Geomorphic portrait of the Little Rann of Kutch

Little Rann of Kutch is an integral part of the Rann of Kutch, occupying southeastern part of it. It remains a saline-inundated regime, partially seasonal and partially around the year. The study area experiences a very high ambient temperature at one point of time while it gets flooded by both the tidal water ingression and freshwater poured by the seasonal rivers during the monsoon season. And as a result, the area experiences a seasonal reversal of geomorphic processes which in turn is reflected through its distinctive and dynamic landforms. Geologically, this area was a part of oceanic floor and has immerged in the recent past. Geomorphology of the area plays a dominant role in the pattern and cause of saline water intrusion. The surface of Rann is at or slightly above sea level and possesses a monotonously plain character with some outcrop in the form of sandstone capped by basalts, resembling to island in the mid of the Rann. During 3 months of the southwest monsoon, storm tides, aided by the wind, force water from the Arabian Sea over the flat surface of the Ranns. Rainfall is fairly low, so that as the water recede and evaporate, they leave behind a crust of halite and gypsum crystals which grow in the clay and sands. This monotonously saline flat surface with annual inundation, have executed the Rann a mysterious piece of terrain. The characteristics and role of sediments in terms of erosional and depositional characteristics, their plasticity, facilitating capillary rise, their hygroscopic absorption capacity, infiltration capacity, permeability, etc. gives both short- and long-term implication to the area. Apart from the above concern, the soil has a great deal to play in terms of the vegetal and faunal cover. Considering these above characteristics, study area has been regionalized in order to have a better understanding and planning for the study area. The study area being an economic zone, also confronts with several environmental problems.     

Avalanche hazard mitigation in east Karakoram mountains

Natural Hazards - Karakoram mountains range in north-western part of Himalayas is about 500 km in length and hosts some of the world’s highest peaks and longest glaciers. It is...     

Shear waves in elastic medium with void pores welded between vertically inhomogeneous and anisotropic magnetoelastic semi-infinite media

The paper intends to study the propagation of horizontally polarized shear waves in an elastic medium with void pores constrained between a vertically inhomogeneous and an anisotropic magnetoelastic semi-infinite media. Elasto-dynamical equations of elastic medium with void pores and magnetoelastic solid have been employed to investigate the shear wave propagation in the proposed three-layered earth model. Method of separation of variables has been incorporated to deduce the dispersion relation. All possible special cases have been envisaged and they fairly comply with the corresponding results for classical cases. The role of inhomogeneity parameter, thickness of layer, angle with which the wave crosses the magnetic field and anisotropic magnetoelastic coupling parameter for three different materials has been elucidated and represented by graphs using MATHEMATICA.     

Total mercury content in some marine fish from the Indian Ocean

Total mercury was estimated in liver, gonads and muscle of some of the marine fishes from the Indian Ocean. The highest mercury concentration was observed in the muscle of sharks while the total mercury concentration was practically non-detectable in the liver and gonads. The range of all the values was 0.09–0.21 ppm (wet weight basis) and is quite low to reflect any possible mercury contamination.     

On leaking modes

Summary The aim of the present paper is to investigate whether the so called leaking modes in the propagation of seismic waves exist or not. Physically, the idea of leaking modes whose amplitudes increase as the distance from the free surface increases does not seem to be sound. We give a detailed mathematical reasoning in support of this view. To this end, we reconsider the simple problem ofLapwood [3]²⁾. After deforming the path of integration to the second sheet and evaluating each term which appears we see that terms which are seemingly responsible for leaking modes, cancel out. Thus mathematically also it appears that there are no leaking modes.     

