Archaeological Evidence for Modern Coastal Uplift at Diu,Saurashtra Peninsula,India

There is a tank hewn into coastal Pleistocene limestone near Diu city on the Saurashtra Peninsula of western India. Site survey and a review of similar structures worldwide provide evidence that this tank could have been used for holding fish or Murex snails. The approximately 5 × 5 m tank is connected to the sea by a 1‐m‐deep canal; today it would be impossible to use the tank, given that not even the high spring tides can fill it. It is suggested that the Diu coast was uplifted by ∼0.5 m after the tank was hewn in the coastal platform. Since that time, the carved surfaces have been modified by coastal karst dissolution and have developed deep gouge marks. Uplift of the Diu coast raises the possibility of a major seismic event in Diu during the latter part of the last millennium.     

Geochemistry and geochronology of A-type Barabazar granite: Implications on the geodynamics of South Purulia Shear Zone,Singhbhum craton,Eastern India

The Barabazar granite, exposed at the northern margin of Singhbhum craton, Eastern India, occurs along the South Purulia Shear Zone (SPSZ) and is emplaced into the Palaeoproterozoic metapelites and felsic volcanics of Singhbhum Group. Geochemical, petrographical and geochronological studies on the Barabazar granite addressed in the work have wide implications on understanding the geodynamics of SPSZ during Palaeoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic. Geochemically, Barabazar granite displays limited range of major oxides, alkali enrichment and highly fractionated features (SiO₂ > 75%; Eu/Eu* = 0.16–0.33; enrichment of K, Rb, Th, U and Nb; depletion of Ba, Sr, P and Ti). It is predominantly peraluminous (molar Al₂O₃/CaO+Na₂O+K₂O (A/CNK) =1.14–144) and contains abundant alkali feldspar, perthite, and minor plagioclase, biotite and accessory minerals. Geochemical and petrological data indicates that it is A-type granite, which formed in ‘Within plate granite’ tectonic set up. The Barabazar granite was emplaced at ca. 1771 Ma (Pb-Pb) in rift related environs and evolved by partial melting of stabilized lower/middle crust (initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.7302 ± 0.0066 and μ₁ = 8.5 ± 0.5). Subsequently, the shear zone (SPSZ) developed during the closure of the riftogenic basin and was reactivated during the Grenvillian orogeny (Ca. 900–1300 Ma), resulting in rehomogenisation of the strontium isotopes and thereby yielding younger whole-rock Rb-Sr isotope age of c. 971 Ma for the Barabazar granite. Probably during this tectonic event, the Singhbhum craton (Southern India Shield) would have finally juxtaposed with Northern Indian Shield along Central Indian Tectonic Zone (CITZ) during the global Grenvillian orogeny.     

A spatio-temporal assessment and prediction of Ahmedabad’s urban growth between 1990–2030

Journal of Geographical Sciences - Analyzing long term urban growth trends can provide valuable insights into a city’s future growth. This study employs LANDSAT satellite images from 1990,...     

Crystallochemical studies on davidite from Bichun,Jaipur District,Rajasthan, India

