A theoretical study of bond distances,X-ray spectra and electron density distributions in borate polyhedra

The borate polyhedra BO ₃ ^3? , B(OH)₃, BO ₄ ^5? , and B(OH) ₄ ^? are studied using the ab initio and multiple scattering Xα quantum mechanical methods. The ab initio self-consistent-field (SCF) molecular orbital (MO) method, at the minimum basis set level, predicts equilibrium B-O distances within 0.04 Å of their average values in solids so long as the polyhedron charge is small. Orbital energies from double zeta basis set ab initio calculations and analogies with isoelectric compounds are used to assign the X-ray spectra of BO ₃ ^3? and to predict the valence region spectra of BO ₄ ^5? . Contour maps of the difference between molecular and superimposed free atom electron densities show charge buildup along the B-O bond which is only slightly smaller than that observed in CO ₃ ^2? .     

On the formation of a sharp layer of metallic constituents at sunrise in the lower thermosphere

Results are presented of two instrumented rocket experiments performed from an equatorial station, one at night and the other shortly after sunrise. The ion neutral composition as well as electron density and the amplitude of plasma irregularities were monitored. During the latter flight, a sharp layer of ionisation with its lower boundary at 100 km was observed. The layer had a half width close to 1 km and a peak electron density of 5·6× 10⁴cm^?3. Large amplitude of plasma irregularities, noticed on the negative gradient portion of the layer indicates a downward direction of the polarisation electric field during the observations. The resulting downward drift of photoions as they are produced at sunrise followed by the local decrease of the drift is suggested to be the cause of the layer formation at that altitude. The long lasting nature of such layers once identified on ionograms indicates that they are constituted of metallic ions possibly of micrometeoritic origin deposited overnight in the lower thermosphere. The required photoionisation rate of production of the metallic ions at sunris eis about 2 cm^?3 sec^?1.     

Efficient Generation Portfolio Construction Using Time-Varying Correlations

We constructed a procurement portfolio for the Indian power sector using two variants of the dynamic conditional correlation GARCH model to derive time-varying correlations between major coal indices. We used prices and qualities of observed cargos to adjust indices for quality gaps as well as for freight costs and power plant efficiency factors. Using the relative homogeneity of the energy content of imports from Australia, South Africa, and Indonesia, we found that the regional seaborne market is highly correlated during normal economic conditions, while suffering brief departures in correlation during demand and supply shocks. Our results show that the buying behavior of power producers is aligned with the mean-variance efficient portfolio of delivered prices using time-varying correlation estimates, but not free-on-board coal index prices. This study challenges the notion that thermal coal importers only source material with a freight price advantage and highlights the importance of coal quality gaps in power production.     

A new class of relativistic charged anisotropic super dense star models

In the present article we have obtained a class of analytical solutions for an anisotropic charged fluid distribution. The neutral anisotropic fluid sphere has already been obtained by Maurya and Gupta (Phys. Scr. 86:025009, 2012). The solutions depend upon both the anisotropic and the charge parameter. The anisotropy parameter and the electric intensity is zero at the centre and monotonically increasing towards the pressure free interface. All the physical entities such as energy density, radial pressure, tangential pressure, and velocity of sound are monotonically decreasing towards the surface.     

Basin analysis palaeo-landscape modelling: Testing the critical controls using experimental design constrained by a real 3D geological model,Gippsland Basin,Australia

The main controlling variables for palaeo-landscape evolution are investigated to assess their relative importance using the Gippsland Basin geological history. Palaeo-landscape reconstruction is a complicated process controlled and affected by multiple variables, including tectonic, palaeo-environment, sea-level change, rainfall, sediment erosion, transportation, deposition, etc. The Basin and Landscape Dynamics software (Badlands) software was used with an efficient experimental design (ED) to guide the selected scenarios, process the results, and generate the multi-variate equations that define and identify the important controlling variables. The ED was used to test and identify the main uncertainties and their possible ranges, based on actual field data, while at the same time ensuring that the full multi-dimensional space for those variables was covered to enable the computation of multivariate equations from the minimum number of scenario runs. A full suite of 3D forward palaeo-landscape models of the Gippsland Basin was built to reconstruct the basin history from its formation to the present (Early Cretaceous to Holocene, 137-0 Ma). The models are compared to the corresponding full 3D realistic structural and stratigraphic model of the basin that has been built in Petrel (Schlumberger software). This constrains the sedimentary, stratigraphic, burial and thermal histories to the relative subsidence rates and basin-fill for each geological sequence by using the model isopachs input to the Badlands modelling. The ED required only 22 scenarios to fit 12 identified variables and test for possible interactions with each other. The most significant variables are those that control sediment supply including non-marine erodibility, rainfall, (Rainfall × Area) exponent m, Slope and critical slope while maximum % Marine Deposition and marine dispersal are also required to fill the marine accommodation space. Sea Level and subsidence only become significant when rapid enough to outpace sediment supply. The controlling factors change over time with basin development from rift to post-rift phases and interactions are highly significant.     

First megafossil evidence of Cyatheaceous tree fern from the Indian Cenozoic

A part of the compressed tree fern axis with leaf and adventitious root scars in unusual arrangement from Plio–Pleistocene sediments of Arunachal Pradesh, India is described as Cyathea siwalika sp. nov. This record suggests that Cyathea was an important component of tropical evergreen forest in the area during the Plio–Pleistocene and this group subsequently declined in importance within the local vegetation.     

