000231   Mahadevaswamy G;Nagaraju D;Papanna C (Studies in Geology Dep, Mysore Univ, Manasagangothri, Mysore, Karnataka, Email: mswamygeo@gmail.com) : Evaluation of groundwater potential in Najangud taluk of Mysore district, India. Asian J envir Sci 2010, 5(2), 83-8.

The overexploitation of population to stress on groundwater resources due to ever-rising density and demands profligate uses as well as overgrowing population of Nanjangud taluk is an issue of great concern. The purpose of this study was to make a qualitative and quantitative estimate of the available groundwater resources in the Nanjangud taluk for efficient utilization and management of groundwater resources. The methodology involved the collection and analysis of existing bore well data. The results indicated that the aquifers were composite and composed of weathered regolith of low permeability to high storage and overlying fissured bedrock of high permeability and low storage. Semi-unconfined aquifers prevailed in major portions, which constituted the principal source of groundwater. The depths of boreholes in the taluk ranged from 17 - 95 m with an average of 75 m.

3 illus, 3 tables, 9 ref

000230   Khan K;Nawaz C;Muhammad N (Centre for Integrated Mountain Research (CIMR), Punjab Univ, Lahore, Email: cimrpu@yahoo.com) : Dynamic characteristics and morphometric analysis of an active Kunhar river basin, NW Himalayas, Pakistan. Bull pure appl Sci-Sect F 2011, 31(1-2), 63-78.

Kunhar River basin constitutes 154 km northeast to southwest Kaghan Valley (KV) as a part of western terrain of the Nanga Parbat is the most tectonically active orogen. Due to tectonic activity of the Nanga Parbat, KV remains under its persistent influence; its eastern side continuous tilted to make a high ridge, the snowy peaks and lakes, while western side gets depressed relatively. Due to tectonics, the compressional forces produced serve folding and active thrusts in NEE to SSW direction. Kunhar River is a point of unique significance as its future behavior may take a different pattern depending on changing morphology of the area. Identification of streams order 2 signatures the testimony of lithologic and structural control, knick points, non symmetrical longitudinal profile, high value of sinuosity ratio, and orientation of lineament pattern describes an implication of Cymatogenic uplift for drainage basin configuration. An uncertain event of tectonic movement during Neogene's, a sign of vertical hosting by regional compression is discussed. Kunhar River drains into the Mangla Dam, the second energy producing facility in Pakistan. A detailed morphometric analysis have been undertaken to predict future behavior of Kunhar River so that sustainable evaluation, monitoring and development measures can be taken.

9 illus, 1 table, 41 ref

000229   Biradar V;Biradar B;Arunkumar B (NO, Agricultural Research Station, Near Hugeri, Bidar, Karnataka) : Analysis of annual and seasonal rainfall behaviour of Bhalki taluka (Karnataka). Asian J envir Sci 2010, 5(2), 177-80.

The historical rainfall data of thirty four years (1976-2009) of Bhalki Taluka were used to analyze the monthly, seasonal and annual variability of rainfall. The thirty four years average annual rainfall of the region was 874.7 mm with average rainy days of 51 days. In case of seasonal rainfall, the per cent contribution to the total rainfall was 76.9,13.8,7.8 and 1.5 per cent for monsoon, post monsoon, summer and winter seasons, respectively with the lowest coefficient of variation in monsoon (26%), post monsoon (72%), followed by summer (74%) and winter (166%) seasons. August was the wettest month with mean rainfall of 211.6 mm. The study also revealed that the coefficient of variation was lowest from June to October months.

4 illus, 2 tables, 8 ref

000228   Biradar V;Biradar B;Arunkumar B (NO, Agricultural Research Station, Near Hugeri, Bidar, Karnataka) : Rainfall distribution pattern in Aurad taluka of Bidar district (Karnataka). Asian J envir Sci 2010, 5(2), 113-16.

Rainfall during monsoon season and its variability govern the cropping system in the Aurad region. Daily rainfall data of thirty four years (1976-2009) have been analyzed for establishing the long term averages of monthly, seasonal and annual rainfall and its variability. The overall mean annual rainfall at Aurad region was 846 mm, which was distributed as 673.7 mm, 101.6 mm, 60.2 mm and 10.7 mm in monsoon (June- September), post monsoon (October - December), summer (March - May) and winter (January - February), respectively. The coefficient of variation of 28.7 indicated that rainfall was more or less stable over the years. Monthly rainfall had unimodel peak, August received maximum mean rainfall of 212.3 mm followed by July (188.5 mm). The study also revealed that the rainfall and rainy days during monsoon season ranged from 386.4 to 1129.5 mm and 25 to 64 days, respectively.

4 illus, 2 tables, 7 ref

000227   Bala Kotaiah G;Malathi K (Geology Dep, Osmania Univ, Hyderabad-500 007, Email: dr.malathi2011@gmail.com) : Petrology and geochemistry of amphibolites in and around Yenkur village, khammam district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Bull pure appl Sci-Sect F 2011, 31(1-2), 35-62.

