An anomalous high-velocity layer at shallow crustal depths in the Narmada zone, India

The Narmada zone in central India is a zone of weakness that separates the region of Vindhyan (Meso-Neoproterozoic) deposition to the north from Gondwana (Permo-Carboniferous–lower Cretaceous) deposits to the south. The reinterpretation of analogue seismic refraction data, acquired during the early 1980s, using 2-D ray-tracing techniques reveals a basement (velocity 5.8–6.0 km s⁻¹ ) topography suggesting that the Narmada zone, bounded by the Narmada North and Narmada South faults is a region of basement uplift. A layer of anomalously high velocity (6.5–6.7 km s⁻¹ ) at depths between 1.5 and 9.0 km appears to be present in the entire region. Within the Narmada zone this layer occurs at shallower depths than outside the Narmada zone. At two places within the Narmada zone this layer is at a depth of about 1.5 km. This layer cannot be considered as the top of the lower crust because in this case it should have produced large positive gravity anomalies at the shallowest parts. Instead, these parts correspond to Bouguer gravity lows. Furthermore, lower crust at such shallow depths has not been reported from any other part of the Indian shield. Therefore, this layer is likely to represent the top of a high-velocity mafic body that has different thicknesses in different places.     

Geotechnical Properties of Low Calcium and High Calcium Fly Ash

In this paper, a comparative study has been made for physical and engineering properties of low calcium and high calcium Indian fly ash. The grain size distribution of fly ash is independent of lime content. Fly ash particles of size >75 μm are mostly irregular in shape whereas finer fractions are spherical for low calcium fly ash. For high calcium fly ash, chemical and mineralogical differences have been observed for different size fractions. Compared to low calcium fly ash, optimum moisture content is low and maximum dry density is high for high calcium fly ash. Optimum moisture content is directly proportional and maximum dry density is inversely proportional to the carbon content. The mode and duration of curing have significant effect on strength and stress–strain behavior of compacted fly ash. The gain in strength with time for high calcium fly ash is very high compared to that of low calcium fly ash due to presence of reactive minerals and glassy phase.     

Cobalt‐Bearing Grunerite in the Metamorphosed Banded Iron Formation in Orissa,India

Banded iron formation (BIF) comprising high grade iron ore are exposed in Gorumahisani‐Sulaipat‐Badampahar belt in the east of North Orissa Craton, India. The ores are multiply deformed and metamorphosed to amphibolite facies. The mineral assemblage in the BIF comprises grunerite, magnetite/martite/goethite and quartz. Relict carbonate phases are sometimes noticed within thick iron mesobands. Grunerite crystals exhibit needles to fibrous lamellae and platy form or often sheaf‐like aggregates in linear and radial arrangement. Accicular grunerite also occur within intergranular space of magnetite/martite. Grunerite needles/accicules show higher reflectivity in chert mesoband and matching reflectance with that of adjacent magnetite/martite in iron mesoband. Some grunerite lamellae sinter into micron size magnetite platelets. This grunerite has high ferrous oxide and cobalt oxide content but is low in Mg‐ and Mn‐oxide compared to the ones, reported from BIFs, of Western Australia, Nigeria, France, USA and Quebec. The protolith of this BIF is considered to be carbonate containing sediments, with high concentrations of Fe and Si but lower contents of cobalt and chromium ± Mg, Mn and Ni. During submarine weathering quartz, sheet silicate (greenalite) and Fe‐Co‐Cr (Mg‐Mn‐Ni)‐carbonate solid solution were formed. At the outset of the regional metamorphic episode grunerite, euhedral magnetite and recrystalized quartz were developed. Magnetite was grown at the expense of carbonate and later martitized under post‐metamorphic conditions. With the increasing grade of metamorphism greenalite transformed to grunerite.     

