Methane emissions from rice fields amended with biogas slurry and farm yard manure

In an experiment on methane-emission measurements from rice fields amended with urea, biogas spent slurry (BSS) + urea, and farm yard manure (FYM) + urea, three distinctive peaks in the methane emissions were observed at 15, 46, and 69 days after transplanting (DAT) due to the availability of readily degradable C-sources. In all cases, the highest peak was at 69 DAT. The steepest Eh drop to a minimum of -320 mV was reached within two weeks of submergence. pH ranged between 7.5 and 8.5. The combined fertilization (FYM + urea) plot showed the maximum emission rate of 4.86 mg m^–2 h^–1 with a total load of 49.44 kg ha^–1 and was 2.3 times higher than (BSS + urea)-treated plot (22.08 kg ha^–1). Grain yields in urea, (BSS + urea) and (FYM + urea) plots were 3.34, 2.94, and 2.85 t ha^–1 respectively, suggesting that biogas slurry is a preferred source over FYM causing lesser environmental pollution without any significant reduction in grain yield.     

Estimation of Snow Cover Area,Snow Physical Properties and Glacier Classification in Parts of Western Himalayas Using C-Band SAR Data

Snow physical properties, snow cover and glacier facies are important parameters which are used to quantify snowpack characteristics, glacier mass balance and seasonal snow and glacier melt. This study has been done using C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data of Indian radar imaging satellite, radar imaging satellite-1 (RISAT)-1, to estimate the seasonal snow cover and retrieve snow physical properties (snow wetness and snow density), and glacier radar zones or facies classification in parts of North West Himalaya (NWH), India. Additional SAR data used are of Radarsat-2 (RS-2) satellite, which was used for glacier facies classification of Smudra Tapu glacier in Himachal Pradesh. RISAT-1 based snow cover area (SCA) mapping, snow wetness and snow density retrieval and glacier facies classification have been done for the first time in NWH region. SAR-based inversion models were used for finding out wet and dry snow dielectric constant, dry and wet SCA, snow wetness and snow density. RISAT-1 medium resolution scan-SAR mode (MRS) in HV polarization was used for first time in NWH for deriving time series of SCA maps in Beas and Bhagirathi river basins for years 2013–2014. The SAR-based inversion models were implemented separately for RISAT-1 quad pol. FRS2, for wet snow and dry snow permittivity retrieval. Masks for layover and shadow were considered in estimating final snow parameters. The overall accuracy in terms of R² value comes out to be 0.74 for snow wetness and 0.72 for snow density based on the limited ground truth data for subset area of Manali sub-basin of Beas River up to Manali for winter of 2014. Accuracy for SCA was estimated to be 95 % when compared with optical remote sensing based SCA maps with error of ±10 %. The time series data of RISAT-1 MRS and hybrid data in RH/RV mode based decompositions were also used for glacier radar zones classification for Gangotri and Samudra Tapu glaciers. The various glaciers radar zones or facies such as debris covered glacier ice, clean or bare glacier ice radar zone, percolation/refreeze radar zone and wet snow, ice wall etc., were identified. The accuracy of classified maps was estimated using ground truth data collected during 2013 and 2014 glacier field work to Samudra Tapu and Gangotri glaciers and overall accuracy was found to be in range of 82–90 %. This information of various glacier radar zones can be utilized in marking firn line of glaciers, which can be helpful for glacier mass balance studies.     

