Geospatial modeling for assessing the nutrient load of a Himalayan lake

This research makes use of the remote sensing, simulation modeling and field observations to assess the non-point source pollution load of a Himalayan lake from its catchment. The lake catchment, spread over an area of about 11 km², is covered by different land cover types including wasteland (36%), rocky outcrops (30%), agriculture (12%), plantation (12.2%), horticulture (6.2%) and built-up (3.1%) The GIS-based distributed modeling approach employed relied on the use of geospatial data sets for simulating runoff, sediment, and nutrient (N and P) loadings from a watershed, given variable-size source areas, on a continuous basis using daily time steps for weather data and water balance calculations. The model simulations showed that the highest amount of nutrient loadings are observed during wet season in the month of March (905.65 kg of dissolved N, 10 kg of dissolved P, 10,386.81 kg of total N and 2,381.89 kg of total P). During the wet season, the runoff being the highest, almost all the excess soil nutrients that are trapped in the soil are easily flushed out and thus contribute to higher nutrient loading into the lake during this time period. The 11-year simulations (1994–2004) showed that the main source areas of nutrient pollution are agriculture lands and wastelands. On an average basis, the source areas generated about 3,969.66 kg/year of total nitrogen and 817.25 kg/year of total phosphorous. Nash–Sutcliffe coefficients of correlation between the daily observed and predicted nutrient load ranged in value from 0.80 to 0.91 for both nitrogen and phosphorus.     

Water resource accounting for an iron-ore mining area in India

A study has been conducted at the Bicholim iron-ore mine, North Goa, India to investigate the hydrogeological continuity between the mine's open pit and surrounding villages. Water resource accounting by demarcating different watersheds has also been carried out to analyse the major causes of groundwater scarcity in the region during dry periods. A resistivity survey and a ground penetrating radar survey were completed around the periphery of open pits, the surrounding village areas and Mayem Lake. The results of the two independent surveys and other related data confirm that there is no observable hydrogeological continuity between the pits, nearby villages and Mayem Lake. Hence, there may not be any significant effect on surrounding water resources due to mining or mine dewatering. Water resource accounting has revealed that only 15–20% of 3500 mm precipitation per annum becomes part of the groundwater resource. The remainder of the annual precipitation is lost as heavy runoff, evapotranspiration and subsurface capillary moisture. Closely spaced wells in the region have also aggravated the groundwater scarcity problem due to draw down effects. Therefore, an effective water resource conservation plan is required for the region to overcome the problem. Received: 18 January 1999 · Accepted: 17 May 1999     

Groundwater vulnerability assessment and evaluation of human activity impact (HAI) within the Dead Sea groundwater basin,Jordan

Groundwater vulnerability to contamination was determined within the Dead Sea groundwater basin, Jordan, using the DRASTIC model and evaluation of human activity impact (HAI). DRASTIC is an index model composed of several hydrogeological parameters and, in this study, the recharge parameter component was calculated as a function of rainfall, soil permeability, slope percentage, fault system, and the intersection locations between the fault system and the drainage system, based on the hydrogeologic characteristics of hard-rock terrain in an arid region. To evaluate the HAI index, a land use/cover map was produced using an ASTER VNIR image, acquired for September 2004, and combined with the resultant DRASTIC model. By comparing the DRASTIC and HAI indices, it is found that human activity is affecting the groundwater quality and increasing its pollution risk. The land use/cover map was verified using the average nitrate concentrations in groundwater associated with land in each class. A sensitivity analysis was carried out in order to study the model sensitivity. The analyses showed that the depth to water table and hydraulic conductivity parameters have no significant impact on the model, whereas the impact of vadose zone, aquifer media, and recharge parameters have a significant impact on the DRASTIC model.     

Instabilities in a nonstationary model of self-gravitating disks. II. Warp modes of vertical oscillations

Gravitational instabilities with respect to warp modes of vertical oscillations are examined for nonlinearly nonequilibrium disk models with isotropic and anisotropic velocity diagrams. Nonstationary analogs of the dispersion relations for vertical oscillations in these models are derived in a general form. A detailed study is made of the major large scale oscillatory modes, which correspond primarily to the most common type of warp in the form of an integral sign, as well as to dome-shaped, U-shaped, and precessional warps. Critical diagrams showing the initial virial relation as a function of the rotation parameter for the nonstationary model are constructed for each of these vertical oscillation modes. A comparative analysis is made of the growth rates of the instabilities for these modes in order to determine the dependence of the characteristic times for their appearance on the basic physical parameters of the two models.     