Seismicity in the vicinity of the India-Burma border: Evidence for a sinking lithosphere

The vicinity of the India-Burma border region is among a few intracontinental regions in the world where intermediate-focus earthquakes occur. The recent installation of new seismic stations has improved the detection and location capabilities for earthquakes in this region. Three seismic stations belonging to this new array are located over the zone of intermediate-focus earthquakes. Analysis of recently acquired seismic data reveals a well-defined near-vertical zone of earthquake foci extending to 200 km beneath the Arakan-Yoma fold belt. On the basis of seismic, gravity and other geological data, it is suggested that this zone of earthquakes is associated with remnants of the already subducted, but not totally assimilated, Tethys oceanic lithosphere below the Burmese plate.     

Hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico: Does the science support the Plan to Reduce,Mitigate, and Control Hypoxia?

We update and reevaluate the scientific information on the distribution, history, and causes of continental shelf hypoxia that supports the 2001 Action Plan for Reducing, Mitigating, and Controlling Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force 2001), incorporating data, publications, and research results produced since the 1999 integrated assessment. The metric of mid-summer hypoxic area on the LouisianaTexas shelf is an adequate and suitable measure for continued efforts to reduce nutrients loads from the Mississippi River and hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico as outlined in the Action Plan. More frequent measurements of simple metrics (e.g., area and volume) from late spring through late summer would ensure that the metric is representative of the system in any given year and useful in a public discourse of conditions and causes. The long-term data on hypoxia, sources of nutrients, associated biological parameters, and paleoindicators continue to verify and strengthen the relationship between the nitratenitrogen load of the Mississippi River, the extent of hypoxia, and changes in the coastal ecosystem (eutrophication and worsening hypoxia). Multiple lines of evidence, some of them representing independent data sources, are consistent with the big picture pattern of increased eutrophication as a result of long-term nutrient increases that result in excess carbon production and accumulation and, ultimately, bottom water hypoxia. The additional findings arising since 1999 strengthen the science supporting the Action Plan that focuses on reducing nutrient loads, primarily nitrogen, through multiple actions to reduce the size of the hypoxic zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico.     

Reconstruction of specific mass balance for glaciers in Western Himalaya using seasonal sensitivity characteristic(s)

Seasonal sensitivity characteristics (SSCs) were developed for Naradu, Shaune Garang, Gor Garang and Gara glaciers, Western Himalaya to quantify the changes in mean specific mass balance using monthly temperature and precipitation perturbations. The temperature sensitivities were observed high during summer (April–October) and precipitation sensitivities during winter months (November–March), respectively. The reconstructed mass balance correlates well with the field and remote sensing measurements, available between 1980 and 2014. Further, SSCs were used with the monthly mean temperatures and precipitation estimates of ERA 20CM ensemble climate reanalysis datasets to reconstruct the specific mass balance for a period of 110 years, between 1900 and 2010. Mass balance estimates suggest that the Shaune Garang, Gor-Garang and Gara glaciers have experienced both positive and negative mass balance, whereas the Naradu glacier has experienced only negative mass balance since 1900 AD. Further, a cumulative loss of \(-133 \pm 21.5\) m.w.e was estimated for four glaciers during the observation period. This study is the first record from Indian Himalaya in evaluating the mass balance characteristics over a century scale.     

Spatial assessment of groundwater use potential for irrigation in Teesta Barrage Project in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, development of the groundwater resource for irrigation is a vital component of the government’s agricultural strategy to attain food self-sufficiency. Amidst reports of falling groundwater levels in many parts of Bangladesh, the potential of groundwater use has been investigated in the Teesta Barrage Project (TBP) in which large-scale groundwater development for dry-season irrigation has taken place in the recent past. Several techniques and tools have been applied such as the combination of analysis of groundwater hydrographs and mathematical modelling to derive key hydrogeological variables, calculation of net irrigation requirement and the use of geographical information systems. The results show that the economically attractive high-yielding variety (HYV) Boro (dry season) rice cultivation during the groundwater irrigation season may not be sustained in large parts of the project area if the current trends in abstraction are continued. However, due to spatial variation in abstraction, nine thanas (sub-districts)—out of a total of 21 in the project area—may still be able to expand groundwater-irrigated cropland and a groundwater-use potential of 40 mm/year may be created if deep-set shallow tubewells are used by the farmers to abstract groundwater. A structured approach, based on zoning of potential areas, is recommended for groundwater development and use.

