023349   Ghose N C (NO, , G/608, Spruce, Raheja Residency, Koramangala, 3rd Block, Bangalore-560 034, Email: ghosenc2008@gmail.com) : Occurrence of native gold and gold-silver alloy in the olivine gabbro of layered cumulate sequence of Naga hills ophiolite, India. Curr Sci 2014, 106(8), 1125-30.

Occurrence of native gold and gold-silver alloy formed in high-temperature olivine gabbro of a layered cumulate body is reported 2 km northwest of Sutsu. It lies close to a major fault in the central part of Late Cretaceous-Eocene Naga Hills ophiolite (NHO). The amphibole-bearing olivine gabbro is composed of serpentine (MgO-28.91), anorthite (An₉₃), clinopyroxene (En₄₆Fs₈Wo₄₆), edenite (Mg<35> 76), mag-nesiohornblende (Mg<35> 78), accessory minerals, viz., chlorite (Mg<35> 75), epidote, sulphides (chalcopyrite and millerite) and gold. The formation of noble metals in olivine gabbro is related to partitioning of Au into in-tercumulus sulphides and silicates in magma and their deposition along grain boundaries and fractures. It was carried out by hydrothermal fluids by transportation and concentration of immiscible sulphide phases, and depositing these in suitable locales during final stages of crystallization. Gold mineralization in layered gabbros of cumulate bodies opens a new avenue towards primary source of precious metals in NHO. Alternative secondary source of precious metals in NHO, e.g. (i) basal conglomerate of cover sediments derived from ophiolite (Jopi or Pokhphur Formation), and (ii) placers of arterial Tizu River in Nagaland, may be considered as favourable repository.

2 illus, 1 table, 27 ref

023348   Chandreyee De (NO, , 11, Ujjal Park, Post Brahmapur, Kolkata-700 096, Email: chandreyee_de@yahoo.co.in) : Excessively large-scale slumping of Sajnekhali creek banks in the Sundarban delta mangrove complex: a consequence of rising sea. Curr Sci 2014, 106(5), 679-80.

3 illus, 8 ref

023347   Bhaumik A K;Gupta A K;Clemens S C;Mazumder R (Applied Geology Dep, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad-826 004, Email: ajoyism@gmail.com) : Functional morphology of Melonis barleeanum and Hoeglundina elegans: a proxy for waste-mass characteristics. Curr Sci 2014, 106(8), 1133-40.

Morphometric study of Melonis barleeanum and Hoe-glundina elegans was carried out on 15 core top samples from the Indian Ocean. Length to breadth ratios and wall and septal thicknesses of the largest tests of both the species from each sample, along with δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values of Cibicides wuellerstorfi were measured. Both the species show equal growth rates of the test in their normal habitat. However, the high organic carbon preference species M. barleeanum shows more elongation of the test during food scarcity. This effect is not evident in H. elegans, which varies in its wall and septal thicknesses with bottom-water oxygen levels of the deep water mass up to 2000 m, probably to maintain the required rate of osmosis for the intake of dissolved O₂. Below this depth both parameters show parallel relationship with deviation indicating that oxygenation may play some role in the variation of wall and septal thicknesses. Thinning or thickening of the wall and septa in M. barleeanum and H. elegans has no relation with the water depth, indicating no relation with either the overlying pressure effect or nutrients as each deep water mass has a different nutrient budget. Depletion in δ¹³ C and enrichment in δ¹⁸O below 2000 m water depth suggests that up to 2000 m depth, the Indian Ocean is bathed by the well-oxygenated, low-nutrient North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW), whereas below 3000 m cold, nutrient-rich Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) is dominant. Between 2000 and 3000 m water depths, the water mass in the Indian Ocean is a mixture of NADW and AABW.

5 illus, 2 tables, 36 ref

022344   Zeinelabdein K A E;Mohamed E A;Abdelrahman E M (Geology Dep, Faculty of Petroleum and Minerals, Al Neelain Univ, Sudan, Email: kalsayed2001@yahoo.com) : Detection of possible causes of earthquake in central Sudan: an integrated GIS approach. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2014, 4(3), 447-55.

Several big earthquakes have been recorded in the recent years. Nevertheless, there are no sufficient and reliable studies on earthquakes in Sudan. The main subjective of this study is to integrate the geophysical methods for the surface interpretations in addition to, Landsat images supported with gravity data and digital elevation model (DEM) to investigate the possible causes of earthquake that took place in the study area. Remote sensing is useful in mapping and analysing structural elements, especially in remote regions. Subsurface geophysical methods are among the best supplement to surface interpretations made from satellite images. In this paper, Landsat images supported by gravity data, geology and DEM were used to investigate the relationship between the lineaments and the - 64 - earthquake events occurred in central Sudan. The integrated analysis has shown that the area is traversed by several systems of fractures and fault zones which are liable to rejuvenation from time to time. The earthquakes that occurred in low areas may be attributed to subsidence that occurred in the sedimentary basins while the few events that occurred out of the sedimentary basins may be attributed to movements along pre-existing faults due to reactivation. The events that are located at or near prominent lineaments are probably related to shear zones such as Keraf or CASZ or may be related to subsidence in rift basins or basin structures associated with pull a part process of tectonic activity. Strike-slip faults are difficult to detect from gravity data since there is no considerable down throw associated with such type of faults.

5 illus, 11 ref

022343   Upadhyay R (NO, Centre of Advanced Study in Geology, Kumaun Univ, Nainital-263 002, Email: rajeev_up@yahoo.com) : Palaeogeographic significance of 'Yasin-type' rudist and orbitolinid fauna of the Shyok Suture zone, Saltoro hills, northern Ladakh, India. Curr Sci 2014, 106(2), 223-9.

Along the Shyok Suture Zone in northern India, a <126>200m thick limestone succession within the larger Saltoro Formation has been identified as a carbonate platform margin with build-ups. This limestone succession is overlying volcanic rocks of island arc affinity, most probably a volcanic ridge. The partly recrystal-lized reefal limestone contains abundant rudists, ech-inoid spines, gastropods, algae and a rich orbitolinid assemblage. This faunal assemblage reflects a shallow-water tropical environment and also shows a close affinity with that recorded from the Yasin Group sediments exposed along the Northern Suture Zone in Kohistan, northwestern Pakistan. The rudist fauna from both sites resembles the Horiopleura haydenil Eoradiolites gilgitensis association from the Yasin Group, and even the very distant classic latest Aptian-Early Albian rudist fauna of the Santander area in NW Spain. The presence of Late Aptian Horiopleura, Radiolitidae and different forms of Orbitolina and other microfaunal assemblages in the Saltoro reefal limestone dates the underlying volcanic edifice as middle Cretaceous or older. Rudists, nerineids, corals and foraminifers of Early-Middle Cretaceous age are widely distributed as reefal frameworks all along the tropical and subtropical Euro-African-Asiatic regions of the northern and southern margin of the Tethys. However, rudist build-ups may also occur far from the continental margins, associated with volcanic edifices like in the Caribbean, Sicily, and seamounts in the central Pacific region or, in our cases, volcanic arcs within the Tethys.