An area of about 140 sq.km around Yenkur village in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh, India consisting of diverse metamorphic rocks ranging from amphibolites to granulite facies of metamorphism has been mapped on 2 cms to 1.km scale. Petrographic work has been carried out for 60 sections of amphibolitic rocks. The anorthite content of plagioclase is An_35-45 in hornblende schists and An_39-48 in amphibolites. In amphibolites, almandine garnet is quite abundant. Six rock samples of hornblende schists, 30 of amphibolites, have been chemically analyzed for major elements and 20 samples of amphibolites for trace elements have been analyzed. Petrochemical calculations including Niggli values and CIPW norms have been carried out. Two co-ordinate and three coordinate diagrams based on these calculations have been constructed to decipher the petrogenesis of amphibolites.

21 illus, 3 tables, 12 ref

024409   Vishwakarma D;Sharma K;Dwivedi A K (NO, Ujjain Engineering College, Ujjain, Email: erdeepakvishwakarma@gmail.com) : Review on desalination of sea water by reverse osmosis in India. Pollut Res 2010, 29(4), 635-9.

New technological advances in the last 20 years tremendously reduced the capital cost and the energy consumption so that desalination projects can be considered as alternative solutions to water development. Number of installed plants world wide has increasing day by day, to more than 15,000 in 125 countries (Service, 2006), there has been a decrease in the production cost of desalinated water obtained by RO, from US$1.92 per kL at Catalina Island, California in 1990 to a low point of US$0.47 at Tuas, Singapore in 2003, but then rising again to US$1.10 at Chennai, India in 2005, (Adham, 2007). The development of high rejection (Wilf, 2005), low energy membrane products and high efficiency energy recovery devices (Stover, 2008) has made the sea water reverse osmosis (SWRO) technology very competitive. There is no reliable statistics available on number of larger SWRO plants in India, their capacities, technologies adopted and status on these plants in India. However, rough indications are that there are few major SWRO plants operating or under construction more than 1000 membrane based small desalination plants of various capacities ranging from 20 m³/day to 10,000 mVday. There are few thermal based desalination plants also. SWRO is a mature technology and India has a larger coastal areas and huge amount of raw sea water to set up seawater desalination plants. At global level SWRO and hybrid SWRO technologies has been studying to develop low energy and clean water requirements. India has such a large market, desalination requirement and need to research on SWRO technology to future developments.

1 illus, 3 tables, 30 ref

024408   Ummar S (NO, Geological Survey of India, 130, Ekamra Vihar, Bhubaneswar-751 015) : Geogenic hazards in coastal Odisha : with special emphasis on coastal erosion. SGAT Bull 2012, 13(1), 26-36.

Odisha is a coastal state in eastern India, situated along the Bay of Bengal. It's uneven coastline extends for a length of 476.4 kilometers. The coastal belt is being ravaged by geogenic hazards like severe coastal erosion and consequent environmental problems. This is causing significant economic loss, ecological damage and societal problems in the state. The cluster of human settlements and the eco-sensitive valuable natural habitats nearing the sea have been the worst affected due to the advancing sea. Several factors are contributing to the increased pressure in the coastal zone. The cause of coastal erosion could be due to wave generated winds, storms and unusual weather conditions. Besides, the effect of active neotectonism along the coast may not be ruled out to be the possible cause of the coastal erosion. The erosion rate depends upon the tidal range, geomorphological and tectonic settings, groundwater fluctuations and climatic/meteorological factors. Sustainable management of coastal and marine resources is essential for long term economic growth and to ensure the equilibrium between economic development and the protection of the environment.

1 illus, 23 ref

024407   Sumi A (NO, Integrated Research System for Sustainability Science), Transdisciplia, ) : Future changes in surface temperature and precipitation in arid and semi-arid regions revealed by the multi-model ensemble (MME) dataset for the IPCC AR4. Ann Arid Zone 2008, 47(3-4), 233-49.

Characteristics of climate change in arid and semi-arid regions have been investigated using the Multi-Model Dataset (MMD), where data submitted for IPCC AR4 by many research centers are compiled under the project CMIP3, WCRP. Five arid and semi-arid regions (Central Asia, Middle East, South West United States, Sahara and Australia) are selected and future changes in surface temperatures and precipitation are investigated using MME data. A significant increase in surface temperature in the five regions is found, but precipitation change is noticed only in winter and in the central Asia and Sahel regions. Understanding of the climate system in an arid region is limited and many unknown processes operate, it is still questionable as to whether these simulation results are reliable. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate the reliability, for which the relationship between the time-averaged error in the present climate and the future change due to a doubling of CO₂ is examined. The relationship to surface temperature has been examined over the Central Asia and the Sahara regions. After screening MME data, 14 models are selected, and a meaningful correlation in the annual and seasonal means is found in those regions. This is because the surface temperature is considered to be governed by the radiative energy balance. In contrast, a significant correlation to change of annual mean precipitation could not be found over these regions. This is because precipitation is governed by a rainfall event and convective systems. A relationship is found only in winter, because precipitation in winter may be controlled by disturbances in the mid-latitude.