Sensitivity Analysis of Coal Rib Stability for Internal Mine Dump in Opencast Mine by Finite Element Modelling

The present paper discusses the impact of the geometrical parameters of the coal rib and the mine dump on the stability of the coal rib. The geometrical parameters such as the slope angle, the height of dragline dump, the height of main dump, the gradient of seam and the thickness of coal rib have been considered as input to the numerical model for the stability analysis of the coal rib. Sensitivity analysis has been performed based on the results of the analysis in term of factor of safety of the coal rib. The input parameters have been classified in terms of significance (i.e. very high significance, high significance medium significance and low significance). The factor of safety is more influenced by highly significant parameters. The height and the slope angle of dragline dump and the thickness of the coal rib are highly significant parameters for the stability of the coal rib. The gradient of the seam is a medium significant parameter whereas, height of main dump and the number of dragline cut dump are low significant parameters for stability of coal rib.     

Evaluation of TRMM rainfall for soil moisture prediction in a subtropical climate

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) is a joint space mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) designed to monitor and study tropical rainfall. In this study, the daily rainfall from TRMM has been utilized to simulate the soil moisture content up to 30 cm vertical soil profile of at an interval depth of 15 cm by using the HYDRUS 1D numerical model for the three plots. The simulated soil moisture content using ground-based rainfall and TRMM-derived rainfall measurements indicate an agreeable goodness of fit between the both. The Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency using ground-based and TRMM-derived rainfall was found in the range of 0.90–0.68 and 0.70–0.40, respectively. The input data sensitivity analysis of precipitation combined with different irrigation treatment indicates a high dependency of soil moisture content with rainfall input. The overall analysis reveals that TRMM rainfall is promising for soil moisture prediction in absence of ground-based measurements of soil moisture.     

Koyna,India, an ideal site for near field earthquake observations

The Koyna earthquake of M 6.3 on December 10, 1967 is the largest artificial water reservoir triggered earthquake globally. It claimed ～ 200 human lives and devastated the Koyna township. Before the impoundment of the Shivaji Sagar Lake created by the Koyna Dam, there were no earthquakes reported from the region. Initially a few stations were operated in the region by the CentralWater and Power Research Station (CWPRS). The seismic station network grew with time and currently the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad is operating 23 broadband seismographs and 6 bore hole seismic stations. Another reservoir, Warna, was created in 1985, which provided a further impetus to Reservoir Triggered Seismicity (RTS). Every year following the monsoon, water levels rise in the two reservoirs and there is an immediate increase in triggered earthquakes in the vicinity of Koyna-Warna reservoirs in the months of August–September. Peak RTS is observed in September and later during December.Another spurt in triggered earthquakes is observed during the draining of the reservoirs in the months of April- May. A comparative study of RTS earthquake sequences and the ones occurring in nearby regions made it possible to identify four common characteristics of RTS sequences that discriminate them from normal earthquake sequences. As the RTS events continue to occur at Koyna in a large number in a limited area of 20 km x 30 km, at shallow depths (mostly 2 to 9 km), the region being accessible for all possible observations and there being no other source of earthquakes within 100 km of Koyna Dam, it was suggested to be an ideal site for near field observations of earthquakes. This suggestion was discussed by the global community at an ICDP sponsored workshop held at Hyderabad and Koyna in 2011. There was an unanimous agreement about the suitability of the site for deep scientific drilling; however, a few additional observations/experiments were suggested. These were carried out in the following three years and another ICDP workshop was held in 2014, which totally supported setting up a borehole laboratory for near field investigations at Koyna. Location of a Pilot Bore-hole was decided on the basis of seismic activity and other logistics. The 3 km deep Pilot Borehole was spudded on December 20, 2016 and completed on June 11, 2017.     

Fracture and stress orientation from borehole image logs: A case study from Cambay basin,India

The Deccan trap basalt, laid down by multiple lava flows during upper Cretaceous to Paleocene times forms the basement of current study in Cambay basin. As such, there is great interest and value in fracture detection and evaluation of fractured basement reservoirs in the Cambay basin. The procedure for identification and evaluation of natural as well as induced fractures in basaltic basement of the Cambay basin is presented in this work. In this study formation micro-imager (FMI) and extended range micro-imager (XRMI) log data for fracture identification is used. The Deccan trap basaltic basement of the study area, comprising five wells in the Tarapur-Cambay block, has potential for holding commercial hydrocarbon due to the presence of fractures and weathered basement. Both image logs (FMI, XRMI) identify three types of fracture including open (conductive), partially open and closed (resistive) fractures, of which open and partially open fractures are important for hydrocarbon accumulation. Fracture dip ranges from 10° to 80°. Image logs have also identified washout, breakout and drilling-induced fracture zones. The strike direction of the open natural fractures for four wells varies from N60°E to N30°E whereas the strike direction of most natural fracture in the fifth well is oriented towards N20°W. The orientations of drilling-induced fractures and breakouts may be interpreted for the in-situ stress direction over the logged interval. Drilling-induced tensile fractures, identified over the depth interval of 1969–1972 m, and borehole breakouts over the interval of 1953–1955 m in one well, suggest an orientation of maximum in-situ horizontal compressive stress (S_H) lies in the north-south direction. The azimuths of open natural fractures in the same well vary from north-south to N30°E. It is expected that the direction of fluid flow will be controlled by open natural fractures and therefore would be in a direction parallel to the S_H direction, which is orthogonal to the minimum horizontal stress (S_h) direction. The orientations observed are consistent with the present day S_H direction in the study area of Cambay basin.