6 illus, 48 ref

022342   Taori A (NO, National Atmospheric Research Laboratory, Pakala Mandal, Gadanki-517 112, Email: alok.taori@gmail.com) : Airglow measurements of mesospheric wave structures and thermal gradient variability over a low-latitude Indian station. Curr Sci 2014, 106(4), 542-51.

Simultaneous mesospheric OH and O₂ temperature es-timates are used in the present study to characterize the wave perturbations over Gadanki (13.5°N, 79.2°E), a low-latitude station in India. The 65° zenith angle scanning measurements show large variations from one direction to - 63 - another. The zonal and vertical wavelengths of the observed wave perturbation are found to vary from 740 to 4500 km and 26 to 38 km. The temperature gradient between OH and O₂ layers has been calculated, which shows significant short-period variability. The temperature gradient measurements show large changes from one direction to another. The occurrence of such large temperature gradients within 400 km suggests thermal state of the upper mesosphere to be highly dynamic, which can severely impact the upward propagation of short-period gravity waves.

9 illus, 32 ref

022341   Srivastava H B;Cobbold P R (Geology Dep, Banaras Hindu Univ, Varanasi-221 005, Email: hbsrivastava@gmail.com) : What makes India such a good indenter?. Curr Sci 2014, 106(2), 288-92.

Since about 50 Ma, the ongoing continental collision of India and Asia has led to widespread deformation within Central Asia. A similar pattern results when a rigid indenter pushes into a deformable medium. Therefore, for simplicity, many models have assumed that continental India is rigid. However, in reality, its northern margin has deformed, producing the Himalayan arc and syntaxes. To account for these, we have made physical models containing continental or oceanic plates. For realistic plate configurations and boundary conditions, our models have reproduced the Himalayan arc and syntaxes, as well as the asymmetric distribution of mountain ranges, high plateaus and basins in Central Asia. On this basis, we suggest that two features make India a good indenter. First, the Indian continental crust is buoyant and so resists sub-duction. Second, the surrounding oceanic crust is mechanically strong. The result is a V-shaped indenter, buoyant in the middle and strong at the sides.

3 illus, 40 ref

022340   Singh D S (NO, Centre of Advanced Study in Geology, Lucknow Univ, Lucknow-226 007, Email: dhruvsensingh@rediffmail.com) : Surface processes during flash floods in the glaciated terrain of Kedarnath, Garhwal Himalaya and their role in the modification of landfoms. Curr Sci 2014, 106(4), 594-7.

Glaciers are considered as one of the best indicators of climate change and glacial landforms are analysed for the reconstruction of palaeoclimate. It has been noticed that the landforms keep on changing with time and space. However, no attention has been paid to this problem. The catastrophic event such as Kedarnath event of June 2013 is identified as one important process which modifies the landforms and landscape. The flash floods which initiated the new channels, activated the abandoned channels and raised the water of Mandakini River and caused bank erosion and deepening of the valley are the main process for devastation. The human encroachment in the natural events multiplied the damage.

7 illus, 1 table, 19 ref

022339   Shukla S K (Discipline of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, Edith Cowan Univ, 270 Joondalup Drive Joondalup, Perth, WA, 6027, Australia) : Seismic passive earth pressure from the sloping C- soil backfills. Indian Geotech J 2014, 44(1), 107-11.

This technical note presents the analytical derivation of an explicit expression for the total seismic - 62 - passive earth pressure from the sloping c- soil backfills on the rigid retaining walls. The derivation considers practical aspects such as surcharge, and wall friction and adhesion along with both the horizontal and vertical seismic inertial forces. The development of an explicit expression for the critical inclination of the failure plane within the soil backfill is also described. It is shown that the analytical expression gives the same results for simpler special cases reported previously in the literature for both non-seismic and seismic problem conditions.

14 ref

022338   Seshagiri Rao K;Rathod G W (Civil Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi-110 016) : Seismic microzonation of Indian megacities: a case study of NCR Delhi. Indian Geotech J 2014, 44(2), 132-48.

India's high earthquake risk and vulnerability is evident from the fact that about 59% of India's land area could face moderate to severe earthquakes. North India and particularly the Himalayan belt have experienced many strong to moderate earthquakes since eighteenth century. Some of the major earthquakes in past are having the magnitude more than 7.0 MW. The present study focuses the progressive modifications on the National seismic zonation map of India officially by National agencies, other individual studies and by International Program and summarizes the seismic microzonation work performed for some of the strategic important mega cities in India. This study also analyzes the systematic development of zonation maps and various methods adopted. It has been found that the different techniques have been adopted for microzonation studies of major mega cities. The detailed methodology for Microzonation of National Capital Region of Delhi (NCR of Delhi) has been presented as a case study which emphases on the improvement of these techniques for better use in the future.

144 ref

022337   Sarkar A;Banik P;Dattagupta R (Agricultural and Ecological Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata-700 108, Email: banikpabitra@gmail.com) : Natural resource mapping using hybrid classification approach: case study of Cooch Behar - 61 - district, West Bengal. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2014, 4(3), 499-507.

Ever increasing population associated with various other factors has put tremendous pressure on the environment and its respective resources. Hence it has become necessary to study the human interactions with its surrounding environment to facilitate sustainable developmental plans. Land use and land cover is the most dominant factor to study these interactions. Remote Sensing technology has become an indispensable tool to evaluate the environmental processes and provide adequate information of available resources and to design strategies for the sustainable use of these resources. In the current study an attempt has been made to study the land use and land cover in the Cooch Behar district by mapping the natural resources of the area. The study has been made by integrating Geographical Information System (GIS) approach with Hybrid classification using District Planning Map and multispectral Indian Remote Sensing-P6 - LISS_III data for 2008 and 2009 based on an emerging digital classification technique. The land use land cover classification was accomplished on the basis of prior knowledge of the study area instead of the traditional classification schemes and the satellite imageries. A hybrid supervised/unsupervised classification approach coupled with GIS analyses was employed to generate land use/cover maps with eight classes; upper terrace, single crop, double crop, forest, degraded forest, rivers and water bodies, sandy area and settlements. The study highlights the usage of a non-conventional classification scheme purely based on researcher's in-depth knowledge of study area and application of a hybrid classification technique for far more accurate land use mapping.

4 illus, 2 tables, 6 ref

022336   Sadiq M;Umrao R K;Dutta J C (NO, Geological Survey of India, North Eastern Region, Shylla Building, Nongrim Hills, Shillong-793 003, Email: mohd.sadiq.gsi@gov.in) : Occurrence of rare earth elements in pats of Nongpoh granite, Ri-Bhoi district, Meghalaya. Curr Sci 2014, 106(2), 162-5.

3 illus, 1 table, 15 ref

022335   Rao K H V D;Rao V V;Dadhwal V K;Sharma J R; Jyothsna R (NO, National Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation, Balanagar, Hyderabad-500 037, Email: khvdurgarao@yahoo.com) : Transforming to hydrological modelling approach for long-term water resources assessment under climate change scenario- a case study of the Godavari Basin, India. Curr Sci 2014, 106(2), 293-9.

