to obtain the balanced chemical reactions that led to the formation of amphibole-rich bands. The computed balanced reaction is 70.74 Clinopyroxene + 27.23 Plagioclase + 22.018 H₂O + 5.51 K⁺+ 1.00 Mg²⁺+ 27.15 Fe²⁺ = 22.02 Amphibole + 67.86 SiO₂ aqueous + 36.42 Ca²⁺+ 8.98 Na⁺. The constructed reaction suggests that aqueous fluid permeated the calc-silicate rock along mm to decimetre thick channels, metasomatized the clinopyroxene–plagioclase bearing rocks to form the amphibole-rich layers. The regional deformation presumably created the fluid channels thereby allowing the metasomatic fluid to enter the rock system. The above reaction has large negative volume change for solid phases indicating reaction-induced permeability. Thermodynamic calculations suggest that the fluid–rock interaction occurred at 665 ±05^°C and 6.6 ±0.25 kbar (corresponding to ～20 km depth). Textural modeling integrating the textural features and balanced chemical reaction of the calc-silicate rocks of Mesoproterozoic Phulad Shear Zone thus indicate that extremely channelled fluid flow was reaction enhanced and caused major change in the rock rheology.