004229   Chellasamy M;Chinnasamy U;Ramaswamy S K (NO, Institute of Remote Sensing, College of Engineering, Chennai-600025, Email: menaksnu@gmail.com) : A neural-evidence pooling approach to predict urban sprawl using multi-temporal remove sensing data. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2014, 5(3), 459-73.

This paper introduces a dynamic neural network based technique to predict the urban growth in Sriperumbudur tal uk, India. The novelty of this technique is integration of neural network and theory of evidence to predict future growth which does not require any definition of input parameters, spatial rules or large dataset that involves expert knowledge and time consuming manual work for preparation. First, Land Use Land Cover (LULC) images were obtained by classifying LANDSAT TM satellite image of 30m spatial resolution captured in the year 1991, 2000 and 2009. Multi-L1:!yer-Perceptron (MLP) neural network is used as a classifier. Second, five spatial metrics namely Shannon's entropy, aggregation index, density, nuclearity, and proximity are derived around each non-urban pixel in 2009 by considering 7x7 window of spatial unit in the LULC images of the three years. Next, these metrics are fed to Focused Time Delay Neural Network (FTDNN) and the metrics for year 2018 are predicted. Finally, evidence pooling is applied to the predicted metrics to identify whether the non-urban pixels in 2009 changes to urban pixel in the year. The predicted results shows that 12.5% of non-urban LULC mainly agriculture and wasteland in 2009 will change to urban land use in 2018. In order to test the performance of the proposed technique, urban land use in 2009 is predicted using LULC images of 1991 and 2000 and compared with actual pixels transformed to urban land use in 2009 from 2000. The predicted result is found to be 81.28 % accurate with spatial autocorrelation of 0.90. The proposed method is also compared with conventional model SLEUTH and found to be 2.56 % more accurate with 0.19 increases in spatial correlation. The results potentially help the city planners and developers to have prior visualization of future urban sprawl in the study area for effective city planning.

7 illus, 1 table, 21 ref

004228   Chakraborty A;Ghosh A K (NO, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road, Lucknow-226 007, Email: akghosh_in@yahoo.com) : Acrobotrys disolenia Haeckel from the late Miocene of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Curr Sci 2015, 108(11), 1990-3.

4 illus, 1 table, 44 ref

004227   Bhosale M D;Singh T P (NO, Symbiosis International University, Pune-411 016, Email: manishadbhosale@gmail.com) : Comparative study of feed-forward neuro-computing with multiple linear regression model for milk yield prediction in dairy cattle. Curr Sci 2015, 108(12), 2257-61.

Main objective of this work is to compare the accuracy of artificial neural networks (ANNs) and multiple linear regression (MLR) model for prediction of first lactation 305-day milk yield (FL305DMY) using monthly test-day milk yield records of 443 Frieswal cows. We have compared four versions of feed-forward algorithm with conventional statistical model. The performancre of ANN is found to be better than the MLR model for milk yield prediction. The Bayesian regularization neural network model was able to predict milk yield with 85.07 accuracy as early as 126th day of lactation. It has been found that R2 value of the models increases with increase in the number of test-day milk yield records.

4 illus, 5 tables, 31 ref

004226   Bhaskar Rao Y J;Ahmed S;Gahalaut V;Kumar A; Ravi Kumar M (CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute, , Uppal Road, Hyderabad-500 007, Email: director@ngri.res.in) : CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute,Hyderabad. Curr Sci 2015, 108(11), 2010-13.

National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, under the aegis of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, continued its scientific pursuit in many important areas of basic and applied earth sciences research encompassing geophysics, geology, geochemistry, geochronology and geodesy during the year 2014. The Institute is credited with 167 research publications and has accomplished several national and international projects. Authors give in this article an overview of three select scientific achievements.

2 illus, 12 ref

004225   Bello M N;Jeb D N (Center for Disaster Risk Management and Development Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nageria, Email: mbnanoh@gmail.com) : Analysis of flood risk inundation hazard in Birnin Kebbi town, Kebbi state, Nigeria. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2014, 5(1), 119-31.

Flood is one of the most harmful disasters in the world, and it is significant to obtain reliable information on flood characteristics for disaster mitigation. This study analyzed flood risk inundation in Birnin Kebbi town by applying the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) DEM data and some hazard remote sensing datasets (landsat) in the environment of GIS, which employs the simplified process representation capable of simulating the risk of flood hazard inundation. Digitizing was employed to extract the landuse/landcover features and the field observed flood data was used for the slicing operation. Hence all areas below the highest recorded 2012 flooded point (207m) were assumed to be completely submerged while areas above 207m were not flooded. This data was vectorized and the "flooded area" was extracted separately using the "SQL select" in ArcGIS environment. The "flooded area" layer was crossed with the LULC layer using the "intersection" tool in arcmap and was used to estimate the lulc affected by the flood event. The table was exported as "DBF" to estimate the damage extend in hectares and for further analysis. The result showed that the fadama agriculture and farmland are the most vulnerable to flood while a little portion of the settlement has encroached into the flooded areas.

7 illus, 3 tables, 21 ref

004224   Barman P;Goswami D C (Environmental Science Dep, Gauhati Univerity, Guwahati, Assam, Email: plabita.barman@gmail.com ) : Lanuse/landcover mapping of Dhansiri(South) river basin, Assam using remote sensing and GIS techniques. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2014, 5(3), 474-81.

Landuse/Landcover (LULC) mapping is an important input for planning, programming and / implementing any land management activity. It is considered an essential element for modeling and understanding the earth as a system. This paper presents the landuse/landcover pattern of Dhansiri (south) River Basin of Assam. Multi temporal remote sensing data (LANDSAT ETM 1999 and IRS LISS III 2008) in GIS has been used to analyze and interpret the landuse/landcover changes between the years 1999 and 2008. The results show the pattern of change in landuse/landcover and the factors underlying it during the study period. The land use/land cover of the area has been classified into thirteen major types which are further categorized under five major groups. During the study period 1999 to 2008, significant area changes are observed in respect of agriculture and settlement landuse/landcover groups. Under agriculture landuse/landcover group, the area covered by agricultural land which mainly includes croplands has significantly decreased. These can be attributed to the increasing demand on land for settlement owing to growing population in the basin area.

3 illus, 3 tables, 5 ref

004223   Barman N K;Chatterjee S;Khan A (Geography Dep, Hijli College, Kharagpur-721 306, Email: nilay@csws.in) : Quantification of Panchayat-level flood risks in the Bhograi Coastal Block, Odisha, India. J Indian Geophys Union 2015, 19(3), 322-32.

This paper assesses coastal flood risk through quantification of flood intensity and impacts across the different local Gram Panchayats GPs) in the Bhograi block, Odisha, India. With respect to the June 2008 flood event in the region, the enormity of flooding was calculated for each GP using normalized values of measurable parameters relating to flood characteristics. Thus, a Flood Magnitude Rank (FMR) was assigned to each of the GPs according to the degree of flooding intensity. Similarly a Flood Impact Rank (FIR) for each GP was derived from a damage database. The product of the FMR and FIR was used to calculate the Flood Severity Score (FSS) for the concerned GPs, which was then multiplied by the probability of flood event occurrences to obtain a Flood Hazard Score (FHS). This analysis was used to divide the study area into five Flood Hazard Risk zones including (a) very low risk (FHS <60> 1.33); (b) low risk (FHS 1.33-2.07); (c) moderate risk (FHS 2.07-3.02); (d) high risk (FHS 3.02-4.90); and (e) very high risk (FHS <62>4.90) areas. Narayanmohantiparia, Rasalpur and Kharidpimpal fell into the very high flood hazard risk class, whereas Dehunda, Baunsadiha and Balim tended to be at very low risk from flood hazards. The other 26 GPs in the study area were categorized into low- moderate or high risk zones according to their FHS. Overall, this type of flood hazard risk assessment may prove useful for future environmental planning and management programs in coastal regions.

5 illus, 4 tables, 13 ref

004222   Bandyopadhyaya A;Bhadra A;Chiphang N;Seneba K T (Agricultural Engineering Dep, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology, Nirjuli (Itanagar), Arunachal Pradesh-791 109, Email: ecks.wove@gmail.com) : Assessment of snowmelt runoff in the Eastern Himalayan Region under climate chage scenarios. J Indian Geophys Union 2015, 19(3), 312-21.