This communication discusses quantifying basin-scale water wealth by transformation from the presently adapted basin terminal gauge site run-off aggregation to distributed hydrological modelling approach. In this study, an attempt was made to propose modifications to simple monthly water balance model using time-series land-use grids derived from the temporal remote sensing satellite data to compute run-off at basin scale. This approach will help in studying runoff and water resources availability with limited meteorological parameters. The study was aimed at computing mean annual water resources in the Godavari Basin, India during the last 18 years (1990-91 to 2007-08) using the proposed approach and to compute availability of water resources during extreme wet and dry rainfall conditions in the basin. The land-use grids were integrated with soil textural, digital elevation and command area grids to compute hydrological response unit grids. Groundwater, reservoir flux, domestic and livestock water consumption and industrial water consumptive use were computed using the spatial data and integrated in the model environment to compute run-off. The model was calibrated and validated using observed discharge data at various prominent gauge stations in the basin. Long-term water resources availability in the basin was computed using the developed methodology.

6 illus, 20 ref

022334   Philip G;Suresh N;Bhakuni S S (NO, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, 33 Gen. Mahadeo Singh Road, Dehra Dun-248 001, Email: gphilip@wihg.res.in) : Active tectonics in the Northwestern outer Himalaya: evidence of large-magnitude palaeoearthquakes in Pinjaur Dun and the frontal himalaya. Curr Sci 2014, 106(2), 211-22.

Himalayan region has experienced a number of M8 and M5-M7.8 magnitude earthquakes in the present century. Apart from the release of strain builtup due to convergence of the Indian and Tibetan plates by seismic activity and aseismic slip, the tectonic activity in the current tectonic regime has also effected morphotectonic changes due - 60 - to uplift, tilting of drainage basins, shifting or diversion of rivers and their tributary channels. Seismicity is mainly due to activity along numerous active faults, which trend parallel or transverse to the Himalayan mountain belt. In the outer Himalaya or the foothills, lying between the Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT) and the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT), some active faults have generated major earthquakes. The present article illustrates two such faults in the Pinjaur Dun and in the HFT zone at Kala Amb, Himachal Pradesh. Palaeo-seismological study carried out at Nalagarh in Pinjaur Dun has revealed Late Pleistocene earthquakes along the Nalagarh Thrust (NT) that separates the Palaeogene rocks from the Neogene Siwaliks. The study shows evidences of at least two large magnitude earthquakes that rocked this region. The repeated reactivation of NT and HFT substantiates high seismic potential of the northwestern outer Himalaya and calls for more extensive study of palaeoearthquakes in this vastly populous mountainous region.

10 illus, 2 tables, 26 ref

022333   Patil S G;Mohite N M (Post Graduate Civil Engineering Dep, Government College of Engineering, Pune (COEP), Shivajinagar, Pune-411 005, Email: shivajigpatil@gmail.com) : Identification of groundwater recharge potential zones for a watershed using remote sensing and GIS. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2014, 4(3), 485-98.

Groundwater is considered as the preferred source of water for meeting domestic, industrial and agricultural requirements, due to its longer residence time in the ground, low level of contamination, wide distribution, and availability within the reach of the end user. Even the existing wells are getting dried-up due to depletion of ground water table as the natural recharge is not sufficient. Groundwater recharge is a basic pre-requisite for efficient groundwater resource development and management, which is particularly vital for India with widely prevalent semi-arid and arid climate. In case the natural recharge is not sufficient, it has to be met through artificial recharge. To provide scientifically, appropriate locations for constructing artificial recharge structures, each hydro-geomorphic unit will be evaluated for its recharge potential and suitably a map showing such groundwater recharge potential zones for appropriate recharge will be prepared. Using remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) it is possible to take number of different thematic maps of the same area and overlay them on top of one another to form a new integrated layer. This study was aimed to identify the groundwater recharge potential zones, to be used for better and improved groundwater resources. The thematic layers considered in this study are geomorphology, soil, land use land cover, slope (%), drainage density and lineament density, which are prepared using satellite imagery and other conventional data. The thematic layers were first digitized from satellite imagery, supported by ancillary data such as toposheets and field investigation data, finally all thematic layers were integrated using ArcGIS software to identify the groundwater recharge potential zones for the study area and generate a map showing these groundwater recharge potential zones namely 'poorly suitable', 'moderately suitable' and 'most suitable' on knowledge based weightage factors.

9 illus, 7 tables, 11 ref

022332   Pandit D (NO, National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa-403 804, Email: dpandit@hotmail.com) : Chloritization in paleoproterozoic granite ore system at Malanjkhand, Central India: mineralogical studies and mineral fluid equilibria modelling. Curr Sci 2014, 106(4), 565-81.

In the Malanjkhand Granitoid (MG), chlorite occurs in micro-domain along with mineral assemblage bio-tite, hornblende, quartz, K-feldspar and plagioclase. Chloritization of biotite is the most dominant processes during the hydrothermal alteration in MG ore system followed by alteration of hornblende. Chlorite composition revealed two major types of substitution mechanism, i.e. couples Tschermak (TK) and di-tri-octahedral (DT) which correspond to the coupled exchange of Mg and Fe for Al between end-members clinoclore-daphanite and amesite. TK substitution is more prominent than DT substitution between end-members of chlorite solid solution during hydrothermal alteration in MG. Temperature estimates for chloritization using chlorite geothermometry range from 110°C to 400°C and are consistent - 59 - with the temperature of hydrothermal mineralization (200-375°C) at Malanjkhand. The chloritization process incorporates K⁺ and Ca²⁺ ions in the hydrothermal fluids. Therefore, it is inferred that the chloritization in granitic plutons is due to alteration of biotite and hornblende which increases the oxygen fugacity and activities of K⁺ and Ca²⁺ ions in the hydrothermal fluid.

5 illus, 4 tables, 39 ref

022331   Pandey A K;Pandey P;Singh G D;Juyal N (NO, CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute, Uppal Road, Hyderabad-500 007, Email: akpandey@ngri.res.in) : Climate footprints in the late quaternary-holocene landforms of Dun valley, NW Himalaya, India. Curr Sci 2014, 106(2), 245-53.

Himalayan mountain front is characterized by front parallel longitudinal valleys called Dun, that occupy the synformal troughs. The perennial glacial-fed rivers Ganga and Yamuna experience first major gradient loss along the valley floor of Dehra Dun and produce characteristic landforms and deposits by the gradational processes of streams that are often controlled by climate fluctuation. In Dun valley, barring an isolated patch of <126> 26 and 20-ka-old terrace, no strath terrace older than the Holocene is observed along the Ganga and Yamuna rivers. A large stretch of the Dun valley is being filled by piedmont deposits that started aggradation since <62>40 ka until the beginning of the Holocene and have since been undergoing incision. A similar trend is observed in upper Ganga valley, where multiple Late Quaternary aggradational terraces are observed. Authors analyse these landforms and associated deposits in the Dun valley to understand the role of Late Quaternary-Holocene climate fluctuations and their effect on associated gradational processes.

6 illus, 41 ref

022330   Mukul M;Jade S;Ansari K;Matin A (Earth Sciences Dep, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai-400 076, Email: malaymukul@iitb.ac.in) : Seismotectonic implications of strike-slip earthquakes in the Darjiling-Sikkim Himalaya. Curr Sci 2014, 106(2), 198-210.

