Determination of source duration and moment of earthquakes in the Indian Peninsula using love waveforms

Love waves recorded by a long-period seismograph at New Delhi (NDI) from seven earthquakes of magnitude 4.3 to 5.2 in Koyna and Bhatsa on the western coast and one earthquake in Ongole on the eastern coast of the Indian Peninsula have been used to determine the seismic moment for each of the earthquakes by waveform modeling. Transverse component of the synthetic seismogram shows that the maximum amplitude of waveform decreases with an increase of source duration. Thus for an evaluation of the seismic moment by equating the amplitude level of the observed and synthetic waveforms, we must know the source duration. The synthetic seismogram also indicates that a short source duration gives rise to a small but sharp pulse and this pulse is interpreted as anLg wave. Comparison of the observed and synthetic waveforms has been used for a simultaneous evaluation of the source duration and seismic moment. The source durations are found to vary between 2.2 and 4.4 s; for earthquakes with a magnitude range between 4.3 and 5.2 these durations are slightly higher than normal. We obtain moment (M ₀) of Ongole earthquake (M _L =5.1)as 1.7×10²⁴ dyne-cm; moments of Koyna and Bhatsa earthquakes (4.3M _L 5.2) on the western coast lie between 0.7×10²³ and 3.6×10²³ dyne-cm. Moment (M ₀)-magnitude (M _L ) relation logM ₀=1.5M _L +16.0 for the western United States region agrees as well, in general, with the results for the earthquakes in the Indian Peninsula.     

Geochemistry of some banded iron-formations of the Archean supracrustals,Jharkhand-Orissa region,India

Banded iron-formations (BIF) form an important part of the Archean supracrustal belts of the Jharkhand-Orissa region, India. Major, trace and REE chemistry of the banded iron-formation of the Gandhamardan, Deo Nala, Gorumahisani and Noamundi sections of the Jharkhand-Orissa region are utilized to explore the source of metals and to address the thermal regime of the basin floor and the redox conditions of the archean sea. Hydrothermal fluids of variable temperatures might have contributed the major part of the Fe and other trace elements to the studied banded iron-formations. Diagenetic fluids from the sea floor sediments and river water might have played a subdued role in supplying the Fe and other elements for the banded iron-formations.     

Characterisation of recharge processes and groundwater flow mechanisms in weathered-fractured granites of Hyderabad (India) using isotopes

In order to address the problem of realistic assessment of groundwater potential and its sustainability, it is vital to study the recharge processes and mechanism of groundwater flow in fractured hard rocks, where inhomogeneties and discontinuities have a dominant role to play. Wide variations in chloride, δ¹⁸O and ¹⁴C concentrations of the studied groundwaters observed in space and time could only reflect the heterogeneous hydrogeological setting in the fractured granites of Hyderabad (India). This paper, based on the observed isotopic and environmental chloride variations of the groundwater system, puts forth two broad types of groundwaters involving various recharge processes and flow mechanisms in the studied granitic hard rock aquifers. Relatively high ¹⁴C ages (1300 to ～6000 yr B.P.), δ¹⁸O content (?3.2 to ?1.5‰) and chloride concentration (<100 mg/l) are the signatures that identified one broad set of groundwaters resulting from recharge through weathered zone and subsequent movement through extensive sheet joints. The second set of groundwaters possessed an age range Modern to ～1000 yr B.P., chloride in the range 100 to ～350 mg/l and δ¹⁸O from ?3.2 to +1.7‰. The δ¹⁸O enrichment and chloride concentration, further helped in the segregation of the second set of groundwaters into three sub-sets characterized by different recharge processes and sources. Based on these processes and mechanisms, a conceptual hydrogeologic model has evolved suggesting that the fracture network is connected either to a distant recharge source or to a surface reservoir (evaporating water bodies) apart from overlying weathered zone, explaining various resultant groundwaters having varying ¹⁴C ages, chloride and δ¹⁸O concentrations. The surface reservoir contribution to groundwater is evaluated to be significant (40 to 70%) in one subset of groundwaters. The conceptual hydrogeologic model, thus evolved, can aid in understanding the mechanism of groundwater flow as well as migration of contaminants to deep groundwater in other fractured granitic areas.     