A quantum chemical study on the formation of ethanimine (CH<Subscript>3</Subscript>CHNH) in the interstellar ice

Ethanimine (CH₃CHNH) is an important prebiotic molecule since it is a precursor of amino acid \(\alpha \)-alanine in Strecker synthesis. Two isomers (E and Z) of ethanimine were detected in the molecular cloud Sagittarius B2 north during GBT-PRIMOS survey. A possible radical-molecule reaction pathway has been proposed for the formation of ethanimine in the interstellar medium (ISM) from some previously detected interstellar molecules like methylene (both triplet CH₂ (³B₁) and singlet CH₂ (¹A₁)) and methyenimine (CH₂NH). The mechanism has been studied in the gas phase and in water ice with the help of density functional theory at B2PLYPD/6-311++G (2d, p) level of theory. It is observed that E-ethanimine forms efficiently in gas phase but ice reactions are favorable only in the hot core of molecular clouds. Same is true for the formation of Z-ethanimine which forms only at the surface of water cluster as the height of entrance barrier for formation of Z-ethanimine is similar to that of E-ethanimine. Isomerization from E to Z form is also studied and found to be forbidden due to large entrance barrier. Out of the two reaction system CH₂ (³B₁) + CH₂NH and CH₂ (¹A₁) + CH₂NH, later is more favorable then the former one due to the small entrance barrier. Still, much of the detected abundance of ethanimine comes from the reaction of CH₂ (³B₁) with CH₂NH as since CH₂ (¹A₁) has very low abundance compared to the CH₂ (³B₁) in ISM. The proposed pathway seems to be a promising candidate for the ethanimine formation in ISM.     

Laboratory Study on the Relative Performance of Silty-Sand Soils Reinforced with Linen Fiber

Randomly distributed fibers have been successfully used for the reinforcement of soils to improve their properties. However, the technique requires extensive testing on samples before it can be implemented. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify and quantify the influence of variables of linen-fiber (content and aspect ratio) on the performance of linen-fiber reinforced silty-sand specimens. The linen fibers have filament textures with special properties such as: low costs, plenitude in the region, lightweight, tension capacity and relative strength against deterioration. Linen fibers with diverse fiber contents (0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0% of dry weight) and ratio aspect (50, 100 and 150) were used. The composite soils were laboratory tested for compaction, unconfined compression strength (UCS), California Bearing Ratio (CBR) and direct shear tests. The test results indicated that adding linen fiber in silty-sand soil resulted in increasing in unconfined compression strength, California Bearing Ratio values, peak friction angle and cohesion values. Furthermore, adding linen fibers have the dual benefit of increasing the stiffness (modulus of elasticity) and the ductility of the reinforced soil. However, this study suggests that the optimum fiber content for silty-sand samples reinforced with linen fibers is approximately 0.75% of the dry weight of the soil and a maximum performance was achieved at aspect ratio of 100 to avoid fiber balling. The laboratory results were used for the development of linear regression equation that best relates the UCS and CBR of a reinforced soil to the aforementioned parameters.     

The stabilization value of groundwater: evidence from Indian tank irrigation systems

Groundwater is now a major source of agricultural water supply in many parts of the world. The value of groundwater as a new source of supply is well known. However, its additional buffering or stabilization value is less appreciated and even less analysed. Knowledge on groundwater’s stabilization value is advanced by developing and estimating an empirical model using the case of tank irrigation systems in Tamil Nadu, India. Unlike previous work, the model uses cross-sectional rather than time-series data. The results show that for the case-study region, the stabilization function added approximately 15% to supply value. Scenarios with surface water and electricity price were incorporated in the model. Increased surface-water supply and electricity price caused reduction in groundwater use but the percent of stabilization value of groundwater increased. The findings are used both to suggest improvements in tank irrigation systems and to further contextualize knowledge of groundwater’s stabilization value.     