Darjiling-Sikkim Himalaya (DSH) is located over the Dharan-Gorubathan salient-recess pair and moderate thrust and strike-slip earthquake occur here. The hypocentres cluster not only near the location of the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT) or the basal decolle-ment of the Himalayan wedge, but also well above and below it. The epicentres cluster over the mapped location of the Lesser Himalayan Duplex (LHD), suggesting that both MHT and LHD are active structures in DSH. The earthquakes below MHT can be related to - 58 - transverse strike-slip faulting in DSH associated with salient-recess transition on both flanks of the Dharan salient. The 18 September 2011 (Mw 6.9) strike-slip event suggests that the western flank of the Dharan salient is also likely to contain an active transverse strike-slip fault like the Gish Transverse Fault (GTF) on its eastern flank. High-precision Global Positioning System measurements (1997-2006) indicate that a maximum of <126> 4 mm/year convergence is being accommodated in the Tista Half-Window or LHD west of the surface trace of GTF and DSH is locked south of 27°N both east and west of GTF about 10 km north of the Himalayan mountain front. About 3-4 mm/year sinis-tral strike-slip is postulated on GTF north of 27°N. Dislocation based forward modelling using two thrust dislocations with oblique slip and a sinistral strike-slip dislocation generated velocities that were closest to the measured back-slip velocity field in DSH.

9 illus, 5 tables, 63 ref

022329   Mishra O P (NO, SAARC Disaster Management Centre, New Delhi-110 002, Email: opmishra2010.saarc@gmail.com) : Intricacies of the Himalayan seismotectonics and seismogenesis: need for integrated research. Curr Sci 2014, 106(2), 176-87.

Science of Himalaya' is a record of the most dramatic and visible creations of modern plate tectonic forces with hidden mystery of mantle dynamics, showing present-day convergence across different segments of the Himalaya. The Himalaya is standing as the water tower of Asia with high rate of uplift, hotspots of moderate to great damaging earthquakes, and the highest concentration of glaciers outside of the polar region, which need to be studied comprehensively using integrated tools of multi-disciplinary science to resolve several intricate issues, including tectonics and seis-mogenesis beneath the Himalayan region under climate change scenario. The integrated geoscientific research using different tools of geology, geophysics, seismology and geodetic science help to achieve common consensus among geoscientists on debatable issues related with the complex seismotectonic settings and seismogenesis. Here, several debatable issues related to the evolution of the Himalaya, its intricate seismotectonics and seismogenesis are discussed to demonstrate the need of integrated research for generating authenticate inputs for comprehensive developmental planning for the Himalayan region. It is inferred that results derived from integrated research by involving Indian and international institutions can provide a great opportunity to policy makers and planners to evolve a holistic strategy for natural disaster risk mitigation to make the Himalaya, the third pole, safer and prosperous.

3 illus, 2 tables, 91 ref

022328   Maya Kumari;Das A;Sharma R;Saikia S (NO, Amity School of Natural Resources & Sustainable Development, Amity Un, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, Email: mkumar10@amity.edu) : Change detection analysis using multi temporal satellite data of Poba reserve forest, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2014, 4(3), 517-25.

Information on landuse/cover change is a critical input for natural resource management policy decisions. The land use/ land cover pattern of a region is an outcome of natural and anthropogenic process. Land use/ land cover change has become a central component of current strategies in managing natural - 57 - resources and monitoring environmental changes. Remote Sensing data under GIS domain were utilized to evaluate the changes in land use/ land cover spanning period of five years during 2005 to 2010 along the Siang River in Poba reserve forest Assam. Six different types of land use/ land cover were categorized and out of them semi evergreen dense forest was evident as the most important land use/ land cover practice followed by semi evergreen open forest in and the agriculture in 2010. The changes in the areas of agriculture land is evident from the present study in turn will impact the environment quality around leading to more open forest. The area of semi evergreen open forest increased from 13.43 sq.km to 17.6 sq.km, which is sign of deforestation and illegal tree cutting by local people. The study shows that the increase of anthropogenic activities has led to a serious trouble in the region.

7 illus, 3 tables, 9 ref

022327   Manimaran G;Sugan M (School of Tectonics, Geology Dep, V.O. Chidambaram College, Tuticorin-328 008, Email: acugemmani@yahoo.co.in) : Recent repeated occurrences of gas bubbles streaming water jets along Achankovil shear zone of South India and their seismotectonic significance. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2014, 4(3), 573-8.

Achankovil shear zone is a major tectonic crustal segment of south India. The recently observed gas bubbles streaming water jets in the ponds along the shearzone and the minor tremors released between the years 2005-2013 are pointing out the neotectonic activation of Achankovil shearzone,a manifestation of the forthcoming major seismotectonic activities of Indian plate.

5 illus, 13 ref

022326   Kulkarni A V;Karyakarte Y (Divecha Centre for Climate Change, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-560 012, Email: anilkulkarni@caos.iisc.ernet.in) : Observed changes in Himalayan glaciers. Curr Sci 2014, 106(2), 237-44.

In the Himalaya, large areas are covered by glaciers and seasonal snow. They are an important source of water for the Himalayan rivers. In this article, observed changes in glacial extent and mass balance have been discussed. Various studies suggest that most of the Himalayan glaciers are retreating though the rate of retreat varies from glacier to glacier, ranging from a few meters to almost 61 m/year, depending upon the terrain and meteorological parameters. In addition, mapping of almost 11,000 out of 40,000 sq. km of glaciated area, distributed in all major climatic zones of the Himalaya, suggests an almost 13% loss in area in the last 4-5 decades. The glacier mass balance observations and estimates made using methods like field, AAR, ELA and geodetic measurements, suggest a significant increase in mass wastage of Himalayan glaciers in the last 3-4 decades. In the last four decades loss in glacial ice has been estimated at 19 ± 7 m. This suggests loss of 443 ± 136 Gt of glacial mass out of a total 3600-4400 Gt of glacial stored water in the Indian Himalaya. This study has also shown that mean loss in glacier mass in the Indian Himalaya is accelerated from -9 ± 4 to -20 ± 4 Gt/year between the periods 1975-85 and 2000-2010. The estimate of glacial stored water in the Indian Himalaya is based on glacier inventory on a 1:250,000 scale and scaling methods; therefore, we assume uncertainties to be large.

2 illus, 3 tables, 55 ref

022325   Kayal J R (NO, Institute of Seismological Research, Gandhinagar-382 009, Email: jr.kayal@gmail.com) : Seismotectonics of the great and large earthquakes in Himalaya. Curr Sci 2014, 106(2), 188-97.

Best known seismotectonic model of the Himala-yan Seismic Belt (HSB) suggests that the great and large earthquakes in the Himalaya occur at a shallow depth (10-20 km) by thrust faulting on the Main Himalayan Thrust, i.e. on the plane of detachment. The plane of detachment is the interface between the Indian shield and the Himalayan sedimentary wedge. The recent earthquake data of the permanent and temporary local networks in the Himalaya, however, indicate bimodal seismicity at shallow (0-20 km) as well as greater depths (30-50 km). The source processes of the great and large earthquakes are re-examined in this article (the observations do not support a uniform seismotectonic model for the entire HSB). The four known great earthquakes (Ms <126> 8.0-8.7) in the Himalayan region, from west to east are the 1905 Kangra, 1934 Bihar, 1897 Shillong and the 1950 Assam earthquakes that occurred by different tectonic processes; each occurred in its own unique complex tectonic environment. Most recently, the 1988 strong earthquake (Ms 6.6) in the Bihar/Nepal - 56 - foothill Himalaya and the 2011 strong earthquake (Mw 6.9) in the Sikkim Himalaya show that these are not the plane of detachment events; these occurred by strike-slip faulting at mantle depth (<126> 50 km). A review of all these significant earthquakes in HSB is presented in this article.

