Extreme Rainfall Events and Associated Natural Hazards in Alaknanda Valley, Indian Himalayan Region

Introduction The Himalaya is considered to be the youngest mountains on the earth, and is tectonically very active, and hence inherently (geologically) vulnerable to hazards. Extreme rainfall events, landslides, debris flows, torrents and flash floods due…     

The influence of macrophyte growth,typical of eutrophic conditions,on river flow velocities and turbulence production

The influence of emergent and submerged macrophytes on flow velocity and turbulence production is demonstrated in a 140 m reach of the River Blackwater in Farnborough, Hampshire, UK. Macrophyte growth occurs in patches and is dominated by Sparganium erectum and Sparganium emersum. In May 2001, patches of S. erectum were already established and occupied 18% of the channel area. The flow adjusted to these (predominantly lateral) patches by being channelled through a narrower cross‐section. The measured velocity profiles showed a logarithmic form, with deviations attributable to topographic control. The channel bed was the main source of turbulence. In September 2001, in‐stream macrophytes occupied 27% of the channel, and overhanging bank vegetation affected 32% of the area. Overall flow resistance, described by Manning's n, showed a threefold increase that could be attributed to the growth of S. emersum in the middle of the channel. Velocity profiles showed different characteristic forms depending on their position relative to plant stems and leaves. The overall velocity field had a three‐dimensional structure. Turbulence intensities were generally higher and turbulence profiles tended to mirror the velocity profiles. Evidence for the generation of coherent eddies was provided by ratios of the root mean square velocities. Spectral analysis identified deviations from the Kolmogorov ?5/3 power law and provided statistical evidence for a spectral short‐cut, indicative of additional turbulence production. This was most marked for the submerged vegetation and, in some instances, the overhanging bank vegetation. The long strap‐like leaves of S. emersum being aligned approximately parallel to the flow and the highly variable velocity field created by the patch arrangement of macrophytes suggest that the dominant mechanism for turbulence production is vortex shedding along shear zones. Wake production around individual stems of S. emersum close to the bed may also be important locally. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Predicting ground-motion variations at the Turkey-flat test site,California

Results of a single group participating in an international experiment are analyzed. The experiment served to verify computational predictions of the ground-motion variations due to near-surface geological effects at a site established for that purpose by the California Department of Conservation. Based on an acceleration record at a rock location, and geotechnical model of medium, records at the other locations of a nearby sedimentary deposit were predicted. A 2-D finite-difference sensitivity analysis suggested that the lateral wave-propagation effects are negligibly small, and locally 1-D computations are sufficient for the present site. Those computations are compared with observations not available to the authors during the blind prediction. Peak accelerations, peak velocities and RMS accelerations were predicted with errors less than 159%, 114% and 62%, respectively. Maxima of the response spectra were fitted within a factor of 2. The predicted and observed Husid's plots (i.e., the normalized cumulative plots of the acceleration squared) have the correlation coefficients 0.98. The detected misfits do not show any simple relation to the instrument location, component, frequency, or time.     

On the practice of estimating fractal dimension

Coastlines epitomize deterministic fractals and fractal (Hausdorff-Besicovitch) dimensions; a divider [compass] method can be used to calculate fractal dimensions for these features. Noise models are used to develop another notion of fractals, a stochastic one. Spectral and variogram methods are used to estimate fractal dimensions for stochastic fractals. When estimating fractal dimension, the objective of the analysis must be consistent with the method chosen for fractal dimension calculation. Spectal and variogram methods yield fractal dimensions which indicate the similarity of the feature under study to noise (e.g., Brownian noise). A divider measurement method yields a fractal dimension which is a measure of complexity of shape.     

岩体三维节点偶对分析及其应用

本文讨论了节点偶对分析的三维扩展。节点偶对分析是针对摩擦滑动节理单元的约束边界进行的序列矢量判定。在三维节理单元的分析中,几何约束和相应的力学判据极为复杂,采用节点偶对等效结合力方法才能迎刃而解。文中对三维转向节理模型的分析得到合理的结果,它表明本文所提出的方法可成功地应用于节理岩体的有限元分析。     

Astrophysical molecules of AlH and CaH: RKR potential and dissociation energies

The true potential energy curves for the electronic ground states of astrophysically important AlH and CaH molecules are constructed by the Rydberg-Klein-Rees method. Empirical potential functions, of three-parameters by Lippincott, of five-parameters by Hulburt and Hirsch-felder and, of electronegativity by Szöke and Baitz, are examined for the adequacy to represent the true curve. From the best-fitting function, the dissociation energiesD ₀ ⁰ of AlH and CaH molecules are estimated to be 2.99 ± 0.08 and 2.72 ± 0.06 eV respectively. The force constants indicate that these values are of correct magnitude.     