In Eastern Himalayan region, snow melt is the major source of fresh water. Also, snow covered areas lying at low altitudes are expected to be most vulnerable to global warming. Thus, assessment of the snowmelt runoff under different climatic scenarios is important for efficient management and planning of water resources, which can be used towards mitigating the influence of climate change. Eastern Himalayan region of India with its unique topography and inaccessibility is lagging behind in the studies related to snow and glacier melt modelling and impact of climate change to water resources. Nuranang river catchment of Tawang River basin located in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh was selected as the study area for the present study. Average snow accumulation and depletion patterns of the basin showed a smaller peak in terms of snow cover area percentage (SCA%) in the month of November and a larger one in April. A Windows-based semi-distributed deterministic model was used in this study to predict the snowmelt runoff using degreeú day approach, which requires SCA% for different elevation zones as input. The model was calibrated for depletion periods of 2006, 2007, and 2009 and validated for year 2004 satisfactorily. Further, the projected . temperature and precipitation data downloaded from NCAR's GIS data portal for different emission scenarios (SRES), viz., A1B, A2, B1; and IPCC commitment (non-SRES) scenario for different future years (2020, 2030, 2040 and 2050) were used to generate snow depletion curves for future and compared with conventional depletion curve for present climatic condition. The same were used to evaluate the future stream flow under different projected climatic scenarios. Evaluation of the impact of climate change showed that change in cumulative snowmelt depth and snow depletion for different future years is highest under A1B and lowest under IPCC Commitment scenarios, whereas A2 and B1 values are in-between A1B and IPCC Commitment.

6 illus, 2 tables 20 ref

004221   Anbazhagan S;Jothibasu A (Centre for Geoinformatics and Planetary Studies, Department of Geology, Periyar University, Salem-636 011, Email: anbu02@gmail.com) : Assessment of hydroclimatic condition in extensive groundwater mining area, Southern India. J Indian Geophys Union 2015, 19(3), 301-11.

Study highlights the climatic water balance, drought assessment and agricultural potentiality of Uppar Odal sub-basin located in the Southern part of India, Tamil Nadu state. The average annual precipitation in the sub-basin is 625 min, which is much lower than the state average rainfall (970 mm). It has been observed that the intensive agricultural practices and extensive groundwater mining lead to the groundwater decline in the sub-basin. Rainfall data were collected from 1971-2011 for five rain gauge stations. The hydroclimatic potentialities such as precipitation, temperature and water holding capacity are the three primary parameters considered to derive water balance parameters. The secondary water balance components, namely potential evapotranspiration (PET), actual evapotranspiration (AET), water deficit (WD) and water surplus (WS) were derived from these primary parameters. The PET and AET were calculated using Thornthwait's (1948) and Thornthwaite and Mather (1955) methods respectively. Four water balance indices, namely index of aridity (Ia), index of humidity (Ih), index of moisture (1m) and index of moisture adequacy (Ima) were calculated from secondary water balance components. From the derived indices, drought condition, climatic shift and agricultural potentiality were assessed. The results have indicated that drought condition prevails during every alternate year in the sub-basin.

5 illus, 6 tables

004220   Aliyu Y A;Musa I J;Jeb D N (Geomatics Dep, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, Email: yahaya600@gmail.com) : Geostatistics of pollutant gases along high traffic points in Urban Zaria, Nigeria. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2014, 5(1), 19-31.

This study was aimed at utilizing Geo-information technology in assessing the ambient air quality along some busy roads in urban Zaria. Samples were collected from ten (10) different sites. Parameters measured include: PM10, CO, NO2 and NH3 were measured in this study. Also included were: temperature, humidity and traffic volume/composition. The results displayed in a hazard map indicates that the concentrations of pollutants measured at all sampling points, with exception of the control site were within and above the hazard limits set by FEPA. This reveals that transport-related pollution in urban Zaria can be potentially hazardous to health. The main finding of this research is the comparison between spatial and non-spatial analysis approaches, which indicates that correlation analysis and buffer analysis of GIS using the concentration levels of detected air pollutants is relative method for assessing the health effects of air pollution.

10 illus, 2 tables, 30 ref

003149   Wang X;Li Z;Ross E;Tayier R;Zhou P (State Key Laboratory of Cryosphere Sciences/Tianshan Glaciological Sta, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 73000, Gansu, China, Email: wangxiaoyan_84@163.com) : Characteristics of water isotopes and hydrograph separation during the spring flood period in Yushugou river basin, Eastern Tianshans, China. J Earth Syst Sci 2015, 124(1), 115-24.

Many of the river basins in northwest China receive water from melting glaciers and snow in addition to groundwater. This region has experienced a significant change in glacier and snowpack volume over the past decade altering hydrology. Quantifying changes in water resources is vital for developing sustainable strategies in the region. During 2013, a water-isotope source apportionment study was conducted during the spring flood in the Yushugou River basin, northwestern China. The study found significant differences in water isotopes between river water, snowmelt water, and ground water. During the study period, the isotopic composition of groundwater remained relatively stable. This stability suggests that the groundwater recharge rate has not been significantly impacted by recent hydro-climatic variability. The river water flow rate and water δ ^{18O displayed an inverse relationship. This relationship is indicative of snowmelt water injection. The relative contribution of the two sources was estimated using a two-component isotope hydrograph separation. The contribution of snowmelt water and groundwater to Yushugou River were <126>63% and <126>37%, respectively. From the study, we conclude that snowmelt water is the dominant water source to the basin during the spring melt period.}

4 illus, 5 tables, 59 ref

003148   Sunitha V;Abdullah Khan J;Muralidhara Reddy B;Anil Kumar (Geology Dep, Yogi Vemana Univ, Kadapa-516 003) : Landuse/Land cover analysis in an industrial area using remote sensing techniques: a case study from Yerraguntla Mandal, Kadapa district. Indian J envir Prot 2014, 34(4), 322-9.

The study of the land cover is one of the most important factors for planning and managing activities concerning the use of land surface on this earth. Remote sensing techniques have improved mapping and interpretation of data as a means of understanding and effectively managing the present resources for sustainable development. This paper is a study of landuse mapping in an industrial area of Yerraguntla mandal, Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh using criteria from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) landuse/ land cover classification system. The ianduse - land cover pattern fall under the broad categories of builtup land, agricultural land, forest land and uncultivable land. The most of the area have uncultivable barren and waste land which is unused neither for cultivation nor settlements and is suggested for industrialization and urban planning. The forest land is much less than the required percentage according to the Forest Department to maintain the eco-balance in the region. Social forestry programme include plantations and development of pasture land, arrest of forest erosion by afforestation has been suggested.

3 illus, 2 tables, 16 ref

003147   Singh S P;Dwivedi S B (Geology Dep, Bundelkhand Univ, Jhansi-284 128, Email: spsinghbu@rediffmail.com) : High grade metamorphism in the Bundelkhand massif and its implications on Mesoarchean crustal evolution in Central India. J Earth Syst Sci 2015, 124(1), 197-211.

The Bundelkhand Gneissic Complex (BnGC) in the central part of the Bundelkhand massif preserves a supracrustal unit which includes pelitic (garnet-cordierite-sillimanite gneiss, garnet-sillimanite gneiss, biotite gneiss and garnet-biotite gneiss) and mafic (hornblende-biotite gneiss and garnetiferous amphi-bolite) rocks. Granulite facies metamorphism of the complex initiated with breaking down of biotite to produce garnet and cordierite in the pelitic gneisses. Geothermobarometric calculations indicate meta-morphic conditions of 720°C/6.2 kbar, followed by a retrograde (687°C/4.9 kbar) to very late retrograde stages of metamorphism (579°C/4.4 kbar) which is supported by the formation of late cordierite around garnet. The P-T conditions and textural relations of the garnet-cordierite-bearing gneiss suggest a retrograde cooling path of metamorphism.

5 illus, 3 tables, 58 ref

003146   Singh K J;Saxena A (NO, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53, Univ Road, Lucknow-226 007, Email: kamaljeet31@hotmail.com) : End permian (lopingian) floral diversity in the Singrauli coalfield: evidences from the Jhingurdah Colliery, Son-Mahanadi basin, India. J Palaeont Soc India 2015, 60(1), 97-112.

Diverse glossopterid assemblage has been recovered for the first time from the Raniganj Formation (Lopingian) of the Jhingurdah colliery in the Singrauli Coalfield, Son-Mahanadi Basin, Central India. Occupying the northernmost boundary of the Son-Mahanadi master Basin and embodying the last deposits of the Gondwana sedimentation in the northern part of the Peninsular India, the Singrauli Coalfield has the distinction of having the thickest coal seam (Jhingurdah seam- 130m) in India. Complete assemblage consists of five genera with 26 species representing four orders viz., Equisetales (Paracalamites), Cordaitales (Euryphyllum), Cycadales (Macrotaeniopteris) and Glossopteridales (Glossopteris and Vertebraria). The order Glossopteridales is highly diversified with 23 taxa and the genus Glossopteris with 22 species dominates the flora. Most of the megafossils are found preserved in the grey shales and mudstones. A large number of vertically or diagonally preserved Vertebraria roots have also been recorded from the beds adjacent to the Glossopteris beds. Thus, the Raniganj beds of Jhingurdah Top Seam represent both allochthonous (horizontally preserved Glossopteris) as well as autochthonous (vertically preserved Vertebraria) preservation at the same place. Relatively small sized leaves (as compared to the size of similar species reported from the Raniganj or Lower Kamthi formations of other basins/ coalfields) of different Glossopteris species in the assemblage indicate semi-arid conditions prevailing in the area during Lopingian; that probably retarded the normal growth of these plants. Such non-congenial climatic conditions also did not allow the glossopterids to blossom as is evidenced by the fact that the entire flora is completely devoid of fructifications. The absence of the groups Lycopodiales, Sphenophyllales, Filicales, Ginkgoales and Coniferales in the assemblage indicates that this palaeogeographic region might not be suitably cool and humid to facilitate the growth of these shade loving under storied plants.