12 illus, 53 ref

022324   Jain S K;Gupta M;Sahoo A K;Pandey A N;Jain A K (Pharmaceutics Dep, SLT Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalay, Bilaspur-495 009, Email: suniljain25in@yahoo.com) : Lectin conjugated gastro-retentive microspheres of amoxicillin for effective treatment of Helicobacter pylori. Curr Sci 2014, 106(2), 267-76.

Helicobacter pylori mainly exists deep inside the gastric mucosae and adheres to epithelial cells of the stomach. In the present work, concanavalin-A (Con-A) conjugated gastro-retentive microspheres of amox-icillin trihydrate (AMT) were formulated and thoroughly evaluated. Eudragit S100 microspheres were prepared by emulsion solvent diffusion method and characterized for micromeritic properties, per cent drug entrapment, per cent yield, surface morphology, buoyancy behaviour and in vitro drug release in simulated gastric fluid. The microspheres were then conjugated with Con-A and conjugation was verified by IR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Moreover, Con-A conjugated microspheres were further characterized for zeta potential, muco-adhesiveness to gastric mucosae and Con-A conjugation efficiency. The microparticles were found to be regular and spherical in shape with a size range 106.4-192.4 μm depending on drug to polymer ratio (1:1 to 1:3). All the microsphere formulations showed noteworthy drug entrapment from 62.3% to 70.2%. In vitro floating test clearly showed that most of the microspheres were floating even after 12 h of testing period. Zeta potential of optimized formulation and Con-A conjugated microspheres was found to be 5.6 and 18.7 mV respectively. Attachment of lectin to the Eudragit microspheres significantly increases the muco-adhesiveness (83.7%) compared to non-conjugated microspheres (16.7%) and also controlled the release of drug in simulated GI fluids. The results suggest that these carriers can be used to incorporate other antibiotic agents and could provide better therapeutic effect against H. pylori infection.

8 illus, 4 tables, 36 ref

022323   Jain A K (NO, Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee-247 667, Email: himalfes@gmail.com) : When did India-Asia collide and make the Himalaya?. Curr Sci 2014, 106(2), 254-66.

Critical evaluation and comparison of the available geological and geochronological data from the northern parts of the Himalaya and Trans-Himalaya mountains highlight that these mountains did not initially evolve by the collision of continents of the Indian and Asian plates. Instead, subducted Tethyan oceanic lithosphere in front of the Indian continent melted to produce the calc-alkaline suite of the Shyok-Dras volcanic arc and: the Ladakh batholith. Hence, the Indian plate initially subducted beneath and started building up the then existing intra-oceanic island arc. Timing of the first impingement of the Indian and Asia plates has been better constrained at around 57.5 Ma by comparing (i) the bulk ages from the Ladakh batholith (product of partial melting of the Tethyan oceanic lithosphere) with (ii) the subducted continental lithospheric and UHP metamorphosed Indian crust in the Tso Morari, and (iii) biostrati-graphy of the youngest marine sedimentation in Zan-skar. Thus, the Himalaya witnessed its first rise and emergence from deeply exhumed terrain in the Tso Morari - 55 - after around 53 Ma, followed by sequential imbrication of the Indian continental lithosphere and associated exhumation during rise of the Himalayan mountains from north to the south since 45 Ma.

9 illus, 99 ref

022322   Islam M A;Chattoraj S L;Champati Ray P K (Geology Dep, Dhaka Univ, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh, Email: ashrafhimel@du.ac.bd) : Ukhimath landslide 2012 at Uttarakhand, India: causes and consequences. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2014, 4(3), 544-57.

Present study is focused on this recent event of Ukhimath landslide. The primary aim is to find out possible causes and it's after math, mainly the assessment of damaged areas with the help of detail field observation and subsequent remote sensing techniques by comparing very high resolution Geoeye-1 and the Cartosat-1 imagery of prior to and after the event with special emphasis on building, road and agricultural land. Detail investigation after the calamity in the study area suggests that relatively less resistant highly fractured low grade metamorphic rocks and prolong rainfall for three days might be the main conceivable reason for the initiation of the debris flow near Ukhimath town and its surroundings. Considerable number of buildings, several important roads as well as cultivable lands were badly affected and damaged by the landslide event which has subsequently been analyzed by pre and post event imagery.

8 illus, 2 tables, 18 ref

022321   Huang Y;Yu M;Bhattacharya S (Key Laboratory of Geotechnical and Underground Engineering of the Mini, Tongji Univ, Shanghai-200 092, China) : Characteristics of flow failures triggered by recent earthquakes in China. Indian Geotech J 2014, 44(2), 218-24.

In recent years, several strong earthquakes occurred in China, like the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake, 2003 Bachu Earthquake, etc. These earthquakes triggered numerous flow failures, causing severe damage to buildings and infrastructure. In this paper, some general characteristics of flow failures triggered by these recent - 54 - earthquakes are reviewed. Based on seismic data analysis and field investigation, a brief overview of typical liquefaction phenomena and their characteristics during recent large earthquakes in China is presented. It is manifested that liquefaction occurs mainly in the alluvial plain sediments with low groundwater levels. Some new phenomena, like liquefaction of gravelly soil and deep-level sandy soils, and re-liquefaction, should be paid enough attention in further study. Then, the paper outlines the spatial distribution characteristics of flowslides induced by earthquakes to provide a reference for seismic design and risk mitigation. The flowslide-prone areas are dip slopes opposing the propagation direction of seismic wave, which are mostly located along the surface rupture and near the epicenter, especially on the hanging wall of the fault. Lastly, the state of the post-earthquake investigation and evaluation method for flow failures in China is presented briefly. Field investigation and remote-sensing image interpretation play important roles in the data collection and evaluation of seismic geohazards after earthquakes.

30 ref

022320   Herndon J M (NO, Transdyne Corporation, 11044 Red Rock Drive, San Diego, CA 92131, USA, Email: mherndon@san.rr.com ) : Terracentric nuclear fission georeactor: background, basis, feasibility, structure, evidence and geophysical implications. Curr Sci 2014, 106(4), 528-41.

The background, basis, feasibility, structure, evidence and geophysical implications of a naturally occurring Terracentric nuclear fission georeactor are reviewed. For a nuclear fission reactor to exist at the centre of the Earth, all of the following conditions must be met: (1) There must originally have been a substantial quantity of uranium within Earth's core. (2) There must be a natural mechanism for concentrating the uranium. (3) The isotopic composition of uranium at the onset of fission must be appropriate to sustain a nuclear fission chain reaction. (4) The reactor must be able to breed a sufficient quantity of fissile nuclides to permit operation over the lifetime of Earth to the present. (5) There must be a natural mechanism for the removal of fission products. (6) There must be a natural mechanism for removing heat from the reactor. (7) There must be a natural mechanism to regulate reactor power level. (8) The location of the reactor must be such as to provide containment and prevent meltdown. Herndon's georeactor alone is shown to meet these conditions. Georeactor existence evidence based upon helium and antineutrino measurements is described. Geophysical implications discussed include georeactor origin of the geomagnetic field, geomagnetic reversals from intense solar outbursts and severe Earth trauma, as well as georeactor heat contributions to global dynamics.

