Seabed morphology and gas venting features in the continental slope region of Krishna–Godavari basin,Bay of Bengal: Implications in gas-hydrate exploration

Increased oil and gas exploration activity has led to a detailed investigation of the continental shelf and adjacent slope regions of Mahanadi, Krishna–Godavari (KG) and Cauvery basins, which are promising petroliferous basins along the eastern continental margin of India. In this paper, we analyze the high resolution sparker, subbottom profiler and multibeam data in KG offshore basin to understand the shallow structures and shallow deposits for gas hydrate exploration. We identified and mapped prominent positive topographic features in the bathymetry data. These mounds show fluid/gas migration features such as acoustic voids, acoustic chimneys, and acoustic turbid layers. It is interesting to note that drilling/coring onboard JOIDES in the vicinity of the mounds show the presence of thick accumulation of subsurface gas hydrate. Further, geological and geochemical study of long sediment cores collected onboard Marion Dufresne in the vicinity of the mounds and sedimentary ridges shows the imprints of paleo-expulsion of methane and sulfidic fluid from the seafloor.     

Automatic Interpretation of Magnetic Data Using Euler Deconvolution with Nonlinear Background

The voluminous gravity and magnetic data sets demand automatic interpretation techniques like Naudy, Euler and Werner deconvolution. Of these techniques, the Euler deconvolution has become a popular choice because the method assumes no particular geological model. However, the conventional approach to solving Euler equation requires tentative values of the structural index preventing it from being fully automatic and assumes a constant background that can be easily violated if the singular points are close to each other. We propose a possible solution to these problems by simultaneously estimating the source location, depth and structural index assuming nonlinear background. The Euler equation is solved in a nonlinear fashion using the optimization technique like conjugate gradient. This technique is applied to a published synthetic data set where the magnetic anomalies were modeled for a complex assemblage of simple magnetic bodies. The results for close by singular points are superior to those obtained by assuming linear background. We also applied the technique to a magnetic data set collected along the western continental margin of India. The results are in agreement with the regional magnetic interpretation and the bathymetric expressions.     

Dissolved oxygen--a target indicator in determining use of the Gulf of Kachchh waters

Spatial and temporal variations of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in the Gulf of Kachchh (GoK), India are assessed based on data collected since 1976. DO concentrations in the interior GoK vary within a narrow range (6.05-6.86 mg l(-1)), whereas near-shore waters show wider variations (3.5-7.8 mg l(-1)). The DO concentration levels in the Gulf waters are close to saturation, varying from 75.4% to 108.6%, which is much higher than the 60% saturation level set for the SW-1 waters. BOD-DO simulation shows that when effluents containing a BOD concentration of 50.0 mg l(-1) are introduced at three select locations, DO reduces from 5.1 mg l(-1) to 3.1, 5.0 and 3.8 mg l(-1), respectively, indicating a strong sensitivity to effluent load. Based on the DO analysis, BOD assimilation capacity of coastal waters around the Marine National Park (MNP) and Marine Sanctuary (MS) in the Gulf is determined. DO available for utilization for various categories of water use is illustrated, keeping in mind the ecology of MNP and MS areas. The significance of DO as a target indicator to zone the Gulf for different water use, is highlighted in this study.     

A Simple Method to Minimize Orientation Effects in a Profiling Radiometer

Marine optical parameters required for ocean color satellite applications must be measured with high accuracy and errors within the permissible limits. These stringent requirements demand careful measurements of optical parameters. Though the free-fall radiometer is found to be a better option for measuring underwater light parameters as it avoids the effects of ship shadow and is easy to operate, the measurements demand profiling the radiometer vertical in water with minimum tilt. Here we present the results of our observations on the tilts of the radiometer from the measurements in the Arabian Sea. Since there is hardly any study carried-out on the tilt of the profiling radiometer, the result of this study will help in the better design of such marine instruments. The tilt of the radiometer near the surface of the water is attributed to the mode of deployment and environment parameters, while the tilt at depth of the water is influenced by the density variations of the water. Here we also demonstrate a method of deploying the instrument that minimizes the tilt of the instrument at the surface layer of the water.     

