Neo-deterministic seismic hazard scenarios for India—a preventive tool for disaster mitigation

Current computational resources and physical knowledge of the seismic wave generation and propagation processes allow for reliable numerical and analytical models of waveform generation and propagation. From the simulation of ground motion, it is easy to extract the desired earthquake hazard parameters. Accordingly, a scenario-based approach to seismic hazard assessment has been developed, namely the neo-deterministic seismic hazard assessment (NDSHA), which allows for a wide range of possible seismic sources to be used in the definition of reliable scenarios by means of realistic waveforms modelling. Such reliable and comprehensive characterization of expected earthquake ground motion is essential to improve building codes, particularly for the protection of critical infrastructures and for land use planning. Parvez et al. (Geophys J Int 155:489–508, 2003) published the first ever neo-deterministic seismic hazard map of India by computing synthetic seismograms with input data set consisting of structural models, seismogenic zones, focal mechanisms and earthquake catalogues. As described in Panza et al. (Adv Geophys 53:93–165, 2012), the NDSHA methodology evolved with respect to the original formulation used by Parvez et al. (Geophys J Int 155:489–508, 2003): the computer codes were improved to better fit the need of producing realistic ground shaking maps and ground shaking scenarios, at different scale levels, exploiting the most significant pertinent progresses in data acquisition and modelling. Accordingly, the present study supplies a revised NDSHA map for India. The seismic hazard, expressed in terms of maximum displacement (Dmax), maximum velocity (Vmax) and design ground acceleration (DGA), has been extracted from the synthetic signals and mapped on a regular grid over the studied territory.     

Influence of rooftop telecommunication tower on set back-step back building resting on different ground slopes

In the hilly region due to scarcity of the plain area, buildings like set back-step back are more often used and also as a big surge in the telecommunication industries, rooftop tower adaptation is very common story nowadays. In the present study an analogy has been drawn to find out the influence of the rooftop telecommunication tower on the setback-step back building resting on ground at 20° and 30° slopes. A dynamic analysis has been performed and compared on the 4 legged angled section telecommunication tower which is located on the roof top of set back-step back building by varying positions of tower with the existing host structure built up on ground slope of 20° and 30° in both directions(X and Y).     

Elastic waves along a cylindrical borehole in a poroelastic medium saturated by two immiscible fluids

The propagation of elastic waves along a cylindrical borehole filled with/without liquid and embedded in an infinite porous medium saturated by two immiscible fluids has been studied. The theory of porous media saturated by two immiscible fluids developed by Tuncay and Corapcioglu (1997) is employed. Frequency equations determining the phase velocity of axial symmetric waves are obtained. It is found that the surface waves along cylindrical borehole are dispersive. The dispersion equation of Rayleigh-type surface waves along the boundary of a poroelastic solid half-space saturated by two immiscible fluids is also obtained. Some special cases have been deduced and the dispersion curves are obtained numerically for a peculiar model. It is found that the density of fluids affects the Rayleigh mode.     

Long-term historic changes in climatic variables of Betwa Basin,India

In this study, trend analyses of historic past climatic variables were investigated for the Betwa basin located in Central India. In the serially independent climatic variables, Mann–Kendall test (MK test) was applied to the original sample data. However, in the serially correlated series, pre-whitening is used before employing the MK test. The long-term trend analysis showed several of the meteorological stations to exhibit a decreasing trend in annual and seasonal precipitation in the study area. Seasonal and yearly numbers of rainy days are decreased. However, onset of effective monsoon (except for Shivpuri and Tikamgarh stations) did not show any trend during the study period. For maximum temperature, five out of 12 stations showed a decreasing trend in monsoon season whereas almost all other stations showed an increasing trend in winter and no trend in summer season. For minimum temperature, only two stations of the basin showed a decreasing trend in monsoon and all other stations exhibited a significant increase in winter and summer season. The increase of winter temperature may adversely affect the growth of Rabi crop (wheat and mustard) in the study area. Potential evopotranspiration (PET) did not show any trend in monsoon, except for Jalaun and Jhansi stations, showing decreasing trends. Raisen and Vidisha stations showed an increasing trend in winter only, and the trend for other stations were random in nature. In summer, five out of 12 stations showed an increasing trend in PET. Results of this study can be employed in preparation of water resources development and management plan in the Betwa Basin.     

The topology and polarization of sub-beams associated with the 'drifting' sub-pulse emission of pulsar B0943+10 – II. Analysis of Gauribidanur 35-MHz observations

In the previous paper of this series, Deshpande & Rankin reported results regarding the sub-pulse drift phenomenon in pulsar B0943+10 at 430 and 111 MHz. This study has led to the identification of a stable system of sub-beams circulating around the magnetic axis of this star. Here, we present a single-pulse analysis of our observations of this pulsar at 35 MHz. The fluctuation properties seen at this low frequency, as well as our independent estimates of the number of sub-beams required and their circulation time, agree remarkably well with the reported behaviour at higher frequencies. We use the 'cartographic' transform mapping technique developed by Deshpande & Rankin in Paper I to study the emission pattern in the polar region of this pulsar. The significance of our results in the context of radio emission mechanisms is also discussed.     