^iia12 illus, 93 ref

022319   Hegde G V;Chandra K C S (Mines and Geology Dep, Kandaya Naukarara Bhavana, Karwar-581 301, Email: hegdegv@gmail.com ) : Piezometric water-level conditions in Bangalore city, Karnataka, India. Curr Sci 2014, 106(2), 156-9.

2 illus, 1 table, 3 ref

022318   Hasan T (Geology Dep, Dhaka Univ, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh, Email: thasan7@du.ac.bd) : Geobotanical and geomorphological approach to map the surface lithology using remote sensor data. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2014, 4(3), 558-72.

Objective of this research was to evaluate the potential of ASTER imagery for lithologic mapping in the heavily vegetated area using digital image processing. This study used geobotanical and geomorphological approach to identify the underlying surface lithology of the study area. Two lithologic maps were produced: the first lithologic map based on the combination of vegetation and drainage pattern was done using knowledge base classification and the second lithologic map based on GIS analysis of - 53 - drainage pattern. Results of both of these two lithologic maps show that shale is dominant in the axial part of anticlines, sandstone in the outer flank of anticlines and alternation of sandstone and shale in the middle flank of anticlines. Accuracy of classification derived from knowledge-based classification was checked against field data and this shows an agreement of about 36% for sandstone, 92% for sandstone-shale alteration and 55% for shale units. Similar accuracy analysis yielded about 34% agreement for sandstone, 98% for sandstone-shale alteration and 77% for shale for the litho map derived on the basis of drainage pattern. Methodologies and findings of this study showed that remotely sensed ASTER imagery is a good tool for mapping lithology of a heavily vegetated area like this study area.

9 illus, 5 tables, 11 ref

022317   Durga Rao K H V;Venkateshwar Rao V;Dadhwal V K;Diwakar P G (NO, National Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation, Balanagar, Hyderabad-500 037, Email: khvdurgarao@yahoo.com) : Kedarnath flash floods: a hydrological and hydraulic simulation study. Curr Sci 2014, 106(4), 598-603.

The recent floods in the Kedarnath area, Uttarakhand are a classic example of flash floods in the Mandakini River that devastated the country by killing thousands of people besides livestock. Though the duration of the event was small compared to other flood disasters in the country, it resulted in severe damage to property and life. Post-disaster satellite images depict that the river banks were eroded completely along the Kedarnath valley due to the flash floods and few new channels were visible. Extreme erosion took place in the upstream portion of Kedarnath, besides the breach of Chorabari Lake and deposition of debris/sediments in the valley. Hydrological and hydraulic simulation study was carried out in the Mandakini River using space-based inputs to quantify the causes of the flash floods and their impact. Chorabari Lake breach analysis was carried out using Froehlich theory. Flood inundation simulations were done using CARTO DEM of 10 m posting in which the combined effect of lake breach and high-intensity rainfall flood was examined. As the slopes are very steep in the upstream catchment area, lag-time of the peak flood was found to be less and washed-off the Kedarnath valley without any alert. The study reveals quantitative parameters of the disaster which was due to an integrated effect of high rainfall intensity, sudden breach of Chorabari Lake and very steep topography.

7 illus, 13 ref

022316   Dimri V P (NO, National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR), Uppal Road, Hyderabad-500 007, Email: dimrivp@yahoo.com) : Challenges in earth science in the next decade. Proc Indian Natn Sci Acad 2014, 80(1), 21-2.

022315   Dhanalakshmi V;Remia K M;Shanthi K (Zoology Dep, NGM College, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu-642 001, Email: dhanamngm@gmail.com) : Physicochemical study of Krishnan Anaikattu Kulam (KAK pond) at Pollachi town, Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu. Adv appl Res 2014, 6(1), 22-7.

The aquatic bodies as ecological pockets are extremely important, because of their potentials as rich and diverse flora and fauna and for biomass production. In India, the fresh water bodies directly attribute to the growth of human civilization, since the pond forms the lifeline - 52 - of many villages in India. Hence studies on physico-chemical nature of water bodies in the country gain importance. In the present study the physico-chemical parameters of Krishnan Anaikattu Kulum, a water body at Pollachi (Coimbatore district) were analyzed longitudinally for a period of two years (2006 -2008). This pond is being used for a variety of purposes like washing, bathing, solid wastes and effluent disposal, open air defecation, washing of cattles and vehicles etc., which affect the quality of the water. The results from this study revealed that parameters recorded from the water body were above the WHO standard values indicating deterioration in the water quality of the pond.

ref

022314   Chowdhury I;Singh J P (Civil and Structural Engineering Dep, Petrofac International Ltd, PO Box 23467, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates) : Performance evaluation of gravity type retaining wall under earthquake load. Indian Geotech J 2014, 44(2), 156-66.

Gravity retaining walls, especially with improvement of RCC structures though have become more or less obsolete in terms of construction (replaced by RCC cantilever and counter fort type retaining walls), yet in India, there exists a number of them that has been built in the past in many strategically important places (both post and pre independence). Evaluating their health in terms of a future strong motion earthquake remains an important exercise-now that our understanding of this fury of mother nature is far more profound. Unfortunately tools available to assess its behavior as realistically as possible under seismic force even today is quite limited, marred by idealization, that are unrealistic and may not reflect correctly the actual behavior in reality, and this needs a serious evaluation. In Indian context, the only tool available to assess a gravity type retaining wall's performance is by Mononobe and Okabe Method (M-O method), that continue to dominate IS code, notwithstanding the fact that many countries including US has now abandoned the method, as it has now been proved beyond any dispute that M-O method gives a lower bound solution than reality. Present paper tries to address some of these shortcomings as proposed above and come up with a mathematical model that is more realistic, and which may be used for performance evaluation of such gravity retaining walls under future earthquakes. Finally, the paper suggests some practical strengthening measure that may be undertaken to enhance these walls performance-where to the author's perception if re-evaluated, many of them would be found unsafe in context to present earthquake code.

33 ref

022313   Chatragadda Ramesh;Mohanraju R;Murthy K N; Karthick P;Narayana S (Ocean Studies and Marine Biology Dep, Pondicherry Central Univ, Port Blair-744 112, Email: chrameshpu@gmail.com ) : Impact of light, temperature, salinity and glycerol on the intensity of luminescence and growth of marine bioluminescent bacteria Vibrio campbelli (train STF1). Curr Sci 2014, 106(4), 511-3.

^ssc2 illus, 2 tables, 16 ref

022312   Bidwai R;Srinivasan S;Nanda L K;Banerjee A; Bangroo P N;Rai A K;Parihar P S (NO, Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research, Western Region, Jaipur-302 030, Email: rbidwai.amd@gov.in) : Anomalous silver concentration in volcano-plutonic rocks of Siwana ring complex, Barmer district, Western Rajasthan. Curr Sci 2014, 106(2), 159-62.