3 illus, 4 tables, 81 ref

003145   Singh D;Glupta R D;Jain S K (GIS Cell, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad-211 004, Email: gupta.rdg@gmail.com) : Statistical analysis of long term spatial and temporal trends of temperature parameters over Sutlej river basin, India. J Earth Syst Sci 2015, 124(1), 17-35.

The annual and seasonal trend analysis of different surface temperature parameters (average, maximum, minimum and diurnal temperature range) has been done for historical (1971-2005) and future periods (2011-2099) in the middle catchment of Sutlej river basin, India. The future time series of temperature data has been generated through statistical downscaling from large scale predictors of CGCM3 and HadCM3 models under A2 scenario. Modified Mann-Kendall test and Cumulative Sum (CUSUM) chart have been used for detecting trend and sequential shift in time series of temperature parameters. The results of annual trend analysis for period of 1971-2005 show increasing as well as decreasing trends in average (T_Mean), maximum (T_Max), minimum (T_Min) temperature and increasing trends in Diurnal Temperature Range (DTR) at different stations. But the annual trend analysis of downscaled data has revealed statistically significant (95% confidence level) rising trends in T_Mean, T_Max, T_Min and falling trend in DTR for the period 2011-2099. The decreasing trend in DTR is due to higher rate of increase in T_Min. compared to T_Max.

13 illus, 6 tables, 61 ref

003144   Sharma K M;Jitendra Kumar (Palaeontology Div-1, Central Headquater, Geological Survey of India, Kolkata-700 016, Email: milankumar.sharma@gmail.com) : Phytosaurian osteoderms from the late triassic tiki formation (Shahdol district, Madhya Pradesh), India. J Palaeont Soc India 2015, 60(1), 45-50.

Late Triassic fossiliferous deposits of the Tiki Fomation of the South Rewa Gondwana Basin of India, is well known for its vertebrate fossil assemblages including temnospondyl tetrapods, archosauroform rhynchosaur, and several crurotarsans such as phytosaurs and rauisuchids. The present paper describes some phytosaurid osteoderm remains for the first time from the Tiki Formation. These osteoderms are found together with phytosaurian teeth, jaw and vertebrae. On the basis of their texture, shape, size, morphology and association with phytosaurian remains, the present specimens have been assigned to phytosaurids.

5 illus, 1 table, 23 ref

003143   Seilacher A;Gibb S;Hughes N C (Institute for Geoscience, Tubingen Univ, Sigwartstrasse 10, 72076 Tubingen, Germany) : Trilobite trace fossils made for moulting?. J Palaeont Soc India 2015, 60(1), 27-32.

Here we show that relatively rare kinds of stationary trilobite trace fossils do not fit the ordinary model of trilobite feeding. The impressions of the basal podomeres in the middle and the stamped, rather than scratched striations in the lateral lobes suggest that they were made to aid moulting of the appendages via the "rubber-boot principle". By considering these trace and body fossils together, new aspects of trilobite biology are revealed, particularly with regard to moulting of the non-calcified exoskeleton and mating behaviour.

3 illus, 27 ref

003142   Saraf S K (R & D Centre, NMDC Ltd, Hyderabad, Email: saraf.santosh@gmail.com) : Lithium additives in aluminium production. J appl Geochem 2014, 16(4), 422-5.

Lithium addition to the molten bath during production of Aluminium metal has its benefits in terms of the quality of metal produced. The quantity of lithium salt to be added to the bath is determined by utilising proper material, machine and method. The present study describes the method by two proper routes. One of the methods is by X-ray-Diffraction and other by flame photometric method. The metal standards are used in varied proportion from a considerable range from lower level to an optimum level. Samples of different concentrations are taken by the flake methods of sampling from electrolytic pots. The samples have been divided to two parts as per the standard method of coning and quartering. Samples are ground to -150 Tyler mesh and made in to pellets. Samples are analysed by X-ray diffractometer and flame photometer. Addition of lithium salts to molten bath decreases unit production of aluminium, reduces power consumption and Fluoride emission and on the other hand increases Potline capacity, Fluoride(cryolite) utilization and increases current efficiency by 1-3 percent.

2 illus, 5 ref

003141   Rivera D;Rivas Y;Godoy A (Laboratory of Comparative Policy in Water Resources Management, Concepcion Univ, CONICYT/FONDAP 15130015, Concepcion, Chile, Email: dirivera@udec.cl) : Uncertainty in a monthly water balance model using the generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation methodology. J Earth Syst Sci 2015, 124(1), 49-59.

Hydrological models are simplified representations of natural processes and subject to errors. Uncertainty bounds are a commonly used way to assess the impact of an input or model architecture uncertainty in model outputs. Different sets of parameters could have equally robust goodness-of-fit indicators, which is known as Equifinality. We assessed the outputs from a lumped conceptual hydrological model to an agricultural watershed in central Chile under strong interannual variability (coefficient of variability of 25%) by using the Equifinality concept and uncertainty bounds. The simulation period ran from January 1999 to December 2006. Equifinality and uncertainty bounds from GLUE methodology (Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation) were used to identify parameter sets as potential representations of the system. The aim of this paper is to exploit the use of uncertainty bounds to differentiate behavioural parameter sets in a simple hydrological model. Then, we analyze the presence of equifinality in order to improve the identification of relevant hydrological processes. The water balance model for Chilian River exhibits, at a first stage, equifinality. However, it was possible to narrow the range for the parameters and eventually identify a set of parameters representing the behaviour of the watershed (a behavioural model) in agreement with observational and soft data (calculation of areal precipitation over the watershed using an isohyetal map). The mean width of the uncertainty bound around the predicted runoff for the simulation period decreased from 50 to 20 m^{3s-1 after fixing the parameter controlling the areal precipitation over the watershed. This decrement is equivalent to decreasing the ratio between simulated and observed discharge from 5.2 to 2.5. Despite the criticisms against the GLUE methodology, such as the lack of statistical formality, it is identified as a useful tool assisting the modeller with the identification of critical parameters.}

8 illus, 2 tables, 36 ref

003140   Randive K;Vijaya Kumar J;Korakoppa M (Geology Dep, RTM Nagpur Univ, Nagpur-440 001, Email: randive101@yahoo.co.in) : Platinum-group elements mineralization in the cumulate gabbro of phenai mata complex, deccan large igneous province, India. Curr Sci 2015, 108(10), 1796-8.

2 illus, 1 table, 36 ref

003139   Randive K R;Korakoppa M M;Muley S V;Varade A M;Khandare H W;Lanjewar S G;Tiwari R R;Aradhi K K (Geology Post Graduate Dep, RTM Nagpur Univ, Nagpur-440 001, Email: randive101@yahoo.co.in) : Paragenesis of Cr-rich muscovite and chlorite in green-mica quartzites of Saigaon-Palasgaon, area, Western Bastar craton, India. J Earth Syst Sci 2015, 124(1), 213-25.

Green mica (fuchsite or chromian-muscovite) is reported worldwide in the Archaean metasedimentary rocks, especially quartzites. They are generally associated with a suite of heavy minerals and a range of phyllosilicates. We report the occurrence of green-mica quartzites in the Saigaon-Palasgaon area within Bastar Craton in central India. Mineralogical study has shown that there are two types of muscovites; the chromium-containing muscovite (Cr₂O₃ 0.84-1.84%) and muscovite (Cr₂O₃ 0.00-0.22%). Chlorites are chromium-containing chlorites (Cr₂O₃ 3.66-5.39%) and low-chromium-containing chlorites (Cr₂O₃ 0.56-2.62%), and as such represent ripidolite-brunsvigite varieties. Back scattered electron images and EPMA data has revealed that chlorite occurs in two forms, viz., parallel to subparallel stacks in the form of intergrowth with muscovite and independent crystals within the matrix. The present study indicates that the replacement of chromium-containing chlorite by chromium-containing muscovite is found to be due to increasing grade of metamorphism of chromium-rich sediments. However, the absence of significant compositional gap between aforementioned varieties indicates disparate substitution of cations, especially chromium, within matrix chlorites. The chromium-containing muscovite and muscovite are two separate varieties having distinct paragenesis.

13 illus, 2 tables, 51 ref

003138   Pezeshgi K;Janani H (Physical Education Dep, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad Univ, Tabriz, Iran) : Location of sports venues in Tabriz using AHP in GIS. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2014, 11(3), 1799-1805.