Crystallochemical data on metamict davidite from albitites and albitised rocks from the Bichun area (Jaipur district, Rajasthan, India) of Banded Gneissic Complex (BGC) are provided. Davidite occurs as euhedral, subhedral to anhedral crystals in the form of disseminated grains and also as fracture filled veins. The crystals of davidite are up to 8 cm in length and 6 cm in width. The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the heat-treated davidite (at \(900{^{\circ }}\hbox {C}\)) reveals well-defined reflections of crystallographic planes. The calculated unit-cell parameters of the heat treated davidite are: \(\hbox {a}_{0} = \hbox {b}_{0} = 10.3556 \, \text {\AA }\) and \(\hbox {c}_{0} = 20.9067 \, \text {\AA }\), with unit-cell volume \(\hbox {(V)} = 1941.6385 \, \text {\AA }^{3}\); and \({\upalpha }={\upbeta }= 90^{\circ }\) and \({\upgamma }= 120^{\circ }\), which are in agreement with the values of davidite standard. Geochemical data reveals that the investigated davidite contains 51.5–52.6% \(\hbox {TiO}_{2}\), 14.8–15.1% \(\hbox {Fe}_{2} \hbox {O}_{3}\), 9.8–10.2% FeO, 6.97–7.12% \(\hbox {U}_{3} \hbox {O}_{8}\), 6.72–6.92% \(\hbox {RE}_{2} \hbox {O}_{3}\), 3.85–3.61% \(\hbox {K}_{2}\hbox {O}\), 0.9–1.4% \(\hbox {Al}_{2} \hbox {O}_{3}\), and 0.8–1.2% \(\hbox {SiO}_{2}\). The calculated structural formulae of the two davidite crystals are: D-1: \(\hbox {K}_{0.0044/0.004} \hbox {Ba}_{0.0044/0.005} \hbox {Ca}_{0.20/0.20} \hbox {Na}_{0.012/0.012} \hbox {Mn}_{0.053/0.053} \hbox {Mg}_{0.14/0.14} \hbox {Pb}_{0.0076/0.008} \hbox {Fe}_{2.675/2.675} \hbox {Fe}_{1.59/1.59} \hbox {Y}_{0.1175/0.118} \hbox {P}_{0.053/0.053} \hbox {Nb}_{0.008/0.008} \hbox {Sn}_{0.001/0.001} \hbox {Zr}_{0.033/0.033} \hbox {U}_{0.468/0.468} \hbox {Th}_{0.009/0.009} \,\,\hbox {REE}_{0.6829/0.683})_{6.05/6.05} (\hbox {Ti}_{12.15/12.15}\,\, \hbox {Fe}_{1.9022/1.903} \hbox {Si}_{0.372/0.372}\,\, \hbox {Al}_{0.517/0.517}\,\, \hbox {Cr}_{0.018/0.018} \hbox {Co}_{0.009/0.009} \hbox {Ni}_{0.027/0.027})_{15/15} \hbox {O}_{36/36} (\hbox {OH}_{0.319/0.319[]1.681/1.681})_{2/2}\) and D-2: \((\hbox {K}_{0.004/0.004} \hbox {Ba}_{0.005/0.005} \hbox {Ca}_{0.20/0.20} \hbox {Na}_{0.012/0.012} \hbox {Mn}_{0.05/0.05} \hbox {Mg}_{0.094/0.094} \hbox {Pb}_{0.007/0.007} \hbox {Fe}_{2.58/2.58} \hbox {Fe}_{1.71/1.71} \hbox {Y}_{0.112/0.112} \hbox {P}_{0.106/0.106} \hbox {Nb}_{0.006/0.006} \hbox {Sn}_{0.001/0.001} \hbox {Zr}_{0.03/0.03} \hbox {U}_{0.48/0.48} \hbox {Th}_{0.009/0.009} \hbox {REE}_{0.665/0.665})_{6.088/6.088} (\hbox {Ti}_{12.48/12.48} \hbox {Fe}_{1.87/1.87} \hbox {Si}_{0.249/0.249} \hbox {Al}_{0.334/0.334} \hbox {Cr}_{0.019/0.019} \hbox {Co}_{0.008/0.008} \hbox {Ni}_{0.04/0.04})_{15/15} \hbox {O}_{36/36} (\hbox {OH}_{0.098/0.098[]1.90/1.90})_{2/2}\). The calculated structural formulae are not fully stoichiometric, which could be due to metamict nature of davidite. The characteristic feature of distribution pattern of REE in davidite is unusually high concentration of LREE and HREE and substantially low content of MREE. It may be due to the occupation of REEs in two distinct crystallographic sites in davidite structure, i.e., M(1) and M(O) sites. Chondrite-normalised plot of davidite reveals a pronounced negative Eu-anomaly (\(\hbox {Eu}/\hbox {Eu}^{*} = 0.30{-}0.39\)), which suggests extremely fractionated nature of the metasomatising fluids from which davidite had crystallized. Metamict davidite-bearing U ores not only from Rajasthan, but also from other parts of India are likely to yield very high U leachability, thereby making them attractive sources of U, which otherwise are ignored by mineral engineers as uneconomic U ores.     

