Microzonation of seismic and landslide prone areas for alternate highway alignment in a part of western coast of India using remote sensing techniques

West coast of India is a narrow and linear, a portion from Bombay to Goa in this track is known as Konkan coast. Remotely Sensed geocoded data from IRS-1B has the potentiality in identification of localized patches of change in environmental parameters, which includes changes in lineament pattern, vegetation anomaly, rock debris and occurrence of landslides. Ground protuberances in this terrain are important surface manifestations of probable seismic activity. In these areas quaquaversal drainage pattern is inferred. Landslides are also expected in places near NH-17 (National Highway — 17) which may affect the socio-economic scenario of area. Alternate highway alignment is planned based on least hazard potentiality of the terrain. Weathered Basalts inferred, near the bank of Amba river, were not recommended for tunnel construction. Anomalous clay patches need more care for road construction. Inferred joints, fractures and faults were found in some places which were marked as hazardous locations. Some areas were marked hazardous for road construction due to the presence of palaeochannels but the same were marked as potential areas for ground water exploration.     

Further studies of the nature,composition and ages of contemporary phosphorite from the Namibian Shelf

Major and minor element and radiochemical data are examined for a set of phosphorite concretions and other phosphatic material from the Namibian Shelf. The concretions were separated on a morphological basis from grab samples taken in a transect of shallowing depth over the diatomaceous ooze belt. Compositional data indicate that the samples are fairly pure carbonate-fluorapatite, and trend towards a maximum 32% P₂O₅ content. A range of compositional variability similar to other samples from the Namibian Shelf is observed.Radiochemical systematics confirm that pelletal phosphorite and glauconitized pelletal phosphorite from depths > 170 m are at radioactive equilibrium, and are therefore old and reworked. The concretions, collected from depths shallower than 78 m, are entirely Recent, with maximum ages in the range 500–3800 years. They may be much younger. Despite distinct textural and small compositional differences, similar ages are found for separates from the same grab. Samples of fish scales and an unidentified high-magnesian phosphate mineral are also shown to have incorporated uranium recently.     

Acceleration of the universe in f(R) gravity models

A general formalism for the investigation of the late time dynamics of the universe for any analytic f(R) gravity model, along with a cold dark matter, has been discussed in the present work. The formalism is then elucidated with two examples. The values of the parameters of the models are chosen in such a way that they are consistent with the basic observational requirement.     

Neutron stars and the equation of state

The interior of neutron stars consists of the densest, although relatively cold, matter known in the universe. Here, baryon number densities might reach values close to ten times the nuclear saturation density. These suggest that the constituents of neutron star cores not only consist of nucleons, but also of more exotic baryons like hyperons or a phase of deconfined quarks. We discuss the consequences of such exotic particles on the gross properties and phenomenology of neutron stars. In addition, we determine the general phase structure of dense and also hot matter in the chiral parity-doublet model and confront model results with the recent constraints derived from the neutron star merger observation.     

Waves produced in an infinite elastic medium due to normal forces and twists on the surface of a burried spherical source

Summary In this paper, the waves propagated in an infinite medium has been considered by disturbances on the surface of a burried spherical source. The disturbances are produced by two types of forces viz. i) Transient normal force, ii) Transient twist applied on the surface of the source. The solutions are obtained in a very simple form. Graphical representations of some numerical solutions has been added at the end of each problem.     

Hydrogeochemical processes controlling fluoride enrichment within alluvial and hard rock aquifers in a part of a semi-arid region of Northern India

Rock–water interaction along with mineral dissolution/ precipitation plays a profound role in the control of fluoride ion concentration within the alluvial groundwater in a part of semi-arid northern India. In the premonsoon season, the alluvial region experiences evaporative processes leading to increase in Na⁺ ions which through reverse ion exchange processes are adsorbed onto suitable sites within the aquifer matrix in exchange for Ca²⁺ ion in solution. Increase in Ca²⁺ ions in solution inhibits fluorite mineral dissolution, thereby controlling premonsoon fluoride ion concentration within alluvial groundwaters (1.40?±?0.5 mg/l). In the postmonsoon season, however, higher average fluoride ion concentration within the alluvial aquifer samples (2.33?±?0.80 mg/l) is observed mainly due to increase in silicate weathering of fluoride-bearing rocks and direct ion exchange processes enabling Ca²⁺ ion uptake from solution accompanied with the release of fluoride ions. Combined effect of these processes results in average fluoride ion concentration falling above the WHO drinking water permissible limit (1.5 mg/l). Alternatively, the hard rock aquifer samples within the study area have an average fluoride ion concentration falling below the permissible limit in both the seasons.     

Higher Himalayan Shear Zone, Sutlej section: structural geology and extrusion mechanism by various combinations of simple shear, pure shear and channel flow in shifting modes

The Higher Himalayan Shear Zone (HHSZ) in the Sutlej section reveals (1) top-to-SW ductile shearing, (2) top-to-NE ductile shearing in the upper- and the lower strands of the South Tibetan Detachment System (STDS_U, STDS_L), and (3) top-to-SW brittle shearing corroborated by trapezoid-shaped minerals in micro-scale. In the proposed extrusion model of the HHSZ, the E₁-phase during 25–19 Ma is marked by simple shearing of the upper sub-channel defined by the upper strand of the Main Central Thrust (MCT_U) and the top of STDS_U as the lower- and the upper boundaries, respectively. Subsequently, the E_2a-pulse during 15–14 Ma was characterized by simple shear, pure shear, and channel flow of the entire HHSZ. Finally, the E_2b-pulse during 14–12 Ma observed simple shearing and channel flow of the lower sub-channel defined by the lower strand of the Main Central Thrust (MCT_L) and the top of the STDS_L as the lower- and the upper boundaries, respectively. The model explains the constraints of thicknesses of the STDS_U and the STDS_L along with spatially variable extrusion rate and the inverted metamorphism of the HHSZ. The model predicts (1) shear strain after ductile extrusion to be maximum at the boundaries of the HHSZ, which crudely matches with the existing data. The other speculations that cannot be checked are (2) uniform shear strain from the MCT_U to the top of the HHSZ in the E₁-phase; (3) fastest rates of extrusion of the lower boundaries of the STDS_U and the STDS_L during the E_2a- and E_2b-pulses, respectively; and (4) variable thickness of the STDS_L and rare absence of the STDS_U. Non-parabolic shear fabrics of the HHSZ possibly indicate heterogeneous strain. The top-to-SW brittle shearing around 12 Ma augmented the ductile extruded rocks to arrive a shallower depth. The brittle–ductile extension leading to boudinage possibly did not enhance the extrusion.