The purpose of this study was to locate the sports venues of Tabriz using AHP in GIS. Samples included all 95 sports venues under supervision of Office of Sports and Youth within Tabriz. Descriptive data was collected using evidences, documents, field studies and spatial data by GPS and database was formed in GIS. Then, factors influencing the location of sports venues were weighted. After combining and analysing, the current situation of sports venues was evaluated and finally the most appropriate locations were proposed using AHP method. The results showed that only 14 sports venues (14.7%) of Tabriz supervised by Office of Youth and Sports are in a good place in terms of population density and 81 venues (85.2%) were established in inappropriate places. In terms of ground slope, 21 (22.1%) of 95 venues were constructed in inappropriate, and 74 (77.9%) in appropriate places. In Terms of access, only 7 (6.3%) venues were constructed in inappropriate places and 89 (93.6%) were constructed in appropriate place. In terms of proximity to medical centers, 15 (15.79%) venues were constructed in inappropriate places and 80 (84.21%) were constructed in appropriate places. Using AHP and GIS is highly efficient in locating sports venues and allows evaluation of different places and selection of the right place regarding given standards.

7 illus, 14 ref

003137   Patel D P;Srivastava P K;Gupta M;Nandhakumar N (Civil Engineering Dep, Dr Jivraj Mehta Institute of Technology, Mogar-388 306, Email: prashant.just@gmail.com) : Decision support system integrated with geographic information system to target restoration actions in watersheds of arid environment: a case study of Hathmati watershed, Sabarkantha district, Gujarat. J Earth Syst Sci 2015, 124(1), 71-86.

Watershed morphometric analysis is important for controlling floods and planning restoration actions. The present study is focused on the identification of suitable sites for locating water harvesting structures using morphometric analysis and multi-criteria based decision support system. The Hathmati watershed of river Hathmati at Idar taluka, Sabarkantha district, Gujarat is experiencing excessive runoff and soil erosion due to high intensity rainfall. Earth observation dataset such as Digital Elevation Model and Geographic Information System are used in this study to determine the quantitative description of the basin geometry. Several morphometric parameters such as stream length, elongation ratio, bifurcation ratio, drainage density, stream frequency, texture ratio, form factor, circularity ratio, and compactness coefficient are taken into account for prioritization of Hathmati watershed. The overall analysis reveals that Hathmati comprises of 13 mini-watersheds out of which, the watershed number 2 is of utmost priority because it has the highest degradation possibilities. The final results are used to locate the sites suitable for water harvesting structures using geo-visualization technique. After all the analyses, the best possibilities of check dams in the mini-watersheds that can be used for soil and water conservation in the watershed are presented.

8 illus, 3 tables, 50 ref

003136   Pandey D K;Alberti M;Fursich F T (Geology Dep, Rajasthan Univ, Jaipur-320 004) : Ammonites of the Genera peltoceras waagen, 1871, Metapeltoceras spath, 1931, and Euaspidoceras spath, 1931 from the upper callovian and oxfordian of kachchh, Western India, and their biostratigraphic potential. J Palaeont Soc India 2015, 60(1), 1-26.

Members of the family Aspidoceratidae Zittel, 1895 dominate the ammonite assemblage of the Upper Callovian of the Kachchh Basin. With the appearance of the genus Perisphinctes Waagen, 1869 in the Early Oxfordian they lose their dominance, but still form a relatively diverse group. In the present study, 32 ammonites from the Kachchh Basin in western India have been assigned to 18 taxa belonging to the genera Peltoceras Waagen, 1871, Metapeltoceras Spath, 1931, and Euaspidoceras Spath, 1931. Due to co-occurring ammonites as well as comparisons with European sections, most of these taxa can be attributed to ammonite zones of the Upper Callovian to lower Upper Oxfordian: Athleta Zone (Peltoceras kachhense, P. aff. kachhense, P. ponderosum, Metapeltoceras armiger, M. aff. armiger, M. cf. kumagunense, M.flavum, Euaspidoceras acanthodes), Mariae-Cordatum zones (Euaspidoceras aff. babeanum), Cordatum Zone (Euaspidoceras waageni, E. simile, E. badiense), Cordatum-Transversarium zones (Euaspidoceras sparsispinum), Plicatilis-Bifurcatus zones (Euaspidoceras wagurense), and Bifurcates Zone (Euaspidoceras varians, E. aff.jeanneti).

19 illus, 1 table, 49 ref

003135   Pandey B;Pathak D B (Geology Dep, Banaras Hindu Univ, Varanasi-221 005, Email: drbpandey@yahoo.co.in) : Record of early bathonian ammonoids from Kachchh, India: biostratigraphic and palaeobiogeographic implications. J Palaeont Soc India 2015, 60(1), 33-44.

Presented here the significance of the Early Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) ammonoid record on the South Tethyan Margin through discovery of the genera Zigzagiceras Buckman, Procerozigzag Arkell, Siemiradzkia Hyatt, Berbericeras Roman, Parkinsonia Bayle, Ebmyiceras Buckman, Micromphalites Buckman and ?Telermoceras Arkell, in association with Prohecticoceras Spath, Procerites Siemiradzki, Cadomites Munier-Chalmas, Oecotraustes Waagen and Phylloceras Suess from Kachchh, western India. The exposed <126>24 m thick sedimentary succession is predominantly composed of whitish grey limestone with shale/silt/marl interbeds exposed in the Nara Dome, Mainland Kachchh. This interval has been earlier considered to be the part of hiatus or ammonoid devoid on the entire South Tethyan Margin including the Kachchh Basin. The preliminary generic level taxonomic determination, their stratigraphic ranges and dominance of individual taxon allow the formulation of Siemiradzkia - Procerozigzag assemblage. Most of the genera of this assemblage are well known from Zigzag Zone of Early Bathonian age in the Submediterranean province, which facilitates the precise dating of the studied succession. The presence of diverse Submediterranean ammonoid fauna in Kachchh locality of the Indian subcontinent is probably due to the expansion event during the eustatic rise in Early Bathonian. The contribution would prove a milestone for the workers on the marine Jurassic System by way of (1) filling the gap of knowledge about Early Bathonian interval for dating and intrabasinal correlation on the South Tethyan Margin, (2) its long distance correlation with Submediterranean and NW European counterparts and (3) differentiation of Early Bathonian transgressive event with a deepening phase in the Kachchh basin already recognized within the Early Bathonian Zigzag Zone, most probably in the Macrescens Subzone of the Submediterranean realm and NW European standard bio-chronostratigraphic scheme.

3 illus, 2 tables, 46 ref

003134   Pamukcu O;Gonenc T;Cirmik A;Sindirgi P;Kaftan I;Akdemir O (Geophysical Engineering Dep, Dokuz Eylul Univ, Tinaztepe Campus, Buca, Izmir, Turkey, Email: tolga.gonenc@deu.edu.tr) : Investigation of vertical mass changes in the south of Izmir (Turkey) by monitoring microgravity and GPS/GNSS methods. J Earth Syst Sci 2015, 124(1), 137-48.

The monitoring of gravity changes in a region enables the investigation of regional structural elements depending upon the changes in load compensation. This method, preferred in recent years, has yielded good results from different parts of the world for determination of the deformation at fields. With the addition of GPS/GNSS monitoring to microgravity studies, the mass changes within the crust in vertical directional movements of a region can be estimated. During GPS/GNSS monitoring and microgravity studies, it was found that the behaviour of vertical directions of Izmir and the surrounding areas, indicate an active tectonic regime and high seismic activity, especially since 2000. As a result, regions considered to have a mass change in vertical direction were determined by 3-year measurements and it was found that they were consistently highly seismic.

11 illus, 2 tables, 45 ref

003133   Obiora D N;Ajala A E;Ibuot J C (Physics and Astronomy Dep, Nigeria Univ, Nsukka, Nigeria, Email: daniel.obiora@unn.edu.ng) : Evaluation of aquifer protective capacity of overburden unit and soil corrosivity in Makurdi, Benue state, Nigeria, using electrical resistivity method. J Earth Syst Sci 2015, 124(1), 125-35.

This paper presents result of 30 vertical electrical soundings carried out in Makurdi, Benue state capital, north-central Nigeria to evaluate aquifer protective capacity and soil corrosivity of overburden units in the study area. This was done using the Schlumberger electrode array to obtain the data and was modelled using computer iteration (Winresist software). The field data gives a resolution with 3-4 geoelectric layers and the observed frequencies in curve types include: 30% of KQ, 16.67% of QH, 6.67% of AA and K, 3.33% of HA, Q and A, 10% of H, KH and HK. Using the longitudinal unit conductance (S), the protective capacities of the study area were, classified as 36.67% weak, 10% poor, 40% moderate, and 13.33% as good. The corrosivity ratings of the study area show that 10% is strongly corrosive, 23% moderately corrosive, 37% slightly corrosive, and 30% noncorrosive The results reasonably provide information on areas where industries can be sited and iron pipes can be laid in order to safeguard the hydrological setting for resident's safety in the study area. Regions with moderate/good protective capacity are good sites for locating boreholes.

11 illus, 3 tables, 30 ref

003132   Nematchoua M K;Roshan G R;Tchinda R;Nasrabadi T;Ricciardi P (Environmental Energy Technologies Laboratory, Yaounde I Univ, Yaounde, Cameroon, Email: ghr.rowshan@gmail.com) : Climate change and its role in forecasting energy demand in buildings: a case study of Douala city, Cameroon. J Earth Syst Sci 2015, 124(1), 269-81.

