GIS-based vulnerability mapping of the coastal stretch from Puri to Konark in Odisha using analytical hierarchy process

Natural Hazards - The 485-km-long coastline of Odisha, a state in the northeastern part of the Indian peninsula, is potentially vulnerable to several disaster events that take place frequently. In...     

Integration of Sparse Geologic Information in Gold Targeting Using Logistic Regression Analysis in the Hutti–Maski Schist Belt,Raichur, Karnataka,India—A Case Study

Logistic regression has been used in the study to integrate indicator patterns for estimation of the probability of occurrence of gold deposits in a part of the auriferous Archaean Hutti–Maski schist belt. Data used consist of categorical and continuous variables obtained from a coded lineament map and geochemical anomaly maps of the pathfinder elements of gold in soil and groundwater. Main effects and interactions of the variables studied were used in formulating the logistic regression model. Regression models using lineament-proximity data, combined with soil and groundwater geochemical anomalies were tested on parts of the schist belt with data not used in estimation of model parameters. Predicted probabilities greater than 0.9 identified known deposit locations in the area.     

Probabilistic seismic hazard assessment for some parts of the Indo-Gangetic plains,India

Natural Hazards - Indo-Gangetic plains are seismically most vulnerable due to the proximity of adjacent great Himalayan earthquakes and thick alluvium deposits of the Ganga River system. As the...     

Axial behavior of tapered piles using cavity expansion theory

Acta Geotechnica - This paper presents a procedure for evaluating the load–displacement behavior of tapered piles under static axial compressive loads. The response of tapered piles under...     

Calibration and validation of a general infiltration model

A general infiltration model proposed by Singh and Yu (1990) was calibrated and validated using a split sampling approach for 191 sets of infiltration data observed in the states of Minnesota and Georgia in the USA. Of the five model parameters, f_c (the final infiltration rate), S_o (the available storage space) and exponent ‘n’ were found to be more predictable than the other two parameters: m (exponent) and a (proportionality factor). A critical examination of the general model revealed that it is related to the Soil Conservation Service (1956) curve number (SCS‐CN) method and its parameter S_o is equivalent to the potential maximum retention of the SCS‐CN method and is, in turn, found to be a function of soil sorptivity and hydraulic conductivity. The general model was found to describe infiltration rate with time varying curve number. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparative analysis of contributing parameters for rainfall-triggered landslides in the Lesser Himalaya of Nepal

In the Himalaya, people live in widely spread settlements and suffer more from landslides than from any other type of natural disaster. The intense summer monsoons are the main factor in triggering landslides. However, the relations between landslides and slope hydrology have not been a focal topic in Himalayan landslide research. This paper deals with the contributing parameters for the rainfall-triggered landslides which occurred during an extreme monsoon rainfall event on 23 July 2002, in the south-western hills of Kathmandu valley, in the Lesser Himalaya, Nepal. Parameters such as bedrock geology, geomorphology, geotechnical properties of soil, and clay mineralogy are described in this paper. Landslide modeling was performed in SEEP/W and SLOPE/W to understand the relationship of pore water pressure variations in soil layers and to determine the spatial variation of landslide occurrence. Soil characteristics, low angle of internal friction of fines in soil, medium range of soil permeability, presence of clay minerals in soil, bedrock hydrogeology, and human intervention were found to be the main contributing parameters for slope failures in the region.     

Central Himalayan crystallines as the primary source for the sandstone–mudstone suites of the Siwalik Group: New geochemical evidence

Geochemistry of the Sub-Himalayan foreland basin Siwalik sediments has been used for interpreting the nature of the source rocks. This study has shown that the compositional changes are a function of stratigraphic height, demonstrated by the upward increase of P₂O₅, Na₂O, CaO, MgO and SiO₂ content from Lower to the Upper Siwalik rocks. On the other hand, K₂O, Fe₂O₃, TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ show decrease with the increasing stratigraphic height. These trends are a clear reflection of time-controlled changes in the source lithology. Ratios such as Eu/Eu*, (La/Lu)_cn, La/Sc, Th/Sc, La/Co, and Cr/Th suggest a prominent felsic source area for the Siwalik sediments. Chondrite-normalized REE pattern with LREE enrichment and moderately flat HREE pattern with sharp negative Eu anomaly are attributed to a felsic source. Contrary to the existing belief, this study has ruled out any contribution from the mafic sources and highlighted the compositional similarities of Siwalik sediments with the crustal proxies like PAAS, NASC and UCC. The geochemical data point to a significant role played by the Precambrian and early Paleozoic granitic rocks of the Himalayan tectogene in shaping the composition of the foreland sediments. The variable CIA values and marked depletion in Na, Mg and Ca exhibited by the Lower, Middle and Upper Siwalik sediments reflect variable climatic zones and variations in the rate of tectonic uplift of the source area. Our results demonstrate that in the Lower Siwalik and part of the Middle Siwalik, Higher Himalayan Crystalline sequence (HHCS) was the primary source area with minor contributions by the meta-sedimentary succession of the Lesser Himalaya. Later, during the deposition of the upper part of the Middle Siwalik and Upper Siwalik, the source terrain switched positions. These two prominent source terrains supplied sediments in steadily changing proportion through time.     

