Characterizing air–sea CO2 exchange dynamics during winter in the coastal water off the Hugli-Matla estuarine system in the northern Bay of Bengal, India

The distribution of the fugacity of CO₂ ( $ f_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} }} $ ) and air–sea CO₂ exchange were comprehensively investigated in the outer estuary to offshore shallow water region (lying adjacent to the Sundarban mangrove forest) covering an area of ~2,000 km² in the northern Bay of Bengal during the winter. A total of ten sampling surveys were conducted between 1 December, 2011 and 21 February, 2012. Physico-chemical variables like sea surface temperature (SST), salinity, pH, total alkalinity (TAlk), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and in vivo chlorophyll-a along with atmospheric variables were measured in order to study their role in controlling the CO₂ flux. Surface water $ f_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} }} $ ranged between 111 and 459 μatm which correlated significantly with the SST (r = 0.71, p < 0.001, n = 62). Neither DIC nor TAlk showed any linear relationship with varying salinity in the estuarine mixing zone, demonstrating the significant presence of non-carbonate alkalinity. An overall net biological control on the surface $ f_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} }} $ distribution was established during the study, although no significant correlation was found between chlorophyll-a and $ f_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} }} $ (water). The shallow water region studied was mostly under-saturated with CO₂ and acted as a sink for atmospheric CO₂. The difference between surface water and atmospheric $ f_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} }} $ ( $ \Updelta f_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} }} $ ) ranged from ?274 to 69 μatm, with an average seaward flux of ?10.5 ± 12.6 μmol m^?2 h^?1. The $ \Updelta f_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} }} $ and hence the air–sea CO₂ exchange was primarily regulated by the variation in sea surface $ f_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} }} $ , since atmospheric $ f_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} }} $ varied over a comparatively narrow range of 361.23–399.05 μatm.     

Texture, microstructure and geochemistry of magnetite from the Banduhurang uranium mine, Singhbhum Shear Zone, India — implications for physico-chemical evolution of magnetite mineralization

The Singhbhum Shear Zone in eastern India is one of the largest repositories of uranium and copper in India. Besides uranium and copper, apatite-magnetite mineralization is widespread in this shear zone. This study aims at deciphering the physico-chemical evolution of magnetite mineralization in relation to progressive shearing integrating field relations, micro-textures, structures and compositions of magnetite in the Banduhurang uranium mine. Apatite-magnetite ores occur as discrete patches, tongues, and veins in the strongly deformed, fine grained quartzchlorite schist. Textures and microstructures of magnetite indicate at least three stages of magnetite formation. Coarsegrained magnetite (magnetite-1) with long, rotational, and complex strain fringes, defined by fibrous and elongate quartz, is assigned to a stage of pre-/early-shearing magnetite formation. Medium grained magnetite (magnetite-2), characterized by single non-rotational strain fringe equivalent to the youngest fringe of magnetite-1, grew likely at the mid-/late-stage of shearing. Fine grained magnetite (magnetite-3) is generally devoid of any pressure shadow. This indicates even a much later stage of formation of this magnetite, presumably towards the closing stage of shearing. Some of the magnetite-1 grains are optically heterogeneous with a dark, pitted Cr-Ti-bearing core overgrown by lighter, fresh rim locally containing pyrite, chalcopyrite, and chlorite inclusions. The cores are also locally characterized by high Al and Si content. Homogeneous magnetite-1 is optically and compositionally similar to the overgrowth of heterogeneous magnetite-1. This homogeneous magnetite-1 that grew as separate phase is contemporaneous with the overgrowth on pitted core of heterogeneous magnetite-1. Magnetite-2 is compositionally very similar to homogeneous magnetite-1, but is devoid of sulfide inclusion. Magnetite-3 is generally devoid of any silicate or sulfide inclusion and is most pure with least concentrations of trace/minor elements. The high Al and Si content in some magnetite can be explained by coupled substitution that involves substitution of Si⁴⁺ for Fe³⁺ in the tetrahedral sites and Fe²⁺ for Fe³⁺ in the octahedral sites, with a simple substitution of Al³⁺ for Fe³⁺ in the octahedral sites. The mode of occurrences of apatite-magnetite ores indicates a predominantly hydrothermal origin of most magnetite. However, the Cr-Ti-bearing magnetite-1 cores and inferred mafic nature of the original protolith indicates that some magnetite was inherited from the original igneous rock. We propose that the pre-/early-shearing hydrothermal event of magnetite formation was associated with sulfide mineralization and alteration of existing magmatic magnetite. The second stage of magnetite formation at the mid-/late-stage of shearing was not associated with sulfide formation. Finally, fine-grained compositionally pure magnetite formed at the closing stage of shearing likely due to metamorphism of Fe-rich protolith.     