Carbonate aeolianites of western Saurashtra,India: experimental decipherment of the depositional mechanisms

Granular carbonate deposits of Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene age, commonly referred to as ‘miliolite limestone’, occur in a linear belt, parallel to the southern coast of Saurashtra, India. In the present study area these carbonate deposits are found in select valleys between ridges and mounds of pyroclastic material present in the Deccan trap plateau. Two different depositional histories have been proposed for these sediments. The presence of marine bioclasts led to the postulation of a marine origin for these deposits. The second school of thought propounded redeposition of the coastal sediments by aeolian processes. Although a few features could not be explained by the proposed aeolian model, critical comparison of these two views favoured the aeolian origin. The mode of occurrence, lithological and structural attributes, and microscopic evidence presented here, also support a possible aeolian origin for these deposits. Experimental observation indicates that these carbonate aeolianites represent backflow deposits, which accumulated because of the flow separation caused by the presence of topographic highs. The conspicuous concave‐up geometry of the deposit conformed to the shape of the separation bulb. In view of the inferred depositional mechanism, the disposition of the deposits and the signature of the palaeoflow direction suggest that the carbonate particles were derived from the north‐western coast of Saurashtra by strong south‐easterly winds. Massive granular carbonates with outsized basement clasts appear to be the product of avalanching of granular material from the higher contours because of oversteepening of the primary deposit.     

U–Pb SHRIMP zircon geochronology and T–t–d history of the Kampa Dome, southern Tibet

Structural, petrographic and geochronologic studies of the Kampa Dome provide insights into the tectonothermal evolution of orogenic crust exposed in the North Himalayan gneiss domes of southern Tibet. U–Pb ion microprobe dating of zircons from granite gneiss exposed at the deepest levels within the dome yields concordia ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age populations of 506 ± 3 Ma and 527 ± 6 Ma, with no evidence of new zircon growth during Himalayan orogenesis. However, the granite contains penetrative deformation fabrics that are also preserved in the overlying Paleozoic strata, implying that the Kampa granite is a Cambrian pluton that was strongly deformed and metamorphosed during Himalayan orogenesis. Zircons from deformed leucogranite sills that cross-cut Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks yield concordant Cambrian ages from oscillatory zoned cores and discordant ages ranging from ca. 491–32 Ma in metamict grains. Since these leucogranites clearly post-date the metasedimentary rocks they intrude, the zircons are interpreted as xenocrysts that are probably derived from the Kampa granite. The Kampa Dome formed via a series of progressive orogenic events including regional ~ N–S contraction and related crustal thickening (D₁), predominately top-to-N ductile shearing and crustal extension (D₂), top-to-N brittle–ductile faulting and related folding on the north limb of the dome, localized top-to-S faulting on the southern limb of the dome, and crustal doming (D₃), and continued N–S contraction, E–W extension and doming (D₄). Structural and geochronologic variability amongst adjacent North Himalayan gneiss domes may reflect changes in the magnitude of crustal exhumation along the North Himalayan antiform, possibly relating to differences in the mid-crustal geometry of the exhuming fault systems.     

Paleosol at the Archean—Proterozoic contact in NW India revisited: Evidence for oxidizing conditions during paleo-weathering?

A number of fine-grained sericite bearing pelitic, schistose lithologies occur along the Archean (Banded Gneiss Complex)-Proterozoic (Aravalli Supergroup) contact (APC) in the Udaipur valley in NW Indian craton. These Al-rich lithologies (subsequently metamorphosed) have been described as ‘paleosols’, developed over a 3.3 Ga old Archean gneissic basement and are overlain by Paleoproterozoic Aravalli quartzite. The paleosol was developed between 2.5 and 2.1, coincident with the globally recognized Great Oxidation Event (GOE). In previous studies these paleosol sections were interpreted to have developed under reducing environment, however, the finding of a ‘ferricrete’ zone in the upper part of Tulsi Namla section (east of Udaipur) during the present study (in addition to earlier reported lithologies) has led to an alternative suggestion of oxygen-rich conditions during paleosol development. The Tulsi Namla paleosol section shows all the features characteristic of a complete paleosol section described from other Archean cratons. The paleosol includes sericite schist with kyanite as the prevalent Al-silicate in the lower part of profile while chloritoid and Fe-oxides typify the Fe-rich upper part. Alumina has remained immobile during the weathering process while Fe and Mn show a decrease in the lower part of the section and an abrupt rise in the upper part, in the ferricrete zone. The field and geochemical data indicate that the Tulsi Namla section is an in situ weathering profile and at least the upper part shows evidence of oxidizing conditions.     

Simultaneous transport of water and solutes under transient unsaturated flow conditions — A case study

The imbalance between incoming and outgoing salt causes salinization of soils and sub-soils that result in increasing the salinity of stream-flows and agriculture land. This salinization is a serious environmental hazard particularly in semi-arid and arid lands. In order to estimate the magnitude of the hazard posed by salinity, it is important to understand and identify the processes that control salt movement from the soil surface through the root zone to the ground water and stream flows. In the present study, Malaprabha sub-basin (up to dam site) has been selected which has two distinct climatic zones, sub-humid (upstream of Khanapur) and semi-arid region (downstream of Khanapur). In the upstream, both surface and ground waters are used for irrigation, whereas in the downstream mostly groundwater is used. Both soils and ground waters are more saline in downstream parts of the study area. In this study we characterized the soil salinity and groundwater quality in both areas. An attempt is also made to model the distribution of potassium concentration in the soil profile in response to varying irrigation conditions using the SWIM (Soil-Water Infiltration and Movement) model. Fair agreement was obtained between predicted and measured results indicating the applicability of the model.