3 illus, 4 tables, 10 ref

022311   Bhat D R;Bhandary N P;Yatabe R;Dahal R K; Tiwari R C (Gro-Disaster Research Laboratory, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime Univ, 3 Bunkyo, Matsuyama, 790-8577, Japan) : Strength recovery from residual-state of shear on soils. Indian Geotech J 2014, 44(1), 94-100.

Residual shear strength is used for design and repairs on slopes containing pre-existing shear surface. Some recent research suggested that the pre-existing shear surface of landslides can gain strength with time. In this study, torsional ring shear strength recovery tests on different soils using rest periods of up to 30 days are performed at the effective normal stress of 100 kN/m2. Test results show that recovered strength measured in the laboratory is slightly noticeable after a rest period of 3 days, but recovered strength is lost after a very small shear displacement. This paper mainly focuses on the strength recovery phenomenon from the residual-state of shear on different soils based on torsional ring shear test results and the mechanisms behind it.

24 ref

021375   Viswanathan S;Mahabaleswar B (NO, , Flat B-203, Block-B, United Avenue Apartments, South End, 7-1-29, Ameerpet, Hyderabad-500 016) : Silicate oxygen isotope geochemistry: History, principles, techniques, and application to petrological problems. J Geol Soc India 2014, 83(1), 47-53.

The importance of oxygen isotope geochemistry in studies of terrestrial and extra-terrestrial silicate rocks was recognized nearly sixtyeight years ago soon after the discovery of O¹⁸ and O¹⁷. As early as 1934, the significance of oxygen isotope variations in rocks and minerals was stressed by Russian geochemists who also pioneered the discipline of silicate oxygen isotope geochemistry. It is now known that processes involving isotopic interaction between rock and water, magmatic differentiation, and metamorphic recrystallization fractionate oxygen isotopes in the lithosphere. δO¹⁸ (the conventional notation for reporting O18/O16 ratios in rocks and minerals) is highest in sedimentary rocks (17 to 35%) and lowest in igneous rocks (4 to 12%). Metamorphic rocks have intermediate values. δO¹⁸ in mafic minerals (1 to 8%) is lower than in felsic minerals (8 to 16%). In igneous and metamorphic rocks, quartz is most enriched in O¹⁸ (10 to 16%) and magnetite the least (1 to 2%). An important application of O¹⁸/O¹⁶ techniques is in geothermometry, where these are capable of elucidating several petrological processes.

53 ref

021374   Tiwari R K;Gupta R P;Arora M K (Earth Sciences Dep, Center for Glaciology, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun-248 001, Email: rpgupta.iitr@gmail.com) : Estimation of surface ice velocity of Chhota-Shigri glacier using sub-pixel ASTER image correlation. Curr Sci 2014, 106(6), 853-9.

This article presents results on surface ice velocity of the Chhota-Shigri glacier, Himachal Himalaya, deduced by applying sub-pixel image correlation technique (COSI-Corr software) on the ASTER time series data (2003-2009). The remote sensing-derived measurements are found to match quite well with the field measurements. In general, the surface ice velocity varies from <126>20 m/yr to <126>40 m/yr. Velocity variations occur in different parts of the glacier and also from year to year. In all the years considered for this glacier, the mid-ablation zone and the accumulation zone exhibit higher velocities and zones near the snout and equilibrium line altitude have relatively lower velocities. Further, the velocities are found to be relatively higher in the years 2005-2006 and 2007-2008 and lower in the years 2006-2007 and 2008-2009. These spatial and temporal variations in velocity, which could be related to the glacier morphology and hydro-metrological factors, need to be further studied.

8 illus, 2 tables, 28 ref

021373   Talib A;Upadhyay G;Haseen M (Geology Dep, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202 002) : Jurassic foraminifera from Jajiya Member, Jaisalmer Formation, Western Rajasthan. J Geol Soc India 2014, 83(1), 38-46.

The Jajiya Member of Jaisalmer Formation yielded a foraminiferal assemblage comprising twenty-three species dominated by the family Vaginulinidae. An Oxfordian age is assigned to the foraminiferal assemblage based on the record of some characteristic Oxfordian species reported from different parts of the world. The foraminiferal assemblage suggests an open marine shelf environment of deposition.

38 ref

021372   Subbaiah R;Prajapathi G V (Centre of Excellence on Soil and Water Management, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh-362 001, Email: ranga3711@gmail.com) : Weekly rainfall frequency analysis for Junagadh of Gujarat State of India. Indian J Soil Conserv 2013, 41(2), 99-106.

SMEMAX transformation, its modified versions and power transformation were applied to weekly rainfall records tested previously for independence, homogeneity and completeness for their capability of predicting rainfall amount at various probability levels. Computationally all the three versions of SMEMAX were equally simple and easy for analyzing the frequency. They yielded identical results. Even though SMEMAX transformation reduced Cs to near zero; their distribution was not a true normal distribution. In most of the cases C k was quite different from 3. Power transformation is the most suitable among all three versions of SMEMAX transformations in transforming the rainfall data to a normal distribution. C k could play an important role at low probability levels. Leaky law was found to be appropriate for handling zero values in the rainfall series.

3 illus, 4 tables, 44 ref

021371   Sikka A K;Madhu M;Subhash Chand;Singh D V; Selvi V;Sundarambal P;Jeevarathanam K;Murgaiah M (Natural Resource Management Div, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi-110 012, Email: madhupmd@gmail.com) : Impact analysis of participatory integrated watershed management programme in semi-arid region of Tamil Nadu, India. Indian J Soil Conserv 2014, 42(1), 98-106.

Watershed management aimed to containing the deterioration of natural resources for maintaining the ecological balance and sustainable economic development. This paper presents the impacts of the participatory watershed development. The runoff varied from 27 mm to 43.2 mm, which was 4.5 to 7.2% of the total rainfall. A total of 266 ha-cm additional surface water storage capacity was created through water resource development and increased wells recuperation rate by 10 to 15%. Influence zone of percolation ponds showed increased irrigated area from 13.7 ha to 25.1 ha (84%) with crop. diversification. The average survival percent of fruit plants varied between 51 and 98.66%. The yield of dry land crops was increase by 11 to 14%. Cultivated Land Utilization Index (CLUI) increased by 0.13 (47 days) in dry land and by 0.04 (15 days) in irrigated condition. Overall Crop Productivity Index (CPI) increased from 0.547 to 0.613 with an increase of 12% in productivity level of crops. Overall Crop Fertilization Index (CFI) increased from 0.69 to 0.75, registering an increase of 8% in rate of nutrients application. The overall Watershed Productivity (WP) increased by 17.2% of horse gram. The overall People's Participation Index (PPI) was 62% indicating that the stake holders' overall participation was high. A total of 10105 mandays employment was generated due to various interventions. Average milk production has increased by 59 liters per family per year and consumption increased from 0.91 to 1.03 liters family^-1 day^-1.

5 illus, 5 tables, 22 ref

021370   Shome S;Mathur V K;Shambhu Nath;Shuhai X; Broce J (Geological Survey of India, Central Head Quarters, Kolkata-700 016, Email: sabyasachi60@gmail.com) : Occurrence of neoproterozoic animal embryos in the Chambaghat formation of Himachal lesser Himalaya, India. Curr Sci 2014, 106(6), 813-5.

