River bank erosion control by soil nailing

A study has been done for analysing soil nailed cuts with circular type wedge failure by friction circle method. Various parameters such as nail length, nail diameter, nail inclination, wall inclination and angle of internal friction of soil have been considered to determine the factor of safety of nailed open cuts. The study shows that for cohesionless soil nailed cut, factor of safety increase with increase of parameters like angle of internal friction of soil, length of nail (L) versus height of cut (H) ratio, cohesion of soil and nail inclination (upto 15°) with horizontal. The study revealed that nails grouted with cement perform better than driven nails. A case study further confirms the analytical findings. Received 7 October     

A multiwavelength view of a classical T Tauri star CV Cha

Using long-term optical, ultraviolet(UV) and X-ray data, we present a study of a classical T Tauri star CV Cha. The V-band light curve obtained from the All Sky Automated Survey(ASAS) shows short as well as long-term variability. The short-term variability could be due to rotational modulation of CV Cha. We derive the rotational period of 3.714 ± 0.001 d for CV Cha. UV light curves obtained from Swift also show the variations. X-ray light curves from XMM-Newton and Swift do not show any significant short as well as long-term variability. However, the light curve from Chandra appears to be variable, which could be due to the emergence of flaring activities. X-ray spectra from all observations are explained well by the single temperature plasma of 0.95 keV with X-ray luminosity of 1030.4erg s-1in the 0.5–7.5 keV energy band. It appears that variability in optical and UV bands could be due to the presence of both hot and cool spots on the surface, while X-ray emission is dominated by magnetic processes.     

Assessment of the potential for bank filtration in a water-stressed megacity (Delhi,India)

In the densely populated semi-arid territory around Delhi, the water demand is rising continuously, while the surface- and groundwater resources are threatened by contamination and overexploitation. This is a typical scenario in many newly industrialising and developing countries, where new approaches for a responsible resources management have to be found. Bank filtration holds a great potential, thus being a low tech method and benefiting from the storage and contaminant attenuation capacity of the natural soil/rock. For this study, three field sites have been constructed to investigate bank filtration in different environments in and around the megacity with a main focus on inorganic contaminants. Hydraulic heads, temperature gradients and hydrochemistry of surface water and groundwater were analysed in three different seasons. Depending on site-specific conditions, distinct hydrogeological conditions were observed and both positive and negative effects on water quality were identified. Most concerning issues are the impact of anthropogenic ammonia, the mixing with ambient saline groundwater and the mobilisation of arsenic during the reductive dissolution of manganese- and iron-(hydr)oxides. Positive aspects are the dilution of contaminants during the mixing of waters from different sources, the sorption of arsenic, denitrification, and the precipitation of fluoride under favourable conditions.     

Stochastic finite-fault modeling of M w 5.4 earthquake along Uttarakhand–Nepal border

Natural Hazards - In this work, an attempt has been made to simulate strong ground motion of M w 5.4 earthquake in Kumaun region of Uttarakhand. The simulation is based on modified stochastic...     

Assessment of uranium in correlation with physico-chemical properties of drinking water of Northern Rajasthan

In the present study, analysis of 238U concentration in 40 drinking water samples collected from different locations of Jodhpur, Nagaur, Bikaner and Jhunjhunu districts of Rajasthan, India has been carried out by using high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (HR-ICP-MS) technique. The water samples were taken from hand pumps and tube wells having depths ranging from 50 to 800 feet. The measured uranium concentration lies in the range from 0.89 to 166.89 μg l^-1 with the mean value of 31.72 μg l^-1. The measured uranium content in twelve water samples was found to be higher than the safe limit of 30 μg l^-1 as recommended by World Health Organization (WHO, 2011) and US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA, 2011). Radiological risk calculated in the form of annual effective dose estimated from annual uranium intake ranges from 0.66 to 138.63 μSv y^-1 with the mean value of 26.28 μSv y^-1. The annual effective dose in two drinking water samples was found to be greater than WHO (2004) recommended level of 100 μSv y^-1. Chemical risk calculated in the form of lifetime average daily dose (LAAD) estimated from the water samples varies from 0.02 to 4.57 μg kg^-1 d^-1 with the mean value of 0.87 μg kg^-1 d^-1. The lifetime average daily dose (LAAD) of ten drinking water samples was found to be greater than WHO (2011) recommended level of 1 μg kg^-1 d^-1. The corresponding values of hazard quotient of 48% water samples were found to be greater than unity.A good positive correlation of uranium concentration with total dissolved solids (TDS) and conductance has been observed. However no correlation of uranium concentration with pH was observed. The results revels that uranium concentration in drinking water samples of the study area can cause radiological and chemical threat to the inhabitants.     

Diffusional losses of amended anaerobic electron acceptors in sediment field microcosms

Hudson River sediment microcosms from Piles Creek (PC), Piermont Marsh (PM), and Iona Island (II) were amended with ∼100 mM nitrate or sulfate to stimulate anaerobic bioremediation. Nitrate and sulfate decreased over two years of field incubation and the fraction of these losses due to diffusion to the water column was predicted using Fick’s law. Apparent diffusion (D_app) values of 1-4 × 10⁻¹⁰ m² s⁻¹ predicted the majority of loss/gain from/to the sediments by 700 d, but not at all times. Effective diffusion (D_eff) values predicted by the porosity function (D_eff = D_mol ε^4/3) were larger than those observed in the field, and field data indicates a cube power relationship: D_eff = D_mol ε³. D_app greatly increased in surficial layers at PM and PC in year two, suggesting that bioadvection caused by bioturbating organisms had occurred. The effects of bioturbation on transport to/from the sediments are modeled, and results can be applied to various sediment treatment scenarios such as capping.     

Rock physics template (RPT) analysis of well logs and seismic data for lithology and fluid classification in Cambay Basin

The Cambay Basin is 450-km-long north–south-trending graben with an average width of 50 km, having maximum depth of about 7 km. The origin of the Cambay and other Basins on the western margin of India are related to the break up of the Gondwana super-continent in the Late-Triassic to Early-Jurassic (215 ma). The structural disposition of the Pre-Cambrian basement—a complex of igneous and metamorphic rocks exposed in the vicinity of the Cambay Basin—controls its architecture. The principal lineaments in the Basin are aligned towards NE-SE, ENE-WSW and NNW-SSE, respectively. Rock physics templates (RPTs) are charts and graphs generated by using rock physics models, constrained by local geology, that serve as tools for lithology and fluid differentiation. RPT can act as a powerful tool in validating hydrocarbon anomalies in undrilled areas and assist in seismic interpretation and prospect evaluation. However, the success of RPT analysis depends on the availability of the local geological information and the use of the proper model. RPT analysis has been performed on well logs and seismic data of a particular study area in mid Cambay Basin. Rock physics diagnostic approach is adopted in the study area placed at mid Cambay Basin to estimate the volume in the reservoir sands from 6 wells (namely; A, B, C, D, E and F) where oil was already encountered in one well, D. In the study area, hydrocarbon prospective zone has been marked through compressional (P wave) and shear wave (S wave) impedance only. In the RPT analysis, we have plotted different kinds of graphical responses of Lame’s parameters, which are the function of P-wave velocity, S-wave velocity and density. The discrete thin sand reservoirs have been delineated through the RPT analysis. The reservoir pay sand thickness map of the study area has also been derived from RPT analysis and fluid characterization. Through this fluid characterization, oil-bearing thin sand layers have been found in well E including well D. The sand distribution results prove that this methodology has able to perform reservoir characterization and seismic data interpretation more quantitatively and efficiently.