Environmental pollution impact on water and sediments of Kumaun lakes, Lesser Himalaya, India: a comparative study

A study of the water and sediment chemistry of the Nainital, Bhimtal, Naukuchiyatal and Sattal Lakes of Kumaun, has shown that the water of these lakes are alkaline and that electrical conductivity, total dissolved solid and bicarbonate HCO ₃ ⁻ are much higher in Nainital than in the other three lakes. The weathering of limestone lithology and anthropogenic pollution, the latter due to the very high density of population in the Nainital valley, are the primary sources of enhanced parameters. The low pH of Nainital Lake water is due to low photosynthesis and enhanced respiration, increasing CO₂ in the water and the consequent enhancement of Ca²⁺ and HCO ₃ ⁻ . The dissolved oxygen in Nainital Lake is less compared to other lakes, indicating anoxic conditions developing at the mud–water interface at depth. The PO ₄ ³⁻ content in Nainital is higher (124 μg/l), showing an increasing trend over time leading to eutrophic conditions. The trace metals (Cu, Co, Zn, Ni, Mn, and Sr) are present in greater amounts in the water of Nainital Lake than in the other three lakes, though Fe and Cr are high in Bhimtal and Fe in Naukuchiyatal. The higher abundance is derived from the leaching of Fe–Mg from metavolcanic and metabasic rocks. Most of the heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Mn, Fe, Sr, and Zn) significantly enrich the suspended sediments of the lakes compared to the bed sediments which due to their adsorption on finer particles and owing to multiple hydroxide coating and organic content, except for Fe, which is enriched in the bed sediments. The high rate of sedimentation, 11.5 mm/year in Nainital, compared to Bhimtal with 4.70 mm/year, Naukuchiyatal with 3.72 mm/year, and Sattal with 2.99 mm/year, has resulted in shorter residence time, poor sorting of grains, and lesser adsorption of heavy metals, leading consequently, their depletion in the bed sediments of Nainital Lake.     

Pressure and temperature conditions for crystallization of metamorphic allanite and monazite in metapelites: a case study from the Miyar Valley (high Himalayan Crystalline of Zanskar,NW India)

The textural and chemical evolution of allanite and monazite along a well‐constrained prograde metamorphic suite in the High Himalayan Crystalline of Zanskar was investigated to determine the P–T conditions for the crystallization of these two REE accessory phases. The results of this study reveals that: (i) allanite is the stable REE accessory phase in the biotite and garnet zone and (ii) allanite disappears at the staurolite‐in isograd, simultaneously with the occurrence of the first metamorphic monazite. Both monazite and allanite occur as inclusions in staurolite, indicating that the breakdown of allanite and the formation of monazite proceeded during staurolite crystallization. Staurolite growth modelling indicates that staurolite crystallized between 580 and 610 °C, thus setting the lower temperature limit for the monazite‐forming reaction at ~600 °C. Preservation of allanite and monazite inclusions in garnet (core and rim) constrains the garnet molar composition when the first monazite was overgrown and subsequently encompassed by the garnet crystallization front. Garnet growth modelling and the intersection of isopleths reveal that the monazite closest to the garnet core was overgrown by the garnet advancing crystallization front at 590 °C, which establishes an upper temperature limit for monazite crystallization. Significantly, the substitution of allanite by monazite occurs in close spatial proximity, i.e. at similar P–T conditions, in all rock types investigated, from Al‐rich metapelites to more psammitic metasedimentary rocks. This indicates that major silicate phases, such as staurolite and garnet, do not play a significant role in the monazite‐forming reaction. Our data show that the occurrence of the first metamorphic monazite in these rocks was mainly determined by the P–T conditions, not by bulk chemical composition. In Barrovian terranes, dating prograde monazite in metapelites thus means constraining the time when these rocks reached the 600 °C isotherm.     

Petrogenesis of the Late Cenozoic collision volcanism in the central part of the Lesser Caucasus (Azerbaijan)

The Late Cenozoic volcanics of the Lesser Caucasus have similar trace-element and REE patterns with negative anomalies of Nb, Ta, Hf, and Zr. They are highly enriched in Rb, Ba, Th, and La and depleted in Ti, Yb, and Y with respect to N-MORB, which indicates their formation from the subduction-metasomatized lithospheric mantle. Partial melting of the subcontinental mantle lithosphere and crustal assimilation and fractional crystallization controlled the magma evolution in the collisional magmatic belts.     