Hydrogeochemical Characterization and Groundwater Quality of Jamshedpur Urban Agglomeration in Precambrian Terrain,Eastern India

This paper reports petrography, geochemistry and Rb-Sr age data on the rare metal bearing Neoarchean fertile (Nb-Ta) granite at Allapatna and elucidates its petrogenesis and role in Nb-Ta-Li-Be mineralization. The Allapatna granite (AG) intrudes the Tonalitic-Trondhjemitic - Granodioritic (TTG) Peninsular Gneiss and analysed SiO₂ (72.3-75.6 wt%), K₂O (4.0-5.7wt%), Na2O (3.0-4.4wt%), CaO (0.7-1wt%), MgO (0.13-0.25wt%) and K₂O/Na₂O (>1) indicating evolved nature. The presence of muscovite, biotite and garnet in the mode, peraluminous nature and high initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio (0.7284±0.0083) attest to their S-type characteristics. Varying Nb/Ta ratio and high Li with moderate abundance of Cs further indicate affinity to Li-Cs-Ta (LCT) type granite-pegmatite system. TheAG showing whole rock Rb-Sr isochron age of 2803± 68 Ma, is the oldest reported fertile granite in India parental to rare metal pegmatites hosting Nb-Ta, Be, and Li resources. Partial melting of a mixed source consisting of both basement TTG rocks and metapelites has generated such type of granitic magma. Fractionation of such granitic magma possibly has given rise to the rare metal (Ta-Nb-Li-Be) bearing pegmatites intruding the nearby schist belt.     

Metamorphism of Proterozoic agpaitic nepheline syenite gneiss from North Singhbhum Mobile Belt, eastern India

Sushina nepheline syenite gneisses of Early Proterozoic North Singhbhum Mobile Belt (NSMB), eastern India suffered regional metamorphism under greenschist-amphibolite transitional facies condition. The Agpaitic Sushina nepheline syenite gneisses consist of albite, K-feldspar, nepheline (close to Morozewicz-Buerger composition), aegirine, biotite, epidote, piemontite, sodalite, cancrinite, natrolite and local alkali amphibole. Accessory phases include zircon, hematite, magnetite, rare pyrochlore and occasional eudialyte and manganoan calcic zirconosilicates. Mineral chemistry of albite, K-feldspar, nepheline, aegirine, alkali amphibole, natrolite and zirconium silicate minerals are described. The detailed textural features together with chemical data of some minerals indicate metamorphic overprint of these rocks. A new reaction is given for the genesis of metamorphic epidote. Metamorphic piemontite suggests greenschist facies metamorphism under high fO₂ (Hematite-Magnetite buffer). Up to 15.34 mol% of jadeite component in aegirine suggests that the metamorphic grade of the nepheline syenite gneiss reached at least to greenschist-amphibolite transitional facies or higher. Nepheline geothermometry suggests temperature of metamorphism <500 °C, which is consistent with greenschist facies metamorphism of surrounding chlorite-biotite-garnet phyllite country rock.     

Redox Condition,Nature and Tectono-magmatic Environment of Granitoids and Granite gneisses from the Karbi Anglong Hills,Northeast India: Constraints from Magnetic Susceptibility and Biotite Geochemistry