An Algorithm to Determine the Slope of the Spectral Absorption of Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) and Detritus

A simple method to determine the slope of spectral variations of combined absorption of the colored dissolved organic matter and detritus (CDM) is presented. This method uses the slope of total absorption spectrum excluding contribution of waters in lieu of slope for the CDM. The errors in slopes using the new method decreased with increase in contributions of CDM to the total absorption. The relative errors were less than 10% when CDM contributions were above 60% and even at very low contributions of CDM of 25%, errors in the slopes were less than 40%. For estuarine and coastal waters rich in CDM, the errors in the slopes for CDM were less than 10% using this simple method. Absorption of CDM derived using the slope with the new method in a semi-analytical algorithm QAAV6 showed improved performance with RMSE of 0.07, 0.0119 and 0.0027 at 405, 555 and 665 nm respectively and with R² > 0.95 at all spectral range. The method provided values of spectral absorption due to CDM with fewer errors when validated with the satellite derived data from MODIS and SeaWiFS. This method to determine the slope of CDM could be easily implemented in any model, as it was very generic in nature, simple, did not involve any mathematical model and avoids empirical methods. Since the method is also independent of any specific bands, it can be used for most ocean color satellites. Considering the performance of this new method and applicability for most water types, it was considered as a better option to derive the slope of CDM than using a constant value or deriving the slope with empirical method.     

Seamounts an additional tool to confirm the nature of the crust and to locate possible mineral resources for dredging

Study of bathymetric data for the distal Bengal Fan reveals the presence of positive topographic features resembling seamounts. These features exhibit a relief of about 800 m above the surrounding seafloor at 4,400 m and are associated with large‐amplitude magnetic and gravity anomalies. Magnetic model studies suggest that one of the seamounts evolved along with the oceanic crust represented by the magnetic isochron A32 (～ 72 My), while the other seamount was emplaced over the Cretaceous Quiet Zone Crust with reversed polarity. The seamounts studied provide an environment for possible locations of polymetallic encrustations. Morphology of the seamounts depends on several factors, including physical and chemical composition of the magma, eruption style, sediment thickness, maturity of underlying crust, and time of origin. Studying the seamounts together with integrated geophysical and physical data gave useful indications of their evolution and the existence of possible mineral deposits.     

Magnetic basement in the central Bay of Bengal

Analyses of about 6000 km of processed magnetic data in the central Bay of Bengal using Analytical Signal Processing and Werner Deconvolution techniques revealed that the depth to top of the magnetic basement varies between 5 and 12 km from the sea surface, where the water column thickness is about 3.4 km. These inferred depths are comparable to the reported acoustic basement depths. The basement map derived from magnetic interpretation defines the general configuration of the central Bay of Bengal. The N10–12° W trending subsurface 85° E Ridge buried under 2 to 3 km thick sediments is a prominent tectonic feature. Offshore basins characterised by deeper magnetic basement (9 km) and 100–200 km wide are present on either sides of the ridge. These basins were filled with 6–8 km thick lower Cretaceous to recent sediments. Integrated geophysical study depicts that the magnetic basement is characterised by NW-SE, NE-SW, NNE-SSW, N10-12° W and E-W trending structural features that are associated with the lower Cretaceous ocean floor. The Analytical Signal Processing and Werner Deconvolution techniques proved to be effective in determining the depth to the basement in areas covered by thick sediment overburden and characterized by a complex geologic/tectonic framework.     

A Small Autonomous Surface Vehicle for Ocean Color Remote Sensing

This paper provides a study on the development and the use of a small autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) that automatically follows programmed mission transects, while measuring sensor outputs along the tracks. It discusses the mechanical construction of the ASV, the distributed architecture of controller area network (CAN)-based nodes for science and vehicle payloads, high-speed radio-frequency (RF) communications, the performance of the heading autopilot, global positioning system (GPS)-based guidance algorithm, and the mission programming technique. The field trials of the ASV, performed off the coast of Goa, India, are focused on retrieving the 2-D spatial distribution of surface chlorophyll, which is one of the useful parameters in characterizing the nature of calibration-validation (CALVAL) sites for ocean remote sensing needs. A further benefit of ASVs is that they can be built at a low cost and used in monitoring applications of diverse coastal ecosystems.