Surface water quality contamination source apportionment and physicochemical characterization at the upper section of the Jakara Basin, Nigeria

The present study investigates the surface water quality of three important tributaries of Jakara Basin, northwestern Nigeria to provide an overview of the relationship and sources of physicochemical and biological parameters. A total of 405 water samples were collected from 27 sampling points and analyzed for 13 parameters: dissolved oxygen (DO), 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), chemical oxygen demand (COD), suspended solids (SS), pH, ammonia-nitrogen (NH₃NL), dissolved solids (DS), total solids (TS), nitrates (NO₃), chloride (Cl), phosphates (PO₄), Escherichia coli (E. coli) and fecal coliform bacteria (FCB). Pearson’s product–moment correlation matrix and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to distinguish the main pollution sources in the basin. Four varimax components were extracted from PCA, which explained 84.86, 83.60, and 78.69 % of the variation in the surface water quality for Jakara, Tsakama, and Gama-Kwari Rivers, respectively. Strong positive loading included BOD₅, COD, NH₃NL, E. coli, and FCB with negative loading on DO attribute to a domestic waste water pollution source. One-way ANOVA revealed that there was no significant difference in the mean of the three water bodies (p?>?0.05). It is therefore recommended that the government should be more effective in controlling the point source of pollution in the area.     

Mantle-derived fluids in the basement of the Deccan Trap: evidence from stable carbon and oxygen isotopes of carbonates from the Killari borehole basement, Maharashtra, India

We report here for the first time geochemical, mineralogical and stable carbon and oxygen isotopic data on the crystalline basement rocks of the 1993 Killari earthquake region of Maharashtra (India), which is covered by a thick suite of Deccan volcanics. Our results revealed the hitherto unknown amphibolite–granulite nature of the 2.5?Ga basement, which contains 2.00–2.28?wt% of CO₂. The stable carbon (δ¹³C) and oxygen (δ¹⁸O) isotopic measurements on carbonates separated from two basement samples KIL-13 (440.5?m depth) and KIL-20 (499.6?m depth) collected from the KLR-1 borehole drilled in the epicentral region showed the respective values of ?6.23 and ?6.22‰ versus PDB for δ¹³C and 7.94 and 8.11‰ versus SMOW for δ¹⁸O. The samples plot in the primary igneous carbonatite field, indicating the mantle origin of the carbonates, derived through the process of mantle metasomatism from the deep mantle carbon reservoir. This would suggest large-scale crust-mantle thermal fluid interaction beneath the Killari seismogenic region, which is characterized by massive upwarping of the high-velocity mafic crust and retrograde metamorphism.     

Determination of aquifer geometry through geophysical methods: A case study from Quetta Valley, Pakistan

Due to increase in population and agricultural activities, the aquifer of Quetta Valley is under tremendous stress and the water table is declining at an increasing rate. This situation necessitates evaluation of the aquifer system, for which information about geometry of the aquifer is a prerequisite. However, there are no drilling-to-bedrock data available; therefore, electrical resistivity, seismic reflection and gravity methods were employed to determine geometry of the aquifer. Interpretation of vertical electrical soundings provided information about the depth-tobedrock at some specific points, whereas seismic reflection delineated bedrock topography along two lines. The depths to bedrock inferred from electrical resistivity and seismic reflection data were used as constraints in the modeling of gravity data. 2.75D gravity models were constructed along lines with a regular spacing. Map of depth-to-bedrock was prepared by contouring the depth given by the gravity models. Combination of these geophysical methods depicted the geometry of the aquifer. This example shows that in a similar geological setting proper integration of geophysical exploration methods can determine the aquifer geometry with an acceptable reliability and at an appropriate cost.     

Rare earth element geochemistry of the Permo-Carboniferous clastic sedimentary rocks from the Spiti Region,Tethys Himalaya: significance of Eu and Ce anomalies

Acta Geochimica - Siliciclastic sedimentary rocks, including sandstones and associated shales, from the Permo-Carboniferous Kanawar Group of NW Tethys Himalaya, Spiti Region, India were examined...