The Karbi Anglong hills (erstwhile Mikir hills) in northeast India are detached and separated from the Meghalaya plateau by a NW-SE trending Kopili rift. The Karbi Anglong hills granitoids (KAHG) and its granite gneissic variants belong to Cambrian plutons formed during Pan-African orogenic cycle, which commonly intrude the basement granite gneisses and Shillong Group metasediments. The KAHG can be broadly classified into three major granitoid facies viz., coarse grained porphyritic granitoid, medium grained massive non-porphyritic granitoid, and granite gneiss, which share a common mineral assemblage of plagioclase-K-feldspar-quartz-biotite±hornblende-apatite-titanite-zircon-magnetite but differ greatly in mineral proportion and texture. Modal mineralogy of KAHG, granite gneiss and basement granite gneiss largely represents monzogranite and syenogranite. The magnetic susceptibility (MS) of the KAHG, granite gneiss and basement granite gneiss varies widely between 0.11×10^-3 and 43.144×10^-3 SI units, corresponding to ilmenite series (<3×10^-3 SI; reduced type) and magnetite series (>3×10^-3 SI; oxidized type) of granitoids respectively. The observed MS variations are most likely intrinsic to heterogeneous source regions, modal variations of orthomagnetic and ferromagnetic minerals, and tectonothermal and deformational processes that acted upon these rocks. The primary and re-equilibrated compositions of biotites from the KAHG, granite gneiss and basement granite gneiss suggest calcalkaline, metaluminous (I-type) nature of felsic host magma formed in a subduction or post-collisional to peraluminous (S-type) host magma originated in syn-collisional tectonic settings, which were evolved and stabilized between FMQ and NNO buffers typically corresponding to reducing and oxidising magma environments respectively.     

Magnetite Dyke in Precambrian Banded Iron Formation,Singhbhum Craton,India: Mineralogical and Chemical Characteristics

Banded iron formation (BIF) of the Gorumahisani–Sulaipat–Badampahar (GSB) belt in Singhbhum Craton, India, consists predominantly of magnetite. This BIF is intruded by a magnetite dyke. The magnetite dyke is massive and compact with minor sulphide minerals while the host banded magnetite ore, a component of the BIF, shows thin lamination. The magnetite ore of the dyke is fine to medium grained and exhibits interlocking texture with sharp grain boundaries, which is different from the banded magnetite that is medium to coarse grained and show irregular martitised and goethitised grain boundaries. Relics of Fe–Ca–Mn–Mg‐carbonate and iron silicates (grunerite and cummingtonite) are observed in the banded magnetite. The intrusive magnetite is distinctly different in minor, trace and REE geochemistry from the banded magnetite. The banded magnetite contains higher amounts of Si, Al, Mn, Ca, Mg, Sc, Ga, Nb, Zr, Hf, Co, Rb and Cu. In contrast, the massive magnetite is enriched in Cr, Zn, V, Ni, Sr, Pb, Y, Ta, Cs and U with higher abundance of HREE. In the chondrite normalized plot, the massive magnetite shows a slight positive Eu anomaly while the banded ore does not show any Eu anomaly. Field disposition, morphology, mineralogy and chemistry show that the intrusive magnetite dyke is of igneous origin, while magnetite in BIF formed from a carbonate protolith through the process of sedimentation.     

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic characteristics of PM2.5 and PM10 in Delhi,India

This study presents the chemical composition (carbonaceous and nitrogenous components) of aerosols (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀) along with stable isotopic composition (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) collected during winter and the summer months of 2015–16 to explore the possible sources of aerosols in megacity Delhi, India. The mean concentrations (mean?±?standard deviation at 1σ) of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ were 223?±?69 µg m^?3 and 328?±?65 µg m^?3, respectively during winter season whereas the mean concentrations of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ were 147?±?22 µg m^?3 and 236?±?61 µg m^?3, respectively during summer season. The mean value of δ¹³C (range: ??26.4 to ??23.4‰) and δ¹⁵N (range: 3.3 to 14.4‰) of PM_2.5 were ??25.3?±?0.5‰ and 8.9?±?2.1‰, respectively during winter season whereas the mean value of δ¹³C (range: ??26.7 to ??25.3‰) and δ¹⁵N (range: 2.8 to 11.5‰) of PM_2.5 were ??26.1?±?0.4‰ and 6.4?±?2.5‰, respectively during the summer season. Comparison of stable C and N isotopic fingerprints of major identical sources suggested that major portion of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ at Delhi were mainly from fossil fuel combustion (FFC), biomass burning (BB) (C-3 and C-4 type vegitation), secondary aerosols (SAs) and road dust (SD). The correlation analysis of δ¹³C with other C (OC, TC, OC/EC and OC/WSOC) components and δ¹⁵N with other N components (TN, NH₄⁺ and NO₃^?) are also support the source identification of isotopic signatures.