The foremost role of a building is to assure the comfort of its occupants. The thermal comfort of a building depends on the outdoor climate and requires a demand in energy for heating and cooling. In this paper, demand of energy (heating/cooling) in the buildings is discussed in Douala, Cameroon. Daily data of the last 40 years coming from five weather stations of Cameroon have been studied. Some forecasts have been carried out with 14 GCM models, associated to three future climate scenarios Bl, A2, and AlB. However, only INCM3 of General Circulation Model (GCM) and A2 scenario was used. Energy demand in buildings is valued by HDD (heating degree day) and CDD (codling degree day) indices. Obtained results show that the temperature evolves more quickly in dry season than in rainy season in Douala. Climate rise indicates an increasing demand of energy in the buildings for cooling. Global Douala heating shows a definite effect on outdoor comfort. From 2045 to 2075, the demand of energy for cooling will be superior to 50%. The total demand in energy for heating in the buildings is estimated to be 67.882 kcal from 1970 to 2000 and will be around 67.774 kcal from 2013 to 2043.

12 illus, 1 table, 30 ref

003131   Mitra S;Paul H;Ajay Kumar;Singh S K;Dey S; Powali D (Earth Sciences Dep, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur-741 246, Email: supriyomitra@iiserkol.ac.in ) : The 25 april 2015 nepal earthquake and its aftershocks. Curr Sci 2015, 108(10), 1938-43.

The massive M_w = 7.8 earthquake which rocked the Nepal Himalaya on 25 April 2015 is the largest to have occurred in this region in the past 81 years. This event occurred by slip on a <126>150 km long and 55 km wide, shallow dipping (<126>5°) segment of the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT), causing the Himalaya to lurch south-westward by 4.8 ± 1.2 m over the Indian plate. The main shock ruptured the frictionally locked segment of the MHT, initiating near the locking line and rupturing all the way updip close to its surface expression near the foothills of the Himalaya. The main shock was followed by 41 aftershocks within 26 h, among which a couple were larger than magnitude (M_w) 6.5. These two large aftershocks occurred on fault(s) which had similar orientation as the one that caused the main shock, contributing to strain release along the MHT. The rupture area of the main shock overlaps the meisoseismal zone of the 1833 Nepal earthquake and is immediately to the west of the 1934 Bihar-Nepal earthquake. This region had accumulated <126>3 m of slip in the past 182 years, converging at a rate of <126>18 mm/yr. The close match of the accumulated slip with the coseismic slip of the main event confirms that majority of the convergence between India and Tibet is stored as elastic strain energy and is released by brittle failure in earthquakes. This Nepal earthquake has highlighted that other segments of the Himalaya too have significant unrelieved elastic strain and may also rupture in similar or greater earthquakes in the future.

3 illus, 1 table, 16 ref

003130   Lazri M;Ameur S;Brucker J M;Lahdir M;Sehad M (Laboratoire LAMPA, Tizi Ouzou Univ, Tizi Ouzou, Algeria, Email: m_lazri@yahoo.fr) : Analysis of drought areas in Northern Algeria using Markov chains. J Earth Syst Sci 2015, 124(1), 61-70.

The present work studies the trends in drought in northern Algeria. This region was marked by a severe, wide-ranging and persistent drought due to its extraordinary rainfall deficit. In this study, drought classes are identified using SPI (standardized precipitation index) values. A Markovian approach is adopted to discern the probabilistic behaviour of the time series of the drought. Thus, a transition probability matrix is constructed from drought distribution maps. The trends in changes in drought types and the distribution area are analyzed. The results show that the probability of class severe/extreme drought increases considerably rising from the probability of 0.2650 in 2005 to ;a stable probability of 0.5756 in 2041.

4 illus, 6 tables, 25 ref

003129   Jaswal A K;Rao P C S;Singh V (NO, , India Meteorological Dep, Shivajinagar, Pune-411 005, Email: jaswal4@gmail.com) : Climatology and trends of summer high temperature days in India during 1969-2013. J Earth Syst Sci 2015, 124(1), 1-15.

Based on the daily maximum air temperature data from 176 stations in India from 1969 to 2013, the climatological distribution of the number of days with high temperature (HT) defined as days with maximum temperature higher than 37°C during summer season (March-June) are studied. With a focus on the regional variability and long-term trends, the impacts of HT days are examined by dividing the country into six geographical regions (North, West, North-central, East, South-central and South). Although the long-term (1969-2013) climatological numbers of HT days display well-defined spatial patterns, there is clear change in climatological mean and coefficient of variation of HT days in a recent period (1991-2013). The long period trends indicate increase in summer HT days by 3%, 5%, and 18% in north, west, and south regions, respectively and decrease by 4% and 9% in north-central and east regions respectively. However, spatial variations in HT days exist across different regions in the country. The data analysis shows that 2010 was the warmest summer year and 2013 was the coolest summer year in India. Comparison of spatial distributions of trends in HT days for 1969-1990 and 1991-2013 periods reveal that there is an abrupt increase in the number of HT days over north, west and north-central regions of India probably from mid 1990s. A steep increase in summer HT days in highly populated cities of Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Jaipur, and Visakhapatnam is noticed during the recent period of 1991-2013. The summer HT days over southern India indicate significant positive correlation with Nino 3.4 index for three months' running mean (December-January-February, January-March, February-April, March-May and April-June).

7 illus, 3 tables, 49 ref

003128   Hao N;Yuan W;Zhang A;Feng Y;Cao J;Chen X; Cheng X;Mo X (NO, China Univ of Geosciences, No. 29, Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083, People's Republic of China, Email: ywm010@sin.com) : Evolution process of the Late Silurian-late Devonian tectonic environment in Qimantagh in the western portion of east Kunlun, China: evidence from the geochronology and geochemistry of granitoids. J Earth Syst Sci 2015, 124(1), 171-96.

The East Kunlun Orogenic Belt has undergone a composite orogenic process consisting of multiple oro-genic cycles and involving many types of magmatic rocks spread over the whole district. However, due to bad natural geographical conditions and complex superimposed orogenic processes, most of the Caledonian orogenic traces were modified by the late tectonic uplift and denudation, so these rocks are poorly studied. Multiperiodic magmatic activity during the Late Silurian (approximately 420 Ma)-Late Devonian (approximately 380 Ma) exists in the Qimantagh area. We obtained 5 zircon U-Pb ages from the Late Silurian-Late Devonian granitoids in the Qimantagh area. Those ages are 420.6 ± 2.6 Ma (Nal-ingguole biotite monzogranite), 421.2 ±1.9 Ma (Wulanwuzhuer potassium granite), 403.7 ± 2.9 Ma (Yemaquan granodiorite), 391.3 ± 3.2 Ma (Qunli granite porphyry), and 380.52 ± 0.92 Ma (Kayakedeng-tage granodiorite). These granitoids belong to the sub-alkaline, high-K calc-alkaline, metaluminous or weakly or strongly peraluminous series. The rocks are right oblique types, having overall relative LREE enrichment and HREE depletion, though rocks from different times may exhibit different degrees of Eu anomalies or overall moderate Eu depletion. The rocks are rich in large ion lithophile elements (LILE), such as Rb, Th, and K, and high field strength elements (HFSE), such as Zr and Hf, and are depleted in Ba, Nb, Ta, Sr, P, Eu, and Ti. The rocks have complex composition sources. The Late Silurian granitoids are mainly crust-derived. Most of the Devonian granitoids are crust-mantle mixed-source and only some parts of them are crust-derived, especially the Middle Devonian granitoids. Those mid-acidic and acidic intrusive rocks are formed in a post-collision tectonic setting, lithesphere delamination may have occurred in the Early Devonian (407 Ma), and the study area subsequently experienced an underplating of the mantle-derived magma at least until the Late Devonian (380 Ma)

10 illus, 2 tables, 83 ref

003127   Chinnappa C;Rajanikanth A;Rao Y V (NO, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 Univ Road, Lucknow-226 007, Email: chinnabsip@gmail.com) : Early cretaceous plant diversity and ecology in the krishna-godavari basin, East coast. J Palaeont Soc India 2015, 60(1), 73-95.

The Early Cretaceous sequences of the Krishna-Godavari Basin, East Coast hold significant plant relics which were an important component of hydrocarbon resource. Taxonomy, morphology, ecology and floral diversity have been discussed. The flora consists of Thinnfeldia, Taeniopteris, Ptilophyllum, Pterophyllum, Dictyozamites, Otozamites, Anomozamites, Ginkgo, Ginkgoites, Brachyphyttum, Pagiophyllum, Elatocladus, Araucarites and Pityospermum. Critical analysis of the flora shows dominance of Bennettito-Coniferous association. Bennettitalean members predominates the floral assemblage and were a mixture of auto-allo-chthonous elements and constitute local to regional flora. Comparison of the flora with coeval floras brings its similarity with the Early Cretaceous Flora of the Cauvery and Rajmahal basins. The composite picture of the flora indicates prevalence of warm and humid conditions during the time of deposition. Paralic/fluvio-marine depositional setting is inferred based on the associated marine indicators.