福贡地区石炭系地层可能属于拉萨地块:来自碎屑锆石年龄谱的指示

欧亚与印度大陆的碰撞使得印度大陆的北东角强烈挤入欧亚大陆内部,形成东构造结,其引发的强烈变形将南羌塘地块、北羌塘地块、拉萨地块、保山地块、兰坪-思茅地块以及地块之间的缝合带挤压于很窄的范围内,造成青藏高原腹地与其东南缘之间构造单元划分、对比困难。滇西福贡地区位于青藏高原东南缘,东构造结影响范围内,是三江造山带及青藏高原相关地块的汇聚处。福贡地区石炭系岩石组合表明其形成于较为稳定的浅海相沉积环境中,具有被动大陆边缘沉积特征。三件石炭系二云母石英片岩碎屑锆石表面年龄数据(194个有效分析点)形成五个主要年龄区间:2550~2400Ma、1800~1550Ma、1200~1080Ma、1000~850Ma和600~480Ma,峰值分别为~2502Ma、~1724Ma、~1120Ma、~886Ma和~512Ma。对比其他地块同时代地层的碎屑锆石年龄谱表明,福贡地区石炭系可能是拉萨地块的一部分,与腾冲地块一样,属于其南延部分。结合中新生代岩浆岩带的构造连续性,我们认为,印度板块东北角向北、北东方向的强烈挤压导致拉萨地块及冈底斯岩浆岩带弯曲、缩颈、并发生分离与旋转。     

喜马拉雅东段库曲岩体锂、铍和铌钽稀有金属矿物研究及指示意义

稀有金属矿物记录了花岗伟晶岩成岩成矿的重要信息。喜马拉雅是全球著名的淡色花岗岩带,库曲岩体位于喜马拉雅东段的特提斯喜马拉雅岩系中。本文调查了库曲岩体的二云母花岗岩、白云母花岗岩、电气石花岗岩和花岗伟晶岩,其中,花岗伟晶岩涉及花岗岩的伟晶岩相和独立伟晶岩脉。库曲岩体产出的稀有金属矿物包括锂辉石、锂绿泥石、绿柱石、铌铁矿-钽铁矿、钇铀钽烧绿石和细晶石,它们主要赋存于似文象伟晶岩、石英-钠长石-白云母伟晶岩、块体长石-钠质细晶岩、块体长石-电气石钠质细晶岩、锂辉石-块体长石-细晶岩、白云母花岗岩的伟晶岩相以及电气石花岗岩内。显微镜观察、电子探针和LA-ICP-MS测试结果显示锂辉石具有四种产状,包括粗粒锂辉石自形-半自形晶、细粒锂辉石-石英镶嵌晶、中细粒锂辉石-钾长石-钠长石-云母镶嵌晶以及发育锂绿泥石的粗粒锂辉石,揭示了其形成时复杂的熔流体动荡结晶环境。绿柱石背散射电子图像（BSE）下呈均一结构和不均一结构（蚀变边、不规则分带和补丁分带）,元素替代机制包括通道-八面体替代、通道-四面体替代以及通道中碱金属阳离子间的置换。铌铁矿族矿物包括原生、蚀变边和不规则分带结构,部分被钇铀钽烧绿石和细晶石交代。与原生铌铁矿相比,蚀变边和不规则分带铌铁矿族矿物总体上富钽贫锰,显示了结晶分异、过冷却引起的过饱和以及流体作用。根据稀有金属矿物揭示的成因信息,独立伟晶岩脉（似文象伟晶岩）、白云母花岗岩的伟晶岩相和电气石花岗岩在岩浆分异程度、经历的演化过程、以及流体活动方面存在差异,很可能是不同期次岩浆活动的产物。库曲岩体绿柱石的Rb和Zn含量、以及铌铁矿族矿物的Sc₂O₃、SiO₂和PbO含量,与已有指示标志存在相关性,作为潜在指示标志仍需开展更多的研究工作。综合含锂辉石伟晶岩的产出、岩浆分异演化程度、多期花岗质岩浆活动、复杂的流体作用以及所属锂丰度高值区等因素,库曲岩体是喜马拉雅东段找锂的有利地段。     

气候变化下基于物种与植物耦联机制的小白额雁(Anser erythropus)潜在生境及适宜性研究--以长江流域中下游为例

气候变化和人类活动通过改变物种生境而影响物种多样性。小白额雁是长江流域中下游的一种具有较高生态价值的食草型濒危候鸟,受气候变化和人类活动威胁。本文以小白额雁为代表性物种,定量分析了气候变化对长江流域中下游候鸟潜在生境及适宜性空间分布格局的影响。采用Maxent模型模拟了当前情景和全球环流模型(GCMs)气候场景下小白额雁潜在生境及其适宜性分布。研究结果表明,小白额雁分布特征与其栖息地周边植物分布呈显著相关关系;运用Maxent模型模拟小白额雁六种主要食源植物的分布特征,并将其结果作为环境变量,将显著改善小白额雁潜在生境及其适宜性模型的模拟性能;在两种典型浓度情景(RCP 2.6和RCP8.5)下,2070年小白额雁潜在生境适宜性面积将下降。为应对气候变化对小白额雁的影响,应采取更加合理的管理措施和保护政策,包括调整保护区的大小、形状和用途。     