An approach of understanding acid volcanics and tuffaceous volcaniclastics from field studies: A case from Tadpatri Formation,Proterozoic Cuddapah basin,Andhra Pradesh,India

The lower stratigraphic part of the Cuddapah basin is marked by mafic and felsic volcanism. Tadpatri Formation consists of a greater variety of rock types due to bimodal volcanism in the upper part. Presence of bimodal volcanism is an indication of continental rift setting. Various genetic processes involved in the formation of such volcanic sequence result in original textures which are classified into volcaniclastic and coherent categories. Detailed and systematic field works in Tadpatri–Tonduru transect of SW Cuddapah basin have provided information on the physical processes producing this diversity of rock types. Felsic volcanism is manifested here with features as finger print of past rhyolite-dacite eruptions. Acid volcanics, tuffs and associated shale of Tadpatri Formation are studied and mapped in the field. With supporting subordinate studies on geochemistry, mineralogy and petrogenesis of the volcanics to validate field features accurately, it is understood that volcanism was associated with rifting and shallow marine environmental condition. Four facies (i.e., surge, flow, fall and resedimented volcaniclastic) are demarcated to describe stratigraphic units and volcanic history of the mapped area. The present contribution focuses on the fundamental characterization and categorization of field-based features diagnostic of silica-rich volcanic activities in the Tadpatri Formation.     

Current Vegetation Pattern along Glacial Landscape in Central （Garhwal） Himalaya, India

Introduction High mountain ecosystems are comparatively thrilling and sensitive at least at the upper elevation levels, and are determined by abiotic climate related ecological factors. Therefore, the ecosystems at the low temperature limits of plant life are generally considered to be particularly sensitive to climate changes (Koerner 1999). As temperature is a key factor for high mountain plants (Koerner and Larcher 1988, Gottfried et al. 1998), an upward migration of species must be conse…     

Integrated luminosity distribution of Galactic open clusters

The integrated magnitudes of 221 Galactic open clusters have been used to derive the luminosity function. The completeness of the data has also been discussed. In the luminosity distribution the maximum frequency of clusters occurs nearI (M_v) = −3 _m ^. 5, and some plausible reasons for a sharp cut-off atI (M_v) = −2^m. 0 have been discussed. It is concluded that the paucity of the clusters fainter thanI (M _v) = −2 _m ^.0 is not purely due to selection effects. The surface density of the clusters for different magnitude intervals has. been obtained using the completeness radius estimated from the logN- logd plots. A relation betweenI (M^v) and surface density has been obtained which yields a steeper slope than that obtained by van den Bergh & Lafontaine (1984).     

Facies controlled synaeresis cracks in mixed siliciclastic-carbonate sediments of Middle Jurassic of Patcham Island, Kachchh, Western India

Synaeresis cracks are observed at different stratigraphic levels in shallow marine mixed siliciclastic-carbonate sediments of the Middle Jurassic rocks of the Patcham Island, Kachchh, Western India. Cracks are preserved as cast or grooves in micritic sandstone of the Kuar bet member of Kaladongar Formation and sandy allochem limestone of the Raimalro Limestone member of Goradongar Formation. It bear distinct morphology of simple, straight to gently curved, spindle-shaped, irregular, unbranched to branched at acute angle; interconnected curlicue forms of non-orthogonal pattern. The X-radiography shows sharp margin and tapering twigs which support to nullify the possible biogenic origin. These cracks are developed at sediment-water interface and sediment-sediment interface in aqueous conditions, where partial dewatering of sediments causes reduction of sediment volume and loss of plasticity. Formation of cracks are also post-depositional phenomenon operated during initial phase of diagenesis where induced stress is generated due to compaction of sediments and neomorphism/recrystallisation of the susceptible carbonate grains.     

Morphometric analysis to determine floods in the Upper Krishna basin using Cartosat DEM

The evaluation of basin characteristics from the morphometric parameters helps in understanding the physical behaviour of the catchments with respect to floods. The advanced technologies, such as Remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS), were used for extraction of drainage networks using Cartosat Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for the Upper Krishna basin, to evaluate the morphometric analysis. Basin morphometric parameters were applied to assess the major influencing catchments which cause flooding in the main Krishna River. The morphometric analysis for the ten major potential flood prone river catchments of the basin reveals that, the river catchments such as Krishna, Koyna, Yerla having the greater tendency to peak discharge in a short period of time to the main Krishna River because of high relief ratio (Rh), high ruggedness number and less time of concentration (Tc). The Don catchment having the highest drainage density (Dd), stream frequency, mean bifurcation ratio and infiltration number causes greater runoff influence on the main Krishna River. The Dudhganga and Panchaganga catchments having highest form factor, medium Dd, texture ratio, Rh and time of concentration causes moderate runoff influence towards main Krishna River. The study indicates that systematic analysis of morphometric parameters derived from Cartosat DEM using GIS provide useful information about catchment characteristics with respect to floods management.