6 illus, 3 tables, 150 ref

003126   Bothale R V;Rao P V N;Dutt C B S;Dadhwal V K (NO, National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad-500 037, Email: rbothale@gmail.com) : Detection of snow melt and freezing in Himalaya using OSCAT data. J Earth Syst Sci 2015, 124(1), 101-13.

A study of the snow cover melt and freeze using Ku band Oceansat scatterometer (OSCAT) HH polarised backscatter coefficient (σ_HH^{0) for 2011 and 2012 is reported for the Himalayas, which contain the world's largest reserve of ice and snow outside polar regions. The analysis shows spatial and temporal inter-annual variations in the onset of melt/freeze across four regions (Upper Himalaya, Western Himalaya, Central Himalaya, and Eastern Himalaya), nine elevation bands and four aspect zones. A threshold based on temperature-σ_HH0 relation and average σ_HH0 for the months January-March was used for melt/freeze detection. When the three consecutive images (6 days) satisfied the threshold, the day of first image was selected as melt onset/freeze day. The average melt onset dates were found to be March 11 ± 11 days for Eastern Himalaya, April 3 ± 18 days for Central Himalaya, April 16 ± 27 days for Western Himalaya, and May 12 ± 18 days for Upper Himalaya. Similarly average freeze onset dates were found to be August 23 ± 27 days for Eastern Himalaya, September 08 ± 24 days for Central Himalaya, August 27 ± 11 days for Western Himalaya, and September 13 ± 11 days for Upper Himalaya. All the zones experienced the melt onset earlier by around 20 days in 2011 at elevation above 5000 m. All the zones experienced freeze earlier in 2012, with onset being 18, 19, 11, and 21 days earlier in Eastern, Central, Western, and Upper Himalaya, respectively.}

12 illus, 2 tables, 14 ref

003125   Bhargava O N (NO, , 103, Sector 7, Panchkula 134109, Email: onbhargava@gmail.com) : Evoluation of the tethyan and karewa successions in Kashmir: a synthesis. J Palaeont Soc India 2015, 60(1), 61-71.

The "Kashmir Basin" contains the Tethyan sequence ranging in age from Late Precambrian to Early Jurassic and unconformably overlying the Karewa succession of the Quaternary age. The Late Precambrian-Early Cambrian sediments (Hapatnar Group) rest nonconformably over the Salkhala crystalline rocks. It is unconformably followed by deposits of Early Ordovician-Middle Silurian Rishkobal Group. The Rishkobal Group is followed by Early -Middle (?) Devonian Muth Formation with a probable disconconformity. The Muth Formation is followed by the Lidder Group consisting of the Devonian Wazura Formation, Tournaisian Aishmuqam (Syringothyrus Limestone), Visean-Serpukhian Ganeshpur Formation (Fenestella Shales), Asselian-Sakmarian Pindabol Formation and the post-early Artinskian Nishatbagh Formation. The Late Neoproterozoic-Early Permian sedimentary succession is followed by ca 289 Ma Panjal Volcanics. It is overlain by the Wuchiapingian Zewan Formation, which in turn is succeeded by the Changhsingian to Late Triassic Vihi Group. The pre-Panjal Volcanic sediments of the Kashmir display litho- and biofacies that are similar to the corresponding rocks of the Spiti-Zanskar area. On the contrary, the post-Panjal Volcanic sediments of the Kashmir represent shallower water deposits as compared to those in the Spiti-Zanskar sector. It is suggested that till Early Permian (pre-Panjal Volcanic eruptions) the Kashmir "Basin" existed in strike continuity of the Spiti-Zanskar Basin. During the rifting related to the outporing of Panjal Volcanics, the Kashmir area was sheared and brought in up-depositional dip of the Spiti-Zanskar Basin. The Late Neoproterozoic-Early Jurassic succession was folded into a synclinorium. Later during the Quaternary, a basin developed above it, in which the Karewa sediments were deposited. The Kashmir Synclinorium was transported to its present position on the back of the Panjal Thrust. There is approximately 35% crustal shortening in the Kashmir area related to the Himalayan Orogeny.

3 illus, 9 tables, 60 ref

003124   Banerjee R;Shivkumar K;Thomas T;Thomas J; Pandian M S (NO, Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research, Begumpet, Hyderabad, Email: rahulbnrg@gmail.com) : Fluid inclusion study of radioactive granitoids and cherty cataclasite in the southeastern part of Nanded district, Maharashtra: implications for uranium mineralisation. J appl Geochem 2014, 16(4), 361-80.

Radioactive granitoids and cherty cataclasites are delineated in Thadisaoli-Khatgaon and Shahpur-Sujayatpur sectors in southeastern part of Nanded district, Maharashtra, which have recorded anomalous radioelemental contents (Granites: upto 1% U₃O₈ and 0.20% ThO₂; Cherty cataclasites upto 0.11% U₃O₈ and <60>0.005% ThO₂) and enrichment in trace element and rare metal and rare earth element concentration (Nb: upto 146ppm, Y: upto 226ppm, Zr: upto 559ppm and total REE: upto 2010ppm). The mineralised granitoids are affected by profuse pegmatitic/quartzo-feldspathic, quartz and epidote venations and mainly confined along the NE-SW and NNE-SSW faults/shear zones. Radioactive phases are represented by discrete uranium/thorium ore minerals (uraninite, β-uranophane and thorite) and high content of resistates viz., apatite, zircon, allanite, sphene, cerianite, monazite and ilmenite. Fluid inclusion studies of the mineralised and sheared granites, quartzo-feldspathic veins (QFV's) and quartz veins indicate the presence of 6 to 32μm size aqueous and carbonic inclusions of three principle types and represented by six phases viz., aqueous mono-, bi- and poly-phases, aqueous-carbonic, carbonic mono-, bi- and poly-phases. Aqueous biphase inclusions show wide range of salinity (0.71 to 19.99 wt.% eNaCl) and homogenisation temperatures (T_h: 127.5-280.8°C ), while aqueous-carbonic inclusions exhibit restricted salinity (5-8.4 wt.% eNaCl) and T_h (28.3-30.9°C). The composition of these aqueous fluids varies from NaCl-KC1 dominant in quartz veins and radioactive granite to MgCl₂ dominant in sheared radioactive granite. Similarly, co-eval aqueous biphase and aqueous-carbonic inclusions have yielded 678-958 bar pressure and 201-233°C temperature in quartz vein samples while higher values of 1120-1550 bar and 304-360°C are indicated by sheared granite. The presence of more than one population without much change in fluid composition signifies their origin at different stages of deformation. Besides, mixing of a moderate temperature and low salinity fluid (meteoric/basinal brine) with a comparatively high temperature and hypersaline fluid (magmatic/ evolved brine) might have also played an important role in inclusion characteristics. Based on these fluid inclusion characteristics, it appears that multi-episodic hydrothermal activity under an extensional tectonic regime in this fertile granitic province has led to precipitation of uranium along suitable structural aureoles from uraniferous hydrotherms.

8 illus, 3 tables, 56 ref

003123   Baidya T K (Geological Sciences Dep, Jadavpur Univ, Kolkata, Email: baidyatk1953@gmail.com) : Geochemistry and mineralogy of the radioactive minerals associated with some pegmatite veins of the Ukma-Nawahatu-Hursi sector, Purulia district, W.B., in the precambrian Chhotanagpur gneissic complex. J appl Geochem 2014, 16(4), 415-21.

Some barite-bearing pegmatites in the Ukma-Nawahatu-Hursi sector (23° 25' -26' N, 86° 02' -04' E) in Purulia district, West Bengal, have association of radioactive minerals in the form of coarse-grained pitchblack lumps and irregular patches. The present author and his associates first reported the occurrence of this radioactive belt along a ENE-WSW shearzone during their field-work in November,1978 (Baidya et., al.,1979). Groundborne radiometric survey and isorad mapping has established a radioactive high zone of about 15 km length running through Ukma,Nawahatu and Hursi areas. Mineralogical studies of the radioactive minerals have revealed the occurrence of Chevkinite, Aeschynite, Brannerite, Allanite, Uraninite, Tyuyamunite, Davidite, Euxenite, Samarskite, Thorutite, Autunite, Cerianite, in association with quartz, barite, microcline as the principal minerals and various minor minerals like biotite, vermiculite, hornblende, augite, orthoclase, celsian, muscovite, calcite, epidote, zoisite, ilmenite, sphene, rutile, hematite, magnetite, anatase, galena and sodic plagioclase. The barite-bearing pegmatites occur as lenses or lenticular veins hosted by garnetiferous sillimanite-biotite-quartz-schist or occasionally by migmatite. Near Nawahatu the radioactive barite-pegmatite vein occurs at or near the junction between the footwall amphibolite and hangingwall garnetiferous schist. The pegmatite veins have followed mainly schistosity of the host rock and dip at 70°-80° towards south. Chemical analyses of individual radioactive minerals by SEM-EDX and also of the bulk radioactive lumps by ICP-MS have shown significant concentration of U, Th and Rare earths. Minor and trace element analyses also record notable contents of Zr, Ga, Sc, Pb, Zn, Nb, Cu, Ni, V, Cr, As, W, Pd, Ag and Tl. Details of chemical analytical data are presented here. Chemically active fluids generated during metamorphism, metasomatism and granitic activity appear to have played a significant role in the formation of these pegmatites: Detailed exploration (geochemical, geophysical and geological) aided by excavation work (pitting, trenching and exploratory drilling) and chemical analyses for major, minor and trace elements is expected to reveal the feasibility status of these pegmatites as a possible U-Th-REE resource.

