On the effect of discontinuity in boundary gradient or in material properties on propagation of elastic waves

Summary The effect of surface irregularities in the form of boundary discontinuous gradients has been studied. It has been shown that certain waves will be attenuated due to passage through such irregularities in internal structure.     

Electric and magnetic field perturbations recorded by DEMETER satellite before seismic events of the 17th July 2006 M 7.7 earthquake in Indonesia

Seismo-electromagnetic phenomena refers to the electric and magnetic field perturbations that may be caused due to geophysical activities like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Due to the existence of such phenomena before earthquakes they may be regarded as short term precursors to earthquakes. Keeping in mind the in situ measurements for detection of such phenomena, the satellite based techniques are of great interest because they keep a constant track of the seismically active zones globally. With the objective of detecting the electromagnetic emissions in the ionosphere, the DEMETER satellite has been launched on 29th June 2004 from Baikonour in order to study the ionospheric perturbations associated with seismic activities. In this paper, we discuss some interesting results of electromagnetic emissions that are observed before a series of recent Indonesian earthquakes in the Jawa region with a major shock measuring 7.7 magnitude on Richter scale which occurred on 17 July 2006. The emissions have been observed in the Ultra Low Frequency (ULF)/Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) range of electromagnetic spectra.     

Morphological signatures of fault lines in an earthquake prone zone of southern Baromura hill,north-east India: a multi sources approach for spatial data analysis

This paper aims to assess the morphological signatures of tectonic features (faults) on the basis of multi sources spatial data analysis. For that purpose, the present authors selected the southern part of Baromura hill of Tripura, which has been discussed very little in the scientific literatures. An extensive field work was done in the assumed faulted areas to understand the geomorphic signatures of faulting. In the field, GPS was used for fixing the ground control points. Scanned Survey of India (SOI) topographical sheets, SPOT PAN and Land sat band-5 was used for digital analysis. An old DEM on IRS LISS-III FCC was also consulted for final mapping. Two clear lineaments (Faults) were detected from field observation on southern Baromura hill. Apart from these, another one was found in the outer part of this hill range. An attempt was made to explain the morphological signatures of those faults by density slicing on radiometric data based on emittance of different physical components. Finally a geomorphic map with main tectonic features of Baromura was prepared for future disaster management planning.     

Slope stability assessment and design of remedial measures for Tungnath Temple at Uttarakhand,India: a case study

Natural Hazards - The present paper assesses the slope stability of the Tungnath Temple at Rudraprayag District, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and suggests the remedial measures. The...     

Biomonitoring of Heavy Metals Using the Bivalve Molluscs in Sunderban Mangrove Wetland,Northeast Coast of Bay of Bengal (India): Possible Risks to Human Health

The suitability of using four bivalve molluscs (Sanguinolaria acuminata, Anadara granosa, Meretrix meretrix, and Pelecyora trigona) in biomonitoring of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn, and Hg) collected from intertidal regions of the Sunderban mangrove wetland, northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal, were evaluated. Both speciesdependent variability and temporal variations were pronounced. A high degree of organ specificity was evident in the bivalves where gill and mantle exhibited higher metal accumulation due to ion exchange property of the mucous layer covering these organs while shells represent very poor accumulation. Elevated values of Zn and Cu reflect high potential for biomagnification through marine food chain. Metal concentrations in different body size groups of the bivalves do not follow uniform trend. Correlation coefficient between different metal couplings as tested statistically revealed significant coupling for Pb–Zn, Pb–Cu, Zn–Cu, and Hg–Cu. Concentrations of all the metals in specific organs (visceral mass, mantle and gill) of the bivalves exceeded the safe levels according to the international standards for metals compiled by Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and would be of great risk for human consumption. It is concluded that the mussel and clam are suitable biomonitors to employ in programs designed to assess changes in metal pollution in the Sunderban mangrove wetland.     

Effects of mooring line drag damping on response statistics of vessels excited by first- and second-order wave forces

The drag-induced damping in a mooring cable due to combined first- and second-order wave excited motion of a moored vessel has been determined by statistical linearisation. A dynamic stiffness approach developed elsewhere is used to deal with the dynamics of the mooring cables. The power spectral densities of low- and wave-frequency responses are obtained which clearly show the influence of mooring line damping. The non-Gaussian probability density functions (pdf) and expected crossing rates of vessel responses and dynamic cable tensions are determined using the Kac–Seigert technique, and the influence of drag damping is highlighted.     

Transient heating of the upper atmosphere by auroral electric field

Magnetohydrodynamic formulation has been used to deduce the velocity distribution of the upper atmospheric movement caused by the auroral electric field at the thermospheric height. The expressions for Joule heating and viscous heating are obtained. Numerical analysis has been made to estimate their magnitudes as well as the rate of their variations with time. The results are presented graphically.     

The appropriate dyadic applicable to the lower region of the ionospheric plasma

An expression for the susceptibility dyadic appropriate to the lower regions of the atmospheric plasma is derived using Maxwell's field equations and the equation of conservation of momentum. The contributions due to viscous effect and convection current density are incorporated in the physical processes within the stated medium. Utilizing the approximation of linearized equations, second order coupled wave equations have been derived through the dyadic.     

Spectrum of average flux of the S-component of solar radio emission

Spectrum of average flux of the S-component of solar radio emission observed during the peak phase of the present solar cycle has been determined statistically. Daily values of the mean solar flux at 606, 1415, 2695, 4995 and 8800 MHz observed at the Sagamore Hill Solar Radio Observatory have been examined. The superposed epoch method (Chree analysis) has been used for determining the true nature of the S-component at all these frequencies. Spectrum has been obtained after elimination of the basic components at the respective frequencies. The important results obtained from the present statistical investigation are: (1) the basic component increases with frequency, (2) the S-component shows a maximum at 4995 MHz (6 cm), (3) the spectrum is independent of the phase of the 27-day cycle and (4) S-components at all the frequencies have slopes which are both more uniform and higher in the ascending phase than those in the descending phase of the 27-day cycle. In the descending phase slopes increase with frequency.     

Growth rate and life span of Eocene/Oligocene Nummulites tests: inferences from Sr/Ca ratio

The problem of growth rate and life span of Nummulites foraminifers, attaining giant sizes during the Eocene, has been addressed by analysing their Sr/Ca ratio across the Eocene/Oligocene Boundary (EOB) of Kutch, western India. The Eocene ratio (˜ 1) rapidly decreases during the Oligocene (˜ 0.5) and is coincident with the extinction of most of the Eocene Nummulites species, a rapid enrichment of δ¹⁸O and decrease in both test size and species diversity across the boundary. The high Sr/Ca ratio in Eocene foraminifers can be explained by their rapid growth under a favourable climatic condition. The climatic deterioration (e.g. δ¹⁸O cooling) across the boundary and during the early Oligocene possibly forced the Nummulites to adopt a slower growth rate (and stunted growth). The rapid growth of the Eocene Nummulites indicates that the giant sizes of these protists need not necessarily involve a large life span.