Groundwater investigation of the artesian wells on the palaeochannels in parts of the Great Rann of Kachchh,Gujarat, India,using remote sensing and geophysical techniques

The Great Rann of Kachchh (GRK) in Gujarat, India, is the largest salt desert in the world, which is usually filled with seawater ingression during high tide from the Arabian Sea. As a result, the soil gets saturated with saline water that has percolated down for several meters. Groundwater exploration in Rann area is a challenging task due to the prevailing hostile environment. For this purpose, multisensor satellite data have been used to delineate the palaeochannels in search of an alternate source of drinking water. In GRK, palaeochannels represent the zone of elevated fluvial sediments with respect to the surroundings. Evolutionary history of the palaeochannels indicates upliftment of GRK area during Allah Bund faulting. For assessing the groundwater potential of the palaeochannels, high-resolution electrical resistivity tomography (HERT) surveys have been carried out with the pole-dipole method. Electrical resistivity tomograms along 710 m traverses to a depth of 250 m in Dharmsala and Gainda area show higher-resistivity zones (medium to coarse sand with brackish water) below a thick low-resistivity layer (clay with saline water). A few exploratory drillings in the area confirm the existence of the palaeochannels, which act as a confined aquifer below 100 m depth. The artesian condition of the two drilled wells at Gainda and Khardoi along the northern boundary of GRK may be attributed to hydraulic gradient along the confined layers from the Tharparkar region in Pakistan. Thus, HERT is found to be a faster and more cost-effective geophysical survey technique for study of the deep aquifer.

     

Effect of pore connectivity on reflection amplitudes of an inhomogeneous wave in a composite porous solid saturated by two immiscible fluids

Present paper aims to study the phenomenon of reflection and transmission when an inhomogeneous wave strikes some discontinuity in a composite porous medium saturated by two immiscible viscous fluids. The incident wave splits into six reflected and six transmitted waves at the interface. All reflected and transmitted waves are inhomogeneous in nature with different directions of propagation vector and attenuation vector. A dimensionless parameter \(\varsigma \in [0, 1]\) is introduced to represent the extent of connection among the pores at the interface. Expression of Umov–Poynting vector is derived to obtain energy flux vector. Continuity of energy flux vector at the interface gives the required boundary conditions for the system. Connecting parameter \(\varsigma \) is also employed in boundary conditions to model the partial connection of pores at the interstices of two media. For numerical discussion we consider a porous medium composed of sandstone and ice, saturated with oil and water. The effect of parameter \(\varsigma \) and angle of incidence is determined numerically on the amplitude and the energy ratios of reflected and transmitted waves.     

Lithologic boundaries from gravity and magnetic anomalies over Proterozoic Dalma volcanics

Dalma volcanics (DVs) has intruded the older Singhbhum Group of Metapelites. Despite DVs being rich in mineralisation, its boundaries are not clearly demarcated. Gravity and magnetic surveys have been attempted for mapping the boundaries in DVs. These surveys were made in the northern fringe of the DVs over an area of \(\sim \)0.70 \(\hbox {km}^{2}\) along 13 parallel lines at 50 m spacing. The data was acquired at \(\sim \)25 \(\hbox {m}\) spacing. The surveys were taken for determination of lithological boundaries, depths and nature of causative source using Euler depth solutions and radially averaged power spectrum (RAPS). Residual anomaly maps of gravity and magnetic intensity show the same trend as that of Bouguer gravity anomaly and total magnetic intensity anomaly map indicating towards shallow sources. The magnetic map in general follows the same pattern as that of gravity anomaly maps. The map shows coincident high gravity and magnetic anomalies. These anomalies together with resistivity signatures confirm that the northern fringe of DVs hosts volcanogenic massive sulphide settings. The Euler depth solution delineated the lateral boundaries and nature of the source. It seems that the source is of spherical nature lying within a depth range of 25–40 m. The obtained lithological (vertical) units from RAPS are between Lower DVs, Upper DVs and Singhbhum Group Metapelites at depths of \(\sim \)15, \(~\sim \)25 and \(\sim \)40 \(\hbox {m}\), respectively. The metallogeny is associated with the Upper DVs and the corresponding delineated lithological (vertical) unit is indicative of the top of the ore body. Good agreement is observed with the geological succession from the drilling data and resistivity data. The findings suggest that the northern fringe of DVs could be a preferred target for drilling.     

Petrochemistry of crater facies Tokapal kimberlite pipe, Bastar craton, central India and its orangeitic affinities

Tokapal kimberlite is the only well preserved crater facies kimberlite intruded within sedimentary sequence of Indravati basin in Bastar craton of central India. We present detailed petrographical and whole rock geochemical studies, carried out on ten samples collected from different locations from Tokapal kimberlite to constrain its genesis and also the mantle processes involved in the origin of this earlier characterized Group I kimberlite. Geochemical studies show that only SiO₂ content and the mobile trace elements Ba, Sr, and K vary in the crater facies while rest others show restricted range and can be successfully used in evaluating the petrogenetic processes. Very low abundances of Rb (<2 ppm), Sr (<28 ppm), Ba (<52 ppm) and Cs (0.02–3 ppm) are observed which show possible effects of late-stage alteration rather than significant crustal contamination. The LREE enriched REE pattern, absence of positive Eu anomalies and HREE depletion also provide further additional evidence against crustal contamination considerably modifying magma composition. We infer the presence of less enriched (metasomatised) mantle source regions and comparatively greater degrees of partial melting responsible for the genesis of Tokapal kimberlite. Present study also suggests that crater facies Tokapal kimberlite intruding the Indravati basin, Bastar craton has a Group II kimberlite (orangeite) affinity. This finding is important in light of recent identification of Mainpur kimberlites of Bastar craton as orangeites.