5 illus, 2 tables, 13 ref

003122   Aykac S;Timur E;Sari C;Caylak C (Geophysics Dep, General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration, 06520, Ankara, Turkey, Email: emre.timur@deu.edu.tr) : CSAMT investigations of the Caferbeyli (Manisa/Turkey) geothermal area. J Earth Syst Sci 2015, 124(1), 149-59.

Western Turkey is one of the most remarkable regions of very active continental extension in the world. The most significant structures of this region are Alasehir, Gediz, and Buyuk Merideres Grabens. Geothermal activity around city of Manisa in Gediz Graben has been investigated by many researchers and many geothermal boreholes were drilled in order to produce electricity and for heating purposes. The Caferbeyli geothermal area is on the southern side of the Gediz Graben just west of Salihli, Manisa, Turkey. According to rising demand on thermal water around Salihli, geophysical studies were performed using the Controlled Source Audio Magnetotellurics (CSAMT) measurements near the area of Caferbeyli, and they were interpreted by the two-dimensional modelling. Vertical and horizontal resistivity sections were mapped, and it was determined that a low-resistivity layer exists in the SW part of the survey area. As a result of the studies in the area, the boundaries of the low-resistivity layer were mapped and a test drilling was recommended.

10 illus, 29 ref

003121   Arunima D;Dhinwa P S;Rajawat A S (Space Applications Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation, Ahmedabad-380 015, Email: darunima83@gmail.com) : Monitoring implementation of desertification combating plan using geomatics - a case study, districts Dhar and Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh. J Earth Syst Sci 2015, 124(1), 87-99.

The world's drylands are subject to desertification as a result of extended droughts, climate change, and human activities. Development in drylands depends on addressing degradation of the ecosystem, main-streaming sustainable natural resources management, and building upon the existing adaptive capacities of communities and institutions. In this regard, recent scientific results aimed to promote sustainable development through action plans for combating desertification. In India, under the Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development (IMSD) programme, remote sensing based integrated land and water resource studies were carried out with an objective to generate locale pecific action plans for sustainable development of a region. A specific study was carried out, in districts of Jhabua and Dhar, in Madhya Pradesh using Composite Land Development Sites (CLDS) approach for forest and wasteland development and soil and water conservation. Various treatments were suggested and implemented in 1995. The present study was carried out with an objective to monitor the positive impacts of combating plan implementation through visual interpretation and NDVI analysis of temporal images of LISS III data, since 1991 to 2013. The study reveals that there is substantial increase in the area of irrigated agricultural land with increase in number of check dams along with the stream channels.

8 illus, 6 tables, 17 ref

003120   Ahasan M N;Alam M M;Debsarma S K (NO, SAARC Meteorological Research Centre (SMRC), Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh, Email: nazmul_smrc@yahoo.com) : Simulation of the tornado event of 22 march, 2013 over Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh using WRF model with 3DVar DA techniques. J Earth Syst Sci 2015, 124(1), 37-48.

A severe thunderstorm produced a tornado (F2 on the enhanced Fujita-Pearson scale), which affected the Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh during 1100-1130 UTC of 22 March, 2013. The tornado consumed 38, injured 388 and caused a huge loss of property. The total length travelled by the tornado was about 12-15 km and about 1728 households were affected. An attempt has been made to simulate this rare event using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The model was run in a single domain at 9 km resolution for a period of 24 hrs, starting at 0000 UTC on 22 March, 2013. The meteorological conditions that led to form this tornado have been analyzed. The model simulated meteorological conditions are compared with that of a 'no severe thunderstorm observed day' on 22 March, 2012. Thus, the model also ran in the same domain at same resolution for 24 hrs, starting at 0000 UTC on 22 March, 2012. The model simulated meteorological parameters are consistent with each other, and all are in good agreement with the observation in terms of the region of occurrence of the tornado activity. The model has efficiently captured the common favourable synoptic conditions for the occurrence of severe tornadoes though there are some spatial and temporal biases in the simulation. The wind speed is not in good agreement with the observation as it has shown the strongest wind of only 15-20 ms^{-1, against the estimated wind speed of about 55 ms-1. The spatial distributions as well as intensity of rainfall are also in good agreement with the observation. The results of these analyses demonstrated the capability of high-resolution WRF model with 3DVar Data Assimilation (DA) techniques in simulation of tornado over Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh.}

14 illus, 14 ref

003119   Aghai A K (Faculty of Water and Environment, Shahid Beheshti Univ, A.C., Tehran, Iran, Email: a_khorsandi@sbu.ac.ir ) : Survey of land subsidence - case study: the land subsidence formation in artificial recharge ponds at south hamadan power plant, northwest of Iran. J Earth Syst Sci 2015, 124(1), 261-8.

The artificial recharge is a technique of aquifer conservation for land subsidence. But in this article, the phenomenon of land subsidence and the resulting cracks and fissures at the study area are formed in recharge ponds. This is a new phenomenon and in this research the geometrical properties of the fissures of recharge ponds are measured. The results reveal the existence of fine layers in the geology of the aquifer, which are displaced in the long run as the consequence of groundwater overdraft. At the site of the artificial recharge subject of this research, the difference between the quality of recharge water and the aquifer and their interaction have intensified the instability and the movement of the fine sediments. In addition, the neglect of hydraulic principles of the groundwater during the construction and operation of the recharge wells has resulted in turbulent and speed flows, intensified displacement of fine^sediments and ultimately the localized subsidence at the site of the plan.

11 illus, 16 ref

002258   Suresh B;Sivasankar S (NO, Cognizant Global service private limited, Bangalore, Email: sivgisfirst@gmail.com) : Identification of suitable site for urban solid waste disosal using GIS and remote sensing techniques. a case study of Virudhunagar municipality, India. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2014, 5(2), 320-31.

Solid waste materials in cities are the natural outcome of human activities. In most of the cities and municipalities in India, there is a major concern due to the health problems associated with improper disposal of waste. Several factors have to be considered in site selection for waste disposal. Due to the involvement of different parameters, deciding upon a suitable location for waste disposal is very complicated, costly and time consuming. Geographic Information System (GIS) allows users to view, understand, question, interpret and visualize spatial and non-spatial data in many ways that reveals relationships, patterns and trends in the form of maps, reports and charts. The present study details about locating a suitable waste disposal site for Virudhunagar municipality. Selecting a suitable disposal site should adhere to the government safety norms and ensure there is no risk involved to the people or the environment. Factor considered for site selections include natural physical characteristics as well as socioeconomic, ecological and land-use factors. Multi-criteria overlay analysis has been done for solid waste disposal site selection in this study. Geographical Information System (GIS) integrates geographical, geomophological and other parameters with population and other relevant data in selection of suitable disposal.

7 illus, 6 tables, 8 ref

002257   Shukla U;Prasad S;Joshi M;Sridhara S;Westcott D A (NO, Centre for Ecological Sciences, TE-13, Biological Sciences Building, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru-560 012, Email: prasadsoumya@gmail.com) : Nest site characterization of sympatric hornbills in a tropical dry forest. Curr Sci 2015, 108(9), 1725-30.

Hornbills, among the largest and most threatened tropical frugivores, provide important seed dispersal services. Hornbill nest site characteristics are known primarily from wet tropical forests. Nests of the Indian grey hornbill Ocyceros birostris and Oriental pied hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris were characterized in a tropical dry forest. Despite A. albirostris being twice the size of O. birostris, few of the nest cavity attributes were different. A. albirostris nests were surrounded by higher proportion of mixed forest and lower sal forest compared to O. birostris. In this landscape, the larger A. albirostris may prefer to nest in sites with more food plants compared to the smaller O. birostris.

2 illus, 1 table, 23 ref

002256   Sharma N P (Engineering Science and Humanities Dep, Pulchowk Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan Univ, Kathmandu, Nepal, Email: sharmaniranjanprasad@hotmail.com) : Comparison of ground based, satellite estimated and modeled solar UV index in three major cities of Nepal. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2014, 5(2), 231-42.