     

The Indian summer monsoon drought of 2002 and its linkage with tropical convective activity over northwest Pacific

The Indian subcontinent witnessed a severe monsoon drought in 2002, which largely resulted from a major rainfall deficiency in the month of July. While moderate El Nino conditions prevailed during this period, the atmospheric convective activity was anomalously enhanced over northwest and north-central Pacific in the 10–20°N latitude belt; and heavy rainfall occurred over this region in association with a series of northward moving tropical cyclones. Similar out-of-phase rainfall variations over the Indian region and the northwest (NW) Pacific have been observed during other instances of El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The dynamical linkage corresponding to this out-of-phase rainfall variability is explored in this study by conducting a set of numerical experiments using an atmospheric general circulation model. The results from the model simulations lend credence to the role of the tropical Pacific sea surface temperature anomalies in forcing the out-of-phase precipitation variability over the NW Pacific and the Indian monsoon region. It is seen that the ENSO induced circulation response reveals an anomalous pattern comprising of alternating highs and lows which extend meridionally from the equatorial region into the sub-tropic and mid-latitude regions of west-central Pacific. This meridional pattern is associated with an anomalous cyclonic circulation over NW Pacific, which is found to favor enhanced tropical cyclonic activity and intensified convection over the region. In turn, the intensified convection over NW Pacific induces subsidence and rainfall deficiency over the Indian landmass through anomalous east-west circulation in the 10–20°N latitude belt. Based on the present findings, it is suggested that the convective activity over NW Pacific is an important component in mediating the ENSO-monsoon teleconnection dynamics.     

A verification framework for interannual-to-decadal predictions experiments

Decadal predictions have a high profile in the climate science community and beyond, yet very little is known about their skill. Nor is there any agreed protocol for estimating their skill. This paper proposes a sound and coordinated framework for verification of decadal hindcast experiments. The framework is illustrated for decadal hindcasts tailored to meet the requirements and specifications of CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5). The chosen metrics address key questions about the information content in initialized decadal hindcasts. These questions are: (1) Do the initial conditions in the hindcasts lead to more accurate predictions of the climate, compared to un-initialized climate change projections? and (2) Is the prediction model’s ensemble spread an appropriate representation of forecast uncertainty on average? The first question is addressed through deterministic metrics that compare the initialized and uninitialized hindcasts. The second question is addressed through a probabilistic metric applied to the initialized hindcasts and comparing different ways to ascribe forecast uncertainty. Verification is advocated at smoothed regional scales that can illuminate broad areas of predictability, as well as at the grid scale, since many users of the decadal prediction experiments who feed the climate data into applications or decision models will use the data at grid scale, or downscale it to even higher resolution. An overall statement on skill of CMIP5 decadal hindcasts is not the aim of this paper. The results presented are only illustrative of the framework, which would enable such studies. However, broad conclusions that are beginning to emerge from the CMIP5 results include (1) Most predictability at the interannual-to-decadal scale, relative to climatological averages, comes from external forcing, particularly for temperature; (2) though moderate, additional skill is added by the initial conditions over what is imparted by external forcing alone; however, the impact of initialization may result in overall worse predictions in some regions than provided by uninitialized climate change projections; (3) limited hindcast records and the dearth of climate-quality observational data impede our ability to quantify expected skill as well as model biases; and (4) as is common to seasonal-to-interannual model predictions, the spread of the ensemble members is not necessarily a good representation of forecast uncertainty. The authors recommend that this framework be adopted to serve as a starting point to compare prediction quality across prediction systems. The framework can provide a baseline against which future improvements can be quantified. The framework also provides guidance on the use of these model predictions, which differ in fundamental ways from the climate change projections that much of the community has become familiar with, including adjustment of mean and conditional biases, and consideration of how to best approach forecast uncertainty.