Landslide hazard zonation mapping and comparative analysis of hazard zonation maps

Landslide hazard zonation mapping at regional level of a large area provides a broad trend of landslide potential zones. A macro level landslide hazard zonation for a small area may provide a better insight into the landslide hazards. The main objective of the present work was to carry out macro landslide hazard zonation mapping on 1：50,000 scale in an area where regional level zonation mapping was conducted earlier. In the previous work the regional landslide hazard zonation maps of Srinagar- Rudraprayag area of Garhwal Himalaya in the state of Uttarakhand were prepared using subjective and objective approaches. In the present work the landslide hazard zonation mapping at macro level was carried out in a small area using a Landslide Hazard Evaluation Factor rating scheme. The hazard zonation map produced by using this technique classifies the area into relative hazard classes in which the high hazard zones well correspond with high frequency of landslides. The results of this map when compared with the regional zonation maps prepared earlier show that application of the present technique identified more details of the hazard zones, which are broadly shown in the earlier zonation maps.     

喜马拉雅山东南地区地质灾害发育规律初步研究

利用遥感手段,结合MapGis,研究了喜马拉雅山东南地区地质灾害的发育情况,发现本区发育的主要地质灾害有滑坡、崩塌、泥石流、冰湖以及堰塞湖。其中崩塌、滑坡、泥石流斜坡地质灾害是本区最重要的地质灾害类型,占到总灾害数量的95.3%。在此基础上对喜马拉雅山东南地区地质灾害发育规律初步研究,发现本区地质灾害的发育在空间上的分布并非均匀,而是具有丛集性的特点。滑坡灾害主要发育在隆子和朗县。泥石流灾害比较严重的有米林、隆子和洛扎3县,而崩塌则主要集中在隆子县。研究发现,本区滑坡发育与地层、地形坡度以及土地类型关系密切,其中修康群、日当组和念青唐古拉群是本区的易滑地层。涅如组由于面积大,其中发育的滑坡较多,但是滑坡的发育率只略高于本区的平均水平。统计表明,16～30的坡度范围是滑坡最容易发生的。大于45以上的坡段很少发生滑坡。灌木林和天然草地这两种土地类型滑坡发育率最高。对于泥石流,研究表明,涅如组中泥石流发育面积最大,发育率也最高。泥石流发育的最适宜坡度也是16～30这样一个坡度范围。冰川和永久积雪区则最易发生泥石流。崩塌发育与地层类型、坡度的关系较为密切,崩塌主要发育在涅如组中,并且集中在坡度大于60以上的陡坡段中。这些初步成果的取得,是以后进行该区地质灾害空间预测的基础。     

Late Quaternary fluvial aggradation and incision in the monsoon‐dominated Alaknanda valley,Central Himalaya,Uttrakhand, India

The present study aims to explain the spatial and temporal variability in phases of aggradation/incision in response to changes in climate and seismicity during the late Quaternary in the Alaknanda River valley (a major tributary of the river Ganges or Ganga). Geomorphology, stratigraphy and optical dating of the fluvial sediment reveal that the oldest fluvial landforms preserved in the south of the Main Central Thrust are debris flow terraces developed during the early part of pluvial Marine Isotopic Stage 3. Following this, a period of accelerated incision/erosion owing to an increase in uplift rate and more intense rainfall occurred. In the Lesser Himalaya, three phases of valley fill aggradation around 26 ± 3 ka, 18 ± 2 ka and 15 ± 1 ka and 8 ± 1 ka occurred in response to changes in monsoon intensity and sediment flux. The last phase was regionally extensive and corresponds to a strengthening of the early Holocene Indian Summer Monsoon. A gradual decline in the monsoon strength after 8 ± 1 ka resulted in reduced fluvial discharge and lower sediment transport capacity of the Alaknanda River, leading to valley fill incision and the development of terraces. The study suggests that fluvial dynamics in the Alaknanda valley were modulated by monsoon variability and the role of tectonics was subordinate, limited to providing accommodation space and post‐deposition modification of the fluvial landforms. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.