This paper presents the comparison of solar UV Index (UVI) at three major cities of Nepal (Kathmandu, Pokhara and Biratnagar). Kathmandu (27.72° N, 85.320 E), Pokhara (28.22° N, 83.22° E) and Biratnagar (26.45° N, 87.27° E) are located at an elevation of 1350m, 800m and 72m respectively from the sea level. The NILUUV irradiance meter is used to record UV radiation on these stations. The Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on board, NASA EOS Aura space craft, is a nadir viewing spectrometer that measures solar reflected and back scattered light in ultraviolet and visible spectrum. The UVSPEC model from the Libradtran package version 1.01 is also used to reconstruct the global spectral irradiance from 290 to 450nm at 0.5nm resolution. The study is based on one year (2009) data for Kathmandu (KTM), Pokhara (PKR) and Biratnagar (BRT). OMI overestimates the ground based data (June-September) by 50.7-93.9% in KTM, 48.8-70.4% in PKR and 33.3-62.0% in BRT. Radiative transfer (RT) clear sky calculation with ground based (GB) measurement was used to determine the influence of clouds and aerosols on the surface UV radiation. On common clear day in March 1, 2009 the relative difference between calculated clear sky UVI and ground based UVI was found to be 44.7% at KTM, 41.8% at PKR and 42.3% at BRT at 7 UT. The correlation coefficient (r) between GB and OMI noon time ozone showed a good agreement and were found to be 0.92 at KTM, 0.91 at PKR and 0.91 at BRT respectively from January to April, 2009.

5 illus, 1 table, 47 ref

002255   Shah B A (Geological Sciences Dep, Jadavpur Univ, Kolkata, Email: bashahju@yahoo.com) : Arsenic in groundwater, quaternary sediments and turbid river sediments in the middle ganga plain, India. J appl Geochem 2014, 16(3), 277-87.

Groundwater arsenic (As) survey in tubewell was done in the states of UP and Bihar along Ganga River. Maximum arsenic found in groundwater is 1300 μg/1. About 66% of tubewells from Buxar to Mirzapur areas and 89% of tubewells from Patna to Ballia areas have As <62> 10 μg/1 (WHO-1993). Most of the As-affected villages are located close to abandoned or present meander channels of the Ganga River. In contrast, tubewells located in Mirzapur, Chunar, Varanasi, Saidpur, Ghazipur, Muhammadabad, Ballia, Buxar, Ara, Chhapra, Patna, and Hazipur towns are As-safe in groundwater because of their positions on the Pleistocene Older Alluvium upland surfaces. The iron (Fe) content in tubewell water samples varies from 0.1 to 12.93 mg/1. About 77% As-contaminated tubewells are located within the depth of 21 to 40 m in the Holocene Newer Alluvium aquifers. Maximum As concentrations in the Older and Newer Alluvium sediments are 13.73 mg/kg and 30.91 mg/kg, respectively. The iron content in Quaternary sediments varies from 1.57 to 6.31 g/kg. Arsenic content in suspended river sediments of Yamuna, Ganga, Gomati, Ghaghara, Gondak, Buri Gandak, and Kosi rivers varies from 5.61 to 10.59 mg/kg. The iron content in suspended river sediments varies from 1.17 to 5.65 g/kg.

4 illus, 3 tables, 24 ref

002254   Sam K (NO, , The Univ of Burdwan, Email: koelsem@gmail.com) : Changing land use and land cover in fringe area using GIS: a case study of barddhaman town, West Bengal. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2014, 5(2), 243-52.

Land resource is the most important natural wealth of any region and their proper utilization is a matter of utmost concern to its people (Codjoe, 2007), Changing pattern of land use not a static phenomenon, a continuous process takes place over time and space. The topology of land use mainly depends on differential practices of land by people. Land use in urban environment is more dynamic comparatively to rural area. The increasing urban population pressure and urban sprawl induced changes of land use and land cover. Most of the geographical changes at peri-urban area are associated with the transfer of land from rural to urban purpose in such an extent that rural environment and economy has been disrupted. Loss of agricultural land, depletion of water resource, increasing fallow land and unemployment of people who are engaged as a agricultural labour makes a problematic situation. Hence, it is logical to expect that a proper utilization of land in the fringe areas is basic for effective urban planning. The present study an attempt has been made to study the Rural-Urban fringe areas of Barddhaman town; Particularly their land use modifications.

8 illus, 2 tables, 9 ref

002253   Rohan Kumar;Anbalagan R (Earth Sciences Dep, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee-247 667, Email: rohananadi@yahoo.com) : Landslide susceptibility zonation of Tehri reservoir rim region using binary logistic regression model. Curr Sci 2015, 108(9), 1662-72.

Remote sensing and GIS based landslide susceptibility zonation (LSZ) of the Tehri reservoir rim region has been presented here. Landslide causal factors such as land use/land cover, photo-lineaments, landslide incidences, drainage, slope, aspect, relative relief, topographic wetness index and stream power index were derived from remote sensing data. Ancillary data included published geological map, soil map and topographic map. Correlation between factor classes and landslides was computed using binary logistic regression model and a probability estimate of landslide occurrence on cell-by-cell basis for the entire study area was obtained. The probability map was further classified into very low, low, moderate, high and very high susceptible zones using statistical class break technique. Accuracy assessment of the model was performed using ROC curve technique, which in turn gave acceptable 80.2% accuracy. LSZ indicates that the area immediate to the reservoir side slope is highly prone to landslides.

7 illus, 4 tables, 44 ref

002252   Ramesh Kumar N;Gnanasundar D;Gowtham B; Senthilkumar M (NO, Central Ground Water Board, South Eastern Coastal Region, Chennai-600 090, Email: ramesh_hygeol@yahoo.co.in) : Disposition of aquifer system in parts of Gadilam, Paravanar, lower Vellar watershed, Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2014, 5(2), 266-74.

Distribution and quantification of ground water in the aquifer system is prime importance for efficient management of groundwater. Aquifer mapping studies bring out the vertical and lateral extent of the aquifer system which in turn paves way for efficient management of the aquifer system. Such studies were carried out in the Part of Gadilam - Paravanar watershed of Cuddalore district to bring out the aquifer disposition. The study area (Part of Gadilam -Paravanar watershed) lies between North latitudes 11° 25' 23' and 11° 45' 36" and East longitudes 79° 28' 23" and 79° 47' 15" and falls in survey of India Toposheet No. 58 M/6, 58 M/10 & M/14 AND 58 m/11. The total extent of the study area is 990 Sq. Km. The area experiences tropical humid climate with an average annual rainfall of 1400 mm which is received during both southwest and northeast monsoons. The area is drained by Paravanar and Uppanar rivers. Geologically the area has three distinct formations: Recent Alluvium, Cuddalore sandstone of Mio-Pliocene age and Sandstones of Eocene age. The data obtained from the exploratory drilling and recent field surveys were used to bring out the lateral and vertical disposition of the aquifer system. The study reveals the existence of multilayered aquifer system with four aquifer units (Aquifer I -Phreatic aquifer; Aquifer II - Leaky/confined aquifer; Aquifer-III & IV -Two Confined aquifers) upto the depth of 300m bgl. The determined disposition of the aquifer system is used for effective management of ground water aquifers in the Gadilam and Paravanar watershed.

9 illus, 1 table, 8 ref

002251   Rai S K;Tiwari S K;Bartarya S K;Gupta A K (NO, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, 33 GMS Road, Dehardun-248 001, Email: rksant@wihg.res.in) : Geothermal systems in the northwest himalaya. Curr Sci 2015, 108(9), 1597-9.

Conventional energy resources are fast depleting and therefore alternative resources are required to sustain the fast progress and development of any nation. This situation is more pertinent to India where fast growing population and developmental activities are posing major challenges to the government as the country has limited resources of energy. Therefore, focused research should be intensified to explore the potential of geothermal energy resources in India. Realizing its importance, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, has started a major research programme to study geothermal systems of the Himalaya covering Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Leh-Ladakh regions of India.

3 illus, 3 ref

002250   Rai A K;Tripathy S;Sahu S C (School of Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar-751 007, Email: akrai@iitbbs.ac.in) : May 21st, 2014 Bay of Bengal earthquake: implications for intraplate stress regime. Curr Sci 2015, 108(9), 1706-12.

Northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, i.e. the Bay of Bengal (BoB) is located near some of the most complicated tectonic zones on the Earth. An earthquake of magnitude <126>6.0 occurred on 21 May 2014 near the coast of Odisha. Occasional moderate to large earthquakes in BoB highlight the need to study precise hypocentre locations, and focal mechanisms to understand the cause of intraplate seismicity in BoB. It is also important for seismic hazard and tsunami risk evaluation along the eastern coast of India. We present an analysis of the digital data of this earthquake recorded by regional and global networks of seismic stations. Our analysis of travel-times of P- and S'-waves indicates that the epicentre of the earthquake is located between the Eighty Five East and Ninety East ridges. The focus of this earthquake was at a depth of <126>61 km, well below the lower boundary of the oceanic crust. The focal mechanism determined by modelling long period P- and SH-waveforms suggest an strike-slip motion along a NW-SE or NEE-SWW-directed fault or fracture. We interpret that the upper part of the BoB lithosphere is abnormally strong and brittle.

7 illus, 1 table, 34 ref