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Resumen En Bangladesh, el desarrollo de las aguas subterráneas para riego es un componente vital del la estrategia agrícola del Gobierno para obtener la auto-suficiencia alimentaria. Un informe intermedio evidencia un descenso de los niveles de aguas subterráneas en muchas partes de Bangladesh, el uso potencial de aguas subterránea ha sido investigado en el Proyecto Tessta Barrage (TBP) en el cual ha tenido lugar el desarrollo de las aguas subterráneas a gran escala para el riego en la estación seca en un pasado reciente. Se ha aplicado algunas técnicas y herramientas, como la combinación del análisis de datos gráficos de aguas subterráneas y modelización matemática para obtener variables hidrogeológicas clave, el cálculo de la necesidad neta de riego y el uso de Sistemas de Información Geográfica. El resultado muestra que el cultivo, económicamente atractivo, de arroz HYV Boro (estación seca) durante la estación de riego con aguas subterráneas puede no ser sostenible en gran parte del área del proyecto si continúan las tendencias actuales en las extracciones. Sin embargo, debido a la variación espacial en la extracción, nueve thanas (subdistritos)—de un total de 21 en el área del Proyecto—pueden todavía sufrir un aumento de la tierra cultivable regada con aguas subterráneas y que se puede asumir un uso potencial de agua subterránea de 40 mm/estación si los granjeros utilizan sondeos someros instalados en fosas para la extracción. Se recomienda una aproximación estructurada para el desarrollo y uso de las aguas subterráneas, basada en la zonificación de áreas potenciales.

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Résumé Au Bangladesh, l’exploitation des ressources en eau souterraines pour l’irrigation est une composante vitale de la stratégie agricole gouvernementale pour atteindre l’auto-suffisance alimentaire. Parmi les baisses de niveaux piézométriques rapportées sur de nombreuses régions du Bangladesh, le potentiel d’utilisation des eaux souterraines a été étudié sur le Projet de Barrage de Teesta (TBP), où, dans un passé récent, les eaux souterraines ont été massivement exploitées pour l’irrigation en saison sèche. De nombreux outils et techniques ont été utilisés, comme l’analyse combinée des chroniques piézométriques et des modèles mathématiques pour dégager les variables hydrogéologiques clés, le calcul des besoins nets pour l’irrigation, et l’utilisation des systèmes d’information géographique. Les résultats démontrent que la culture en saison d’irrigation de la variété de riz HYV Boro (saison sèche), économiquement attrayante, n’est potentiellement pas viable sur de nombreux secteurs de la zone étudiée si les prélèvements perdurent selon la tendance actuelle. Cependant, du fait de la variation spatiale des prélèvements, neuf thanas (sous-districts)—sur un total de 21 sur le secteur d’étude—pourraient encore augmenter les surfaces irriguées, et une disponibilité en eau de 40 mm/saison pourrait être générée si les agriculteurs utilisaient des puits peu profonds pour exploiter les ressources souterraines. Une approche structurée, basée sur le zonage des secteurs potentiels, est recommandée pour l’exploitation et l’utilisation des eaux souterraines.

     

Electromagnetic scattering due to deformed inhomogeneous bodies (Part I: Sphere)

Summary The potential technique of the perturbation has been employed to find the analytical expressions for the response of conducting bodies of irregular shapes. In Part I spherical bodies and in Part II cylindrical ones are considered. The conductivities are assumed to be finite and radially varying. The deformation of the boundaries in both the cases are considered to be of the typek _p =r ₀[1++f ₁(, )] where is the perturbation parameter. Calculations have been made for uniform as well as non-uniform excitation fields. Since the models represent the geological ore-formation more closely, the results will find application in preparing type curves for induction prospecting.N.G.R.I. Contribution No. 70-194.