Seismicity pattern in north Sumatra-Great Nicobar region: In search of precursor for the 26 December 2004 earthquake

We analyse the seismicity pattern including b-value in the north Sumatra-Great Nicobar region from 1976 to 2004. The analysis suggests that there were a number of significant, intermediate and short-term precursors before the magnitude 7.6 earthquake of 2 November 2002. However, they were not found to be so prominent prior to the magnitude 9.0 earthquake of 26 December 2004 though downward migration of activity and a 50-day short-term quiescence was observed before the event. The various precursors identified include post-seismic and intermediate-term quiescence of 13 and 10 years respectively, between the 1976 (magnitude 6.3) and 2002 earthquakes with two years (1990–1991) of increase in background seismicity; renewed seismicity, downward migration of seismic activity and foreshocks in 2002, just before the mainshock. Spatial variation in b-value with time indicates precursory changes in the form of high b-value zone near the epicenter preceding the mainshocks of 2004 and 2002 and temporal rise in b-value in the epicentral area before the 2002 earthquake.     

Thermal conductivity of Higher Himalayan Crystallines from Garhwal Himalaya, India

We report the measurements of thermal conductivity for some Higher Himalayan Crystalline rocks from Joshimath and Uttarkashi areas of the Garhwal Himalaya. Seventy-three rock samples including gneiss, metabasic rock and quartzite were measured. Gneissic rocks, which include augen gneiss, banded gneiss, felsic gneiss and fine-grained gneiss, exhibit a wide range in conductivity, from 1.5 to 3.6 Wm^− 1K^− 1 for individual samples, and 2.1 to 2.7 Wm^− 1K^− 1 for the means. Among these, augen gneisses and banded gneisses show the largest variability. Of all the rock types, quartzites (mean 5.4 Wm^− 1K^− 1) and metabasic rocks (mean 2.1 Wm^− 1K^− 1) represent the highest and lowest mean values respectively. The range in conductivity observed for gneissic rocks is significantly higher than that generally found in similar rock types in cratonic areas. The rock samples have very low porosity and exhibit feeble anisotropy, indicating that they do not contribute to the variability in thermal conductivity. Besides variations in mineralogical composition, the heterogeneous banding as well as intercalations with metabasic rocks and quartz veins, a common occurrence in structurally complex areas, appears to cause the variability in conductivity. The study therefore brings out the need for systematic characterization of thermophysical properties of major rock types comprising the Himalayan region for lithospheric thermal modeling, assessment of geothermal energy and geo-engineering applications in an area. The dataset constitutes the first systematic measurements on the Higher Himalayan Crystalline rocks.     

Fabric development during shear deformation in the Main Central Thrust Zone, NW-Himalaya, India

Quartz microfabrics and associated microstructures have been studied on a crustal shear zone—the Main Central Thrust (MCT) of the Himalaya. Sampling has been done along six traverses across the MCT zone in the Kumaun and Garhwal sectors of the Indian Himalaya. The MCT is a moderately north-dipping shear zone formed as a result of the southward emplacement of a part of the deeply rooted crust (that now constitutes the Central Crystalline Zone of the Higher Himalaya) over the less metamorphosed sedimentary belt of the Lesser Himalaya. On the basis of quartz c- and a-axis fabric patterns, supported by the relevant microstructures within the MCT zone, two major kinematic domains have been distinguished. A noncoaxial deformation domain is indicated by the intensely deformed rocks in the vicinity of the MCT plane. This domain includes ductilely deformed and fine-grained mylonitic rocks which contain a strong stretching lineation and are composed of low-grade mineral assemblages (muscovite, chlorite and quartz). These rocks are characterized by highly asymmetric structures/microstructures and quartz c- and a-axis fabrics that indicate a top-to-the-south sense that is compatible with south-directed thrusting for the MCT zone. An apparently coaxial deformation domain, on the other hand, is indicated by the rocks occurring in a rather narrow belt fringing, and structurally above, the noncoaxial deformation domain. The rocks are highly feldspathic and coarse-grained gneisses and do not possess any common lineation trend and the effects of simple shear deformation are weak. The quartz c-axis fabrics are symmetrical with respect to foliation and lineation. Moreover, these rocks contain conjugate and mutually interfering shear bands, feldspar/quartz porphyroclasts with long axes parallel to the macrosopic foliation and the related structures/microstructures, suggesting deformation under an approximate coaxial strain path.On moving towards the MCT, the quartz c- and a-axis fabrics become progressively stronger. The c-axis fabric gradually changes from random to orthorhombic and then to monoclinic. In addition, the coaxial strain path gradually changes to the noncoaxial strain path. All this progressive evolution of quartz fabrics suggests more activation of the basal, rhomb and a slip systems at all structural levels across the MCT.     