Assessment of Late Blight Induced Diseased Potato Crops: A Case Study for West Bengal District Using Temporal AWiFS and MODIS Data

Remote sensing technology becomes an effective and inexpensive technique for detecting disease in vegetation. In this study, an attempt has been done to discriminate healthy and late blight affected crop using remote sensing based indices such as NDVI and LSWI. NDVI and LSWI spectral profiles between healthy and late blight affected crop shows large difference. Mean difference in reflectance between two acquired dates Jan. 10 and 29, 2009 crop clusters varied from 31.28 % in red band, 7.7 % in NIR band and 6.23 % in SWIR bands in healthy crops while in late blight affected crops it is ?15.5 % in red, 44.4 % in NIR and ?14.61 % in SWIR bands. Negative percentage differences in reflectance indicate reflectance increases from Jan. 10, 2009 to Jan. 29, 2009, while positive difference indicate decrease in reflectance between the two dates. Since potato is an irrigated crop, these differences in reflectance are attributed to prevalent disease at that time. It is found that severely affected areas are Bardhman, Arambag, Bishnupur, Ghatal and Hugli taluka with crop damage areas are 4036.66, 1138.68, 2025.23, 469.15, and 380.08 ha, respectively.     

Does accelerating Universe permit varying speed of light?

We investigate the possible variation of c in the context of the present accelerating Universe as discovered through SN Ia observations and show that variability of c is not permitted under the variable Λ models.     

Variation of the gas and radiation content in the sub-Keplerian accretion disk around black holes and its impact to the solutions

We investigate the variation of the gas and the radiation pressure in accretion disks during the infall of matter to the black hole and its effect to the flow. While the flow far away from the black hole might be non-relativistic, in the vicinity of the black hole it is expected to be relativistic behaving more like radiation. Therefore, the ratio of gas pressure to total pressure (β) and the underlying polytropic index (γ) should not be constant throughout the flow. We obtain that accretion flows exhibit significant variation of β and then γ, which affects solutions described in the standard literature based on constant β. Certain solutions for a particular set of initial parameters with a constant β do not exist when the variation of β is incorporated appropriately. We model the viscous sub-Keplerian accretion disk with a nonzero component of advection and pressure gradient around black holes by preserving the conservations of mass, momentum, energy, supplemented by the evolution of β. By solving the set of five coupled differential equations, we obtain the thermo-hydrodynamical properties of the flow. We show that during infall, β of the flow could vary up to ∼300%, while γ up to ∼20%. This might have a significant impact to the disk solutions in explaining observed data, e.g. super-luminal jets from disks, luminosity, and then extracting fundamental properties from them. Hence any conclusion based on constant γ and β should be taken with caution and corrected.     

Preserved lignin structures in early eocene Surat lignites,Cambay Basin,Western India

Lignite samples from Vastan and Tadkeshwar lignite mines, Cambay Basin have been analysed to elucidate lignin precursor using thermochemolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The thermochemolysis products of lignites are characterized by monomethoxy-, dimethoxy-, and trimethoxybenzene derivatives originated from p-hydroxyphenyl, guaiacyl, and syringyl units of lignin polymer, respectively. The other compounds obtained in thermochemolysates of studied lignites are some resin derived C₁₅ sesquiterpenoids, with a series of fatty acid methyl esters and n-alkanes/alkenes. The methylated guaiacyl and syringyl derivatives originate from the cleavage of β-O-4 linkages and subsequent methylation of acidic hydroxyl groups of preserved lignin. Gymnosperm lignin is characterized mainly by guaiacyl derivatives whereas angiosperm lignin yields some syringyl-type compounds in addition to guaiacyl-type compounds. By analogy with the lignin structure of modern trees, the abundant occurrences of syringyl derivatives in the thermochemolysis products of Surat lignites clearly demonstrate that the palaeofloral community was dominated by angiosperms during the deposition of these lignites.     

Soliton and shocks in pair ion plasma in presence of superthermal electron

Solitons and shocks are addressed in a pair ion plasma in the presence of a kappa distribution. The dissipation is taken care of through the kinematic viscosity of both positive and negative ions in the plasma. The Kadomtsev–Petviashvili–Burger (KPB) equation is derived using the small amplitude expansion method. The Abel equation is obtained from the KPB equation and a solution is obtained by using the factorization method. The effect of the parameters κ and β (temperature ratio of ion species) is observed. Analytically we can find both solitons and shocks. The change of profile from soliton to shocks is shown in the figures. This study may be of wide relevance for the study of the formation of shocks and solitons in laboratory-produced pair ion plasmas.     

Variograms and their role in interpretation of soft iron ore types

Difficulties are encountered in the interpretation of variograms from mixed populations. A case history study of a soft iron ore body capped by laterite demonstrates that the variations observed in variograms for different elements are caused mainly by intermixing of different lithologic units which are interstratified. In the case of soft iron ore, occasional bands of clay and blue dust affect significantly the variations observed for iron, silicon, and aluminum. In the future, it is recommended that the variograms produced reflect a single population.     

Remote sensing and GIS application in change detection of the Barak River channel,N.E. India

Rivers flowing through the alluvium invariably have very low gradient forcing the river to flow slowly in a meandering and zigzag path. Nature and intensity of meandering is governed by the geological and tectonic conditions of the river basin. Barak River in tectonically active south Assam (Northeast India) exhibits intense meandering and shifting of the river course. Topographic data of two different years and satellite images of 4 different years covering a section of the Barak River have been investigated to verify the nature of changes undergone by the river through times. This study reveals active northward shift of the river and a prominent neck-cut off in the initial part of the study area. Northward shift of the river also occurred in the area west of Silchar. But, in the western part the river has shifted both towards north and south. Oscillatory shifting in the river channel has also been noticed. The river has shown a overall northward shift which is probably due to uplift of the southern part of the Barak River valley.