CO-Kriging Approach for Cartosat-1 Height Product with ICESat/GLAS Data for Digital Elevation Surface Generation

Nowadays, Geostatistics and its various interpolation techniques have become a major threshold area in the field of research in GIS. In this research work poorly sampled (less accurate height data relative to ICESat/GLAS height data) Cartosat-1 height data has been used with well sampled (more accurate height data relative to Cartosat-1 height data) ICESat/GLAS LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) height point data using Cokriging Interpolation technique, to study the effect of ICESat/GLAS on Cartosat-1 height data. Space borne LiDAR data has led researchers to explore its utilities in many applications. Space borne LiDAR data can be acquired through space borne LiDAR sensors also, like; GLAS (Geoscience Laser Altimeter System) system onboard ICESat (Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite) satellite. In this study, it has been tried to apply Cokriging interpolation on two different sources of data sets, with a common variable (elevation) to generate DES and assessment of this surface has been conducted by DGPS data. After optimizing Cokriging parameters, results of digital elevation surface (DES) generated using Cokriging showed that RMSE has been second least than global polynomial in comparison to Kriging interpolation RMSE after being evaluated by GPS values. So, global polynomial as well as cokriging interpolation technique out performs while comparing with kriging technique for DES generation.     

Bianchi type-I cosmological models with variable G and Λ-term in general relativity

Einstein’s field equations with variable gravitational and cosmological “constant” are considered in presence of perfect fluid for Bianchi type-I space-time. Consequences of the four cases of the phenomenological decay of Λ have been discussed which are consistent with observations. The physical significance of the cosmological models have also been discussed.      

Mercury's atmosphere: A perspective after Mariner 10

Measurements made during the Mariner 10 flybys of Mercury have shown that this planet has a tenuous atmosphere, somewhat similar to that of the Moon, which consists of at least helium and can be classified as an exosphere. The amount of helium observed can be supplied by either the accretion of only a fraction of the solar wind He²⁺ diffusing across the magnetopause, or from outgassing of radiogenic helium from the planetary crust. The role of solar wind in the maintenance and depletion of Mercury's atmosphere is discussed in view of the density upper limits established from Mariner 10. The argon supply rate on Mercury is probably not more than that on the Earth, but it is difficult to say whether Mercury is deficient in potassium or not on the basis of the present data. The global outgassing of CO₂ and H₂O from the planet interior is estimated to be at least four orders of magnitude smaller than for Earth which indicates that either Mercury is deficient in volatiles or that this planet is very inactive.     

Characterisation of recharge processes and groundwater flow mechanisms in weathered-fractured granites of Hyderabad (India) using isotopes

In order to address the problem of realistic assessment of groundwater potential and its sustainability, it is vital to study the recharge processes and mechanism of groundwater flow in fractured hard rocks, where inhomogeneties and discontinuities have a dominant role to play. Wide variations in chloride, δ¹⁸O and ¹⁴C concentrations of the studied groundwaters observed in space and time could only reflect the heterogeneous hydrogeological setting in the fractured granites of Hyderabad (India). This paper, based on the observed isotopic and environmental chloride variations of the groundwater system, puts forth two broad types of groundwaters involving various recharge processes and flow mechanisms in the studied granitic hard rock aquifers. Relatively high ¹⁴C ages (1300 to ～6000 yr B.P.), δ¹⁸O content (?3.2 to ?1.5‰) and chloride concentration (<100 mg/l) are the signatures that identified one broad set of groundwaters resulting from recharge through weathered zone and subsequent movement through extensive sheet joints. The second set of groundwaters possessed an age range Modern to ～1000 yr B.P., chloride in the range 100 to ～350 mg/l and δ¹⁸O from ?3.2 to +1.7‰. The δ¹⁸O enrichment and chloride concentration, further helped in the segregation of the second set of groundwaters into three sub-sets characterized by different recharge processes and sources. Based on these processes and mechanisms, a conceptual hydrogeologic model has evolved suggesting that the fracture network is connected either to a distant recharge source or to a surface reservoir (evaporating water bodies) apart from overlying weathered zone, explaining various resultant groundwaters having varying ¹⁴C ages, chloride and δ¹⁸O concentrations. The surface reservoir contribution to groundwater is evaluated to be significant (40 to 70%) in one subset of groundwaters. The conceptual hydrogeologic model, thus evolved, can aid in understanding the mechanism of groundwater flow as well as migration of contaminants to deep groundwater in other fractured granitic areas.