3 illus, 7 ref

021369   Samal A K;Srivastava R K (Centre of Advanced Study, Geology Dep, Banaras Hindu Univ, Varanasi-221 005, Email: amiyasamal007@gmail.com) : Petrographic and XRD studies on a new occurrence of molybdenite within late Archaean mafic enclaves near Hyderabad, Eastern Dharwar craton, India. Curr Sci 2014, 106(3), 364-7.

4 illus, 27 ref

021368   Sahoo K C;Mohanty M;Sahoo P;Rath S C;Ray S B (Geological Survey of India, , Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar-751 012) : Occurrence of PGE mineralisation in Bangur, Kendujhar district, Odisha. J Geol Soc India 2014, 83(1), 31-7.

PGE mineralisation of significant grade and extent is reported from Bangur chromite mining area, Kendujhar district, Odisha, located to the south of the well known Baula-Nuasahi ultramafic complex. The hitherto unknown PGE mineralisation is established in a ferritchromit rich breccia zone occurring within Bangur litho-m‚lange. The mineralized breccia zone is traced for about 550m with a mean width of 12m in NW-SE direction. Chemical analysis of drill core samples by ICP-MS indicates an average äPGE content of 3.2 ppm dominated by Pt and Rh. Occurrence of discrete grains of PGM in sizes up to 45 microns is confirmed by SEM-EDX and EPMA study. Delineation of this PGE bearing zone stresses the need for preservation of gangue/matrix of the breccia zone, along with ferritchromit clasts, in the ongoing selective mining of chromite in Bangur.

11 ref

021367   Rawat G (NO, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, 33 GMS Road, Dehradun-248 001, Email: rawatg@wihg.res.in) : Characteristic ULF band magnetic field variations at MPGO, Ghuttu for the 20 June 2011 earthquake in Garhwal Himalaya. Curr Sci 2014, 106(1), 88-93.

Magnetic field variations recorded at the Multi Para-meter Geophysical Observatory (MPGO), Ghuttu, using digital fluxgate magnetometer are studied in the frequency band 0.03-1 Hz and for 19-20 h UT for June 2011. Polarization analysis based on planar wave assumption for far field is applied in order to discriminate seismo-magnetic signatures. The dynamics of earthquake processes, considering them as self-organized critical systems, is also studied using fractal dimension of ultra-low frequency band geomagnetic field variations. Marginal increase in polarization ratio and fractal dimension a few days before the earthquake is significant against the background of global geomagnetic activity. At the same time, the effect of post-seismic readjustment of seismogenic processes is clearly marked by significant changes in fractal dimension and increased polarization ratio after the earthquake.

4 illus, 1 table, 35 ref

021366   Rajeev Kumar;Chandola V K;Nema A K;Singh R M (NO, Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi, Email: anupam_nema@rediffmail.com) : Dynamic model of runoff-sediment yield for Giridih watershed of Barakar river basin, Jharkhand. Indian J Soil Conserv 2013, 41(2), 115-20.

The runoff-sediment yield process, which involves many mechanisms, is highly complicated and dynamic in nature. In the present study, an attempt has been made to develop dynamic sediment yield model, considering present day runoff and past values of runoff and sediment yield as the input variable, to estimate the sediment yield from a catchment on daily basis. The model was applied on Giridih watershed, a sub-catchment of Barakar river basin, Jharkhand, comprising an area of 731 km², to test its applicability and capacity to estimate and generate daily sediment yield data for the catchment. The estimated and generated values of sediment yield by developed model were found to be in good agreement with the measured values.

5 illus, 19 ref

021365   Rai S S;Rai G K;Pandey A C;Chattopadhyaya U C (Ancient History, Culture and Archaeology Dep, Allahabad Univ, Allahabad-211 002, Email: dr.avinashcpandey@gmail.com) : Geochemical studies of the ancient Indian glazed ware. Curr Sci 2014, 106(3), 428-34.

The ancient Indian glazed pottery, which is often termed as northern black polished ware (NBPW), has a high lustrous finishing and it is closely related to the second urbanization in the Indian subcontinent. In this communication, an attempt has been made to review previous research related to manufacturing technology, especially the surface gloss and firing process, using SEM and EDS techniques. The objective of this communication is to address some of the problems relating to technological competence thus achieved at that point of time. NBPW was a specialized craft in ancient India, the competence of which gradually evolved.

6 illus, 1 table, 39 ref

021364   Pushpanjali;Karthikeyan K;Sahu S S;Sahoo A K; Sarkar D (NO, National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Nagpur-440 033, Email: karthik_ssac@rediffmail.com) : Delineation and prioritization of Jumar sub-watershed for sustainable development using geospatial techniques. Indian J Soil Conserv 2014, 42(1), 39-45.

Study attempts to delineate and prioritize Jumar sub-watershed (subernarekha watershed) for sustainable development using geospatial techniques. The remote sensing products in conjunction with Survey of India toposheet were used to delineate different physiographic units. Seven classes were identified based on depth, slope, erosion, texture, acidity and rock out crops. Out of these classes moderately well drained and very strongly acidic soils occupy largest area i.e. 7765.4 ha (27.07% of TGA). Based on the severity of the problems, the identified classes were again grouped under various priority zones viz., high (severe limitations), medium (moderate limitations) and low (minimum limitations). About 32.38% area was classified under high priority, followed by 29.07% under medium and largest area i.e. 7765.4 ha (27.07%) under low priority zones. The high and medium priority zones require immediate protection and amelioration and hence suggested land use plan for sustainable development.

4 illus, 5 tables, 15 ref

021363   Prasad S;Ambrish Kumar;Sharma H C (NO, College of Technology, Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar, Email: sp_28783@yahoo.com) : Dynamic modelling of natural spring discharge in mid-Himalaya. Indian J Soil Conserv 2013, 41(2), 107-14.

In mountains, springs and seepages are the main sources of drinking water. The shortage of drinking water arises mainly due to drastic reduction in spring discharge during summer. The inhabitants are compelled to collect potable water from far off distances, reduce water consumption, consume unhygienic water and face social conflicts. Keeping it in view, two perennial natural springs of Uttarakhand, viz., `Hill Campus Spring (HCS)' and `Fakua Spring (FS)' were selected for the study with the objective to develop dynamic models for prediction of their discharge. The daily spring discharge data collected from 1999 to 2001 was used for formulation and calibration, and validation of the models was done with discharge data of 2002. The maximum and minimum discharge of HCS and FS varied from 30 lpm to 4.70 lpm and 80 lpm to 1.20 lpm, respectively. Efforts were made to develop generalized models such as annual, monsoon and nonmonsoon, which are capable to address the variability in discharge owing to erratic behaviour of monsoon and non-monsoon rains. Time variant linear dynamic models for monsoon season were found to be more suitable models having more Coefficient of Multiple Determination (CMD) values (94.18% and 92.11% for HCS and FS, respectively) than annual models (87.28% and 90.48% for HCS and FS, respectively) to predict the daily spring discharge of monsoon months for both springs. Thus monsoon season model could be recommended for extensive application for prediction of discharge of monsoon months.

4 illus, 5 tables, 9 ref