Love waves in the fiber-reinforced layer over a gravitating porous half-space

This paper aims to study the propagation of Love waves in fiber-reinforced layer lying over a gravitating anisotropic porous half-space. The closed form of dispersion equation has been derived for the Love waves in terms of Whittaker function and its derivative, which are further expanded asymptotically, retaining the terms up to second degree. The frequency equation shows that the transverse and longitudinal rigidity of reinforced material, as well as gravity and porosity of the porous halfspace have significant effect on the propagation of Love waves. The study reveals that the increment in width of reinforced layer decreases the phase velocity. For a particular width of the reinforced layer, it is also observed that the phase velocity increases with increasing porosity of the half-space, but it decreases with increasing gravity.     

Geochronological (Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd) studies on intrusive gabbros and dolerite dykes from parts of Northern and Central Indian cratons: Implications for the age of onset of sedimentation in Bijawar and Chattisgarh basins and uranium mineralisation

The Dargawan gabbros intrusive into the Moli Subgroup of Bijawar Group, yielded Rb-Sr whole rock isochron age of 1967 ± 140 Ma. Based on the oldest age from overlying Lower Vindhyan (1.6Ga) and the underlying youngest basement ages (2.2 Ga), the time range of Bijawar sedimentation may be assigned as 2.1–1.6 Ga (Paleoproterozoic). Sm-Nd Model ages (T_DM), obtained, for Dargawan gabbros, is c. 2876–3145 Ma. High initial ⁸⁷Sr/ ⁸⁶Sr ratio of 0.70451 (higher than the contemporary mantle) and negative ɛ_Ndi (at 1.9 Ga) value of −1.5 to − 4.5, indicate assimilation of Archaean lower crustal component by the enriched mantle source magma at the time of gabbroic intrusion. The dolerite, from Damdama area, which is intrusive into the basement and overlying sediments of Chandrapur Group in the central Indian craton, yielded Rb-Sr internal isochron age of 1641 ± 120 Ma. The high initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of 0.7098 and ɛ_Ndi value of −3.5 to −3.7 (at 1.6 Ga) is due to contamination of the mantle source magma with the overlying sediments. These dolerites have younger Sm-Nd Model ages (T_DM) than Dargawan gabbros as c. 2462–2675 Ma, which is similar to the age of the Sambalpur granite, from which probably sediments to this part of Chattisgarh basin are derived. Hence mixing of sediments with the Damdama dyke during its emplacement, gives rise to high initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and low initial ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴ ratios for these dykes. The c. 1600 Ma age indicates minimum age of onset of the sedimentation in the Chandrapur Group of Chattisgarh basin. Both the above mafic intrusions might have taken place in an intracratonic rift related (anorogenic) tectonic setting. This study is the first reliable age report on the onset of sedimentation in the Chandrapur Group. The total minimum time span of Chandrapur and Raipur Group may be 1.6 Ga to 1.0 Ga (Mesoproterozoic). The unconformably underlying Shingora Group of rocks of Chhattisgarh Supergroup thus indicates Paleoproterozoic age (older than 1.6 Ga). Most part of the recently classified Chattisgarh Supergroup and Bijawar-Vindhyan sequence are of Mesoproterozoic-Paleoproterozoic age and not of Neoproterozoic-Mesoproterozoic age as considered earlier. Petrographic study of basic dykes from Damdama area (eastern margin of Chattisgarh Supergroup) indicated presence of primary uranium mineral brannerite associated with goethite. This is the evidence of mafic intrusive providing geotherm and helping in scavenging the uranium from the surrounding and later alterations causing remobilisation and reconcentration of pre-existing uranium in host rocks as well as in mafic dyke itself otherwise mafic rocks are poor source of uranium and can not have primary uranium minerals initially. It can be concluded that mafic dykes have role in uranium mineralisation although indirectly.