Isotopic and sedimentological clues to productivity change in Late Riphean Sea: A case study from two intracratonic basins of India

Enriched¹³C/¹²C ratios with δ¹³C ∼3%0 (w.r.t PDB) of two Late Riphean (∼ 700-610 Ma) intracratonic carbonate successions viz., Bhander Limestone of Vindhyan Basin and Raipur Limestone of Chattisgarh Basin suggest higher organic productivity during this period. This view is supported by sedimentological evidence of higher biohermal growth and consequent increase in depositional relief in the low gradient ramp settings inferred for these basins. Oxygen isotope analysis of these carbonates show distinct segregation between enriched deeper water carbonate mudstone and depleted shallow water stromatolite facies that received fresh water influx. This shows that facies-specific analyses can be useful in understanding the depositional setting of these sediments.     

The climate attractor

Time series of proxy data representing long-term variation of the terrestrial climate presumably show aperiodic changes, which has given rise to the hypothesis that the dynamics of the earth’s climate is governed by a strange attractor. Here a study of such attractors is presented, with emphasis on determination of its dimension and the reported results. Finally, a one dimensional delayed albedo feedback climate model is discussed with the related strange attractor and its dimension.     

Origin of the sparry magnesite deposits around Bauri,Almora district,Uttar Pradesh,India

Seven pockets of variable dimensions of strata-bound sparry magnesite within the Middle Proterozoic Gangolihat Formation around Bauri in the Almora district, Kumaun, Lesser Himalaya, have been investigated petrographically and geochemically. The lenses and pockets of megacrystalline, bladed, occasionally stellate, magnesite aggregates invariably enclosed by stromatolitic or massive dolostones, often exhibit a concordant relationship with the latter. Besides the sharp contrast in crystal-linity of magnesite and dolostones and the patches of the latter in the former, relict features such as layers of chert, cryptocrystalline silica veins and stromatolitic structures are discernible in the magnesite. There is a gradual increase in MgO and FeO with a corresponding decrease in CaO, and a striking depletion in Sr from dolostone to magnesite but no noteworthy variation in other major or minor elements nor in insoluble contents. Both the dolostones and magnesites are characterised by the same range of oxygen isotope ratios. However, a marked enrichment of lighter carbon isotopes in magnesites is noted. Based on these observations, it is inferred that the magnesite around Bauri is a product of diagenetic magnesitisation of penecontemporaneous dolomite in a restricted biohermal tidal flat environment.     

On the propagation of certain types of surface waves in a non-homogeneous elastic layer

Summary The propagation of a certain type of surface waves in a non-homogeneous elastic layer of finite thickness lying in welded contact with a semi-infinite homogeneous elastic medium has been investigated in this paper. The surface wave is characterised by the fact that the dilatation and the vertical displacement component are both zero. It has been proved that such disturbance can propagate only when the phase velocity of the wave is greater than the shear wave velocity and the group velocity is inversely proportional to the phase velocity.     

Microseisms: Its dependence on the movement of the source

Summary The displacements on the free surface of a homogeneous isotropic semi-infinite medium has been obtained assuming a moving normal stress on the surface. It has been studied how the displacements behave with (1) the direction of propagation of the source with respect to the recording station and (2) the velocity of the source.     

Precambrian stromatolite and other structures in the Rajpura-Dariba polymetallic ore deposit,Rajasthan, India

Intimate association of 2 billion years old stromatolite with pyritic lead-zinc ores in the Precambrian polymetallic deposit at Rajpura-Dariba in Rajasthan, which hitherto remained unreported, provides an additional documentation of the syn(-dia)-genetic mineralization. The growth form and petrography of the stromatolite structure have been described and an explanation sought regarding the concentration of sulfides along the siliceous and carbonaceous laminations, as well as in the intercolumnar regions. Consideration of the geologic features noted in the mineralized zone and surrounding region suggests that the stratiform ores were deposited in a near-shore shallow marine environment, developed on basement highs and associated with euxinic conditions. Later, the ores were metamorphosed under conditions reaching upto amphibolite facies during a three-stage deformational history of their enclosing rocks. Some salient features of the secondary structures in the ores have been discussed in relation to this deformation history.     

Love wave dispersion: A comparison of results for a semi-infinite medium with inhomogeneous layers and for its approximation by homogeneous layers

Love wave dispersion in various semi-infinite media consisting of inhomogeneous layers is discussed. The phase and group velocities are computed when shear wave velocity and density in each inhomogeneous layer are varying exponentially with depth. At the beginning one or two inhomogeneous layers over a homogeneous semi-infinite medium are considered. The dispersion results for these structures are compared with those for their approximations with homogeneous layers. Comparisons show that differences of phase and group velocities for the original models from those for their approximated models (i) increase with the increase of wave number and (ii) are larger for group velocity than for phase velocity. The difference is approximately proportional to the rate of change of parameters in the layers. Finally, dispersion curves are obtained for model IP3MC, which consists of many inhomogeneous and homogeneous layers over a homogeneous semi-infinite medium. The results are compared with the observed group velocity data across the Indian Peninsula.