Soft soil mapping using Horizontal to Vertical Spectral Ratio (HVSR) for seismic hazard assessment of Chandigarh city in Himalayan foothills,north India

The populated and expanding city of Chandigarh is located in the foothills of Himalaya, near the potentially active Main Frontal Thrust (MFT). A hazard assessment for this city is consequently of major importance. Thick sediments underlies the city and that can potentially amplify the earthquake shaking and contribute to an earthquake disaster in the city. The present study applies the Horizontal to Vertical Spectral Ratio (HVSR) ambient noise methodology to estimate the resonance frequency of the soft sediments and to obtain a first order estimate of sediment thickness. The study indicates that the soil thickness range from 30 to 270 m and that the resonance frequencies vary from 0.236 to 1.479 Hz. A smooth correlation function between soil thickness and resonance frequency is found, indicating relatively homogeneous soil.     

Nucleosynthetic zirconium isotope anomalies in acid leachates of carbonaceous chondrites

Stepwise dissolutions of the carbonaceous chondrites Orgueil (CI), Murchison (CM) and Allende (CV) reveal large nucleosynthetic anomalies for Zr isotopes that contrast with the uniform compositions found in bulk meteorites. Two complementary nucleosynthetic components are observed: one enriched and one depleted in s-process nuclides. The latter component, characterized by excess ⁹⁶Zr, is most distinctive in the acetic acid leachate (up to ε⁹⁶Zr ≈ 50). The excess decreases with increasing acid strength and the final leaching steps of the experiment are depleted in ⁹⁶Zr and thus enriched in s-process nuclides. Presolar silicon carbide grains are likely host phases for part of the anomalous Zr released during these later stages. However, by mass balance they cannot account for the ⁹⁶Zr excesses observed in the early leaching steps and this therefore hints at the presence of at least one additional carrier phase with significant amounts of anomalous Zr. The data provide evidence that average solar system material consists of a homogenized mixture of different nucleosynthetic components, which can be partly resolved by leaching experiments of carbonaceous chondrites.     

Plasma magnetosphere and spin down of rotating magnetized strange stars in general relativity

It has been found that in general relativity slow down due to the energy losses through charged particles outflow in plasma magnetosphere strongly depends on star’s compactness parameter and is more faster for the neutron star with comparison to that for the strange star of the same mass. Comparison with astrophysical observations on pulsars spin down precise data may provide important information about star’s compactness parameter and consequently an evidence for the strange star existence and, thus, serve as a test for distinguishing it from the neutron star.     

Geographical model for precise agriculture monitoring with real-time remote sensing

This paper presents a remote sensing model for crop monitoring that was developed by the authors in a multi-year study. It also presents two experiments conducted for testing a newly developed application. The model combines remote sensing models using mapping of the spatial distribution of vegetation in an agricultural field, with precision agricultural models that maximize the output (yield) while minimizing the input (cost). This combination enables one to operate a monitoring and management process that includes every sub-unit of the field using remote sensing mapping.The model consists of five steps: (1) Preparing information layers that map the crop-affecting elements, e.g. irrigation and topography; (2) Collecting spectral and plant data simultaneously; (3) Processing and analyzing the data in order to prepare vegetation maps; (4) Decision-making in accordance with the above-mentioned maps or with predicted-yield maps; and (5) Quality control.The experiments showed that although the results were not statistically significant, the application of the proposed model enables one to draw recommendations within 45 h, and that remote sensing monitoring results in more benefits than do traditional control methods. The quality control was not ideal, due to the narrow range of the spectrum used in the remote sensing monitoring.     

Ccte d'Ivoire-Ghana margin: seismic imaging of passive rifted crust adjacent to a transform continental margin

During May 1990 and January-February 1991, an extensive geophysical data set was collected over the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana continental margin, located along the equatorial coast of West Africa. The Ghana margin is a transform continental margin running subparallel to the Romanche Fracture Zone and its associated marginal ridge—the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana Ridge. From this data set, an explosive refraction line running ∼ 150 km, ENE-WSW between 3°55'N, 3°21'W and 4°23'N, 2°4'W, has been modelled together with wide-angle airgun profiles, and seismic reflection and gravity data. This study is centred on the Côte d'Ivoire Basin located just to the north of the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana Ridge, where bathymetric data suggest that a component of normal rifting occurred, rather than the transform motion observed along the majority of the equatorial West African margin.
Traveltime and amplitude modelling of the ocean-bottom seismometer data shows that the continental Moho beneath the margin rises in an oceanward direction, from ∼ 24 km below sea level to ∼ 17 km. In the centre of the line where the crust thins most rapidly, there exists a region of anomalously high velocity at the base of the crust, reaching some 8 km in thickness. This higher-velocity region is thought to represent an area of localized underplating related to rifting. Modelling of marine gravity data, collected coincident with the seismic line, has been used to test the best-fitting seismic model. This modelling has shown that the observed free-air anomaly is dominated by the effects of crustal thickness, and that a region of higher density is required at the base of the crust to fit the observed data. This higher-density region is consistent in size and location with the high velocities required to fit the seismic data.     

Assessment of hydrogeological conditions in basement aquifers of the Precambrian Oban massif, southeastern Nigeria

A combined analysis of lineament length density from radar imagery and surface resistivity data is used to assess the hydrogeological conditions in the Oban massif, Nigeria. The results show that the data guided the qualitative and quantitative estimation of some aquifer parameters. These include resistivity of the water bearing formations (280–740 ω m), thickness (5–140 m), limited hydraulic conductivity (8.53-13.18 m/day) and transmissivity (410.65–725.88 m²/day) data. In addition, the lineament length density for the area ranged between less than 0.2 to slightly more than 0.4. Site evaluation for the location of productive boreholes/wells using a groundwater potential index (GWPI) indicates that areas with a GWPI of greater than 35 are consistent with relatively high yield.     

Mineralogy,Fluid inclusions and stable isotopes study constraints on genesis of sulfide ore mineral,Qaladiza area Qandil Series,Iraqi Kurdistan Region

The metalized quartz veins is located 5 km west of the Iraqi-Iran border in the Qandil range. The quartz veins included sulfide and oxide ore minerals which mostly occur in the form of open-space filling texture. The polymetallic mesothermal quartz veins are hosted by marble and phyllite rocks. Within these veins, multiphase, open-space filling and crustiform, bedding to massive textures with pyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite,galena, sphalerite, tenorite, azurite, and malachite are observed. Selected samples were analyzed by using ore microscopy and electron probe micro analyzer (EPMA) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Ore minerals show replacement textures. The paragenesis diagram was made from a careful study of polished sections and three stages have been identified including pre-stage mineralization, mineralization, and post-mineralization stages.Fluid inclusion microthermometric analysis of 15 primary inclusions of quartz veins indicated that ore mineralization at the studied area were formed by a mesothermal, low to medium density, and dilute NaCl-type fluid system. The source of the fluid is mostly metamorphic which became mixed with other fluids later. Hydrothermal fluids of the selected studied area were classified into two groups based on microthermometry study; the first group had a higher homogenization temperature (335.5 to 386.8 °C) than the second group (194.1 to 298.5 °C), with a small difference in salinity between them. Nearly each group has different complexes including chloride and sulfide complexes respectively. The results of stable sulfur isotope of the ore minerals (chalcopyrite and sphalerite) confirmed the sedimentary and/or metamorphic origin of the ore mineralization.