亚致死剂量铜对文昌鱼和玫瑰无须的组织病理学影响

采用半静水实验法测试研究了重金属Cu2 对文昌鱼(Branchiostoma belcheri)和玫瑰无须(Puntius conchonius)的急性致死毒性和亚急性毒性.实验结果表明,Cu2 对文昌鱼和玫瑰无须 24,48,72,96 h的半致死浓度分别为0.561,0.373,0.261,0.211 mg/L及0.976,0.783,0.562,0.473 mg/L,其安全质量浓度分别为0.021和0.047 mg/L.亚急性毒性实验中,文昌鱼和玫瑰无须 分别用浓度为20%和30%的 96 h LC50的Cu2 处理.不同器官的组织病理学观察结果表明,过量Cu2 对玫瑰无须 的鳃、肝脏、肾脏等器官产生毒害,对文昌鱼鳃和肝盲囊细胞也产生了严重的毒害,表现为细胞空泡化等明显的结构破坏.实验结果显示文昌鱼的肝盲囊和脊椎动物的肝脏一样,也是受过量铜显著毒害的主要靶器官器官.因此,文昌鱼的肝盲囊至少在经受过量Cu2 毒害方面与脊椎动物肝脏具有相似性,从生理功能方面为类文昌鱼祖先的盲囊(digestive caecum)是脊椎动物肝脏的前体这一假说提供了资料.     

The Spiral Arm Connection of Egret Unidentified Sources

Based on a LogN-LogS relation we have shown that the EGRET unidentified source (UnidS) distribution closely follows the Galactic spiral arm structure. This seems to satisfy the hypothesis that the EGRET UnidS arise due to energetic interactions with molecular clouds that reside on the spiral arms. Furthermore, the luminosity distribution of the unidentified sources features a double Gaussian distribution. We suggest that a combined distribution of OB associations, SNR and superbubbles interacting with molecular clouds within the spiral arms are the most likely counterparts of the unidentified sources.     

Response of thunderstorm and lightning activity to solar modulation of atmospheric electrification

Summary The influence of thunderstorms on the atmospheric radio noise field strength (ARNFS) over Kalyani (West Bengal) at 27 kHz has been analyzed over a two-year period. The results show that the median noise level decreases during the winter and reaches a maximum during the monsoon months. A comparison of the seasonal occurrence of thunderstorm-days with ARNFS indicates that both of them have similar trend over time. However, the trend is more pronounced during daytime, indicating relationship between solar activity, thunderstorms and ARNFS. In this paper, we have attempted to investigate how tropical thunderstorm and lightning activity might be responsible for the solar modulation of atmospheric electrification. The influence of ionizing radiation on the electrical global circuit of the atmosphere is also critically analyzed.With 7 Figures     

Spatial variability and mechanisms underlying El Niño-induced droughts in Mexico

The El Niño Southern Oscillation plays a key role in modulating interannual rainfall variability in Mexico. While El Niño events are linked to drought in Mexico, uncertainty exists about the spatial pattern and causal mechanisms behind El Niño-induced drought. We use lead/lag correlation analysis of rainfall station data to identify the spatial pattern of drought associated with the summer before, and the spring following, the peak of warm SST anomalies in the eastern equatorial Pacific. We also use atmospheric fields from the North American Regional Reanalysis to calculate the anomalous moisture budget and diagnose the mechanisms associated with El Niño-induced drought in Mexico. We find that reduced rainfall occurs in Mexico in both the summer before and the spring after a peak El Niño event, especially in regions of climatologically strong convection. The teleconnection in the developing phase of El Niño is primarily driven by changes in subsidence resulting from anomalous convection in the equatorial Pacific. The causes of drought during the decaying phase of El Niño events are varied: in some years, descent anomalies dominate other moisture budget terms, while in other years, drying of the boundary layer on the Mexican plateau is important. We suggest that the latter may result from the interaction of weakened southeasterly winds in the Intra-Americas Sea with high topography along the Atlantic coast of Mexico. Weakened winds are likely driven by a reduced sea level pressure gradient between the Atlantic and the Pacific. Changes in easterly wave activity may contribute to drought in the developing phase of El Niño, but may be less important in the decaying phase of El Niño.     

Photogeological mapping of the parts of adilabad and karimnagar districts,Andhra Pradesh

Mapping of the Archaean, Precambrian and Permocarboniferous sedimentary formations in the northern and southern parts of Godavari river covering parts of Adilabad and Karimnagar districts through photointerpretation technique, has been found to be fairly accurate and reliable. Their unique photo characters and other recognition elements are briefly described in this paper.