13 illus, 2 tables, 14 ref

024406   Oringojin E S;Moldabayeva G J (Institute of Geology and Oil Gas Business after K. Turysova, Kazakh National Technical Univ, After Name of K. I. Satpayev, Republic of Kazakhstan Almaty, Email: gu_moldabayeva@yahoo.com) : Foundations of chemical recovery of metals from leaching solutions through electrical action. Int J chem Sci 2012, 10(2), 751-67.

Significant reservoirs of non-ferrous, rare, radioactive metals and gold are concentrated in Kazakhstan. The territory of Kazakhstan calculates over 2 thousand fields and gold deposits, including about 200 explored, dozens of abandoned and producing ones. Kazakhstan gold-ore deposits had been forming in different geotectonic conditions generating a huge variety of gold-containing formations (goldcobalt-copper, gold- molybdenum-copper, gold-tellurium-bismuthic, gold-silver, gold-arsenic) and wide gold associability with sulphides: pyrites, arsenic pyrite, sulphured copper etc. There are 21 gold deposits are under development with overall reservoirs about 1, 2 thousand tons at average content of 4, 76 g/t.

3 illus, 5 tables, 2 ref

024405   Kaushal A;Kaushal M P;Sondhi S K (Soil & Water Engneering Dep, Punjab Agricultural Univ, Ludhiana-141 004, Email: arunkaushalarun@rediffmail.com) : Prediction of groundwater recharge through percolation tank by modelling. Envir Ecol 2012, 30(3), 523-7.

For groundwater recharge through a percolation tank, a two dimensional model was developed using numerical technique of Galerkin finite element method. The source code for the numerical model was written in Visual C⁺⁺ language. The model was applied to simulate the hydraulic heads for recharge from a percolation tank located at village Shingave, dist. Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. The model was calibrated by using fortnightly data of two years and validated for the succeeding two years. The model showed that the simulated hydraulic heads were in close agreement with observed hydraulic head values.

5 illus, 3 tables, 8 ref

024404   Kanti Kumar;Dwivedi A K (Chemical Engineering Dep, UEC, Ujjain) : GIS based risk assessment, preparedness and prevention of crowd disaster: a case study of relegious pilgrims in India. Pollut Res 2010, 29(4), 601-6.

The objective of this paper is to study of religious events in India often facing stampedes and crowd crush. Very often the local authorities are trained at crowd control rather than crowd management. The present study is based on the risk assessment, preparedness and prevention strategy of pilgrim site at Ujjain. Ujjain is one of the seven sacred cities of Hindus an ancient city since 4th B.C. in central India on the banks of river kshipra. This city is known for its great cultural and spiritual importance like Varanasi. It is also home to the sacred mahakaleshwar jyotirlinga and is the site for kumbh mela religious festival. The nature of crowd here is varied in terms of social mix, age-range and levels of exposure to life but the goal is common, i.e. to enjoy the spiritual bliss of a god with human attributes at one of the world's largest religious congregation. The nature of offerings to the God coupled with the crowd craze to have darshan may at times enhance the possibility of a disaster. The physical features of the venue do include dead ends, locked gates, convergence of several routes into one slippery floorings and steps and at times moving attractions within a crowd. There have been cases reported of stampedes and crowd disasters in the near past. The focus is on community disaster management strategy along with administrative officials, NGO's and personnel who interact with the pilgrims.

1 illus, 3 tables, 9 ref

024403   Das B K;Bhattacharyya K G (Chemistry Dep, Kokrajhar Govt. College, Kokrajhar-783 370, Email: bkdkgc@gmail.com) : Assessment of ground water quality in Kokrajhar district of Bodoland Territorial Council, Assam, India. Int J chem Sci 2012, 10(2), 1067-1073.

Water is an extremely important natural resource, essential for sustaining life on Earth. Kokrajhar district of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), Assam as a whole is economically backward and the large majority of people belonging to scheduled tribes do not have access to amenities of modern life including a safe supply of water. They depend on all forms of water sources for their needs. In this work, 36 ground water samples of the district, collected from different locations in three seasons of premonsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon were analyzed for the drinking water quality parameters. The values of pH, conductivity, turbidity, total dissolved solids, hardness, bicarbonate, chloride, sulphate, nitrate, phosphate, fluoride, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe and As, show that the groundwater is not completely safe. The water is characterized by very high iron content in excess of the maximum prescribed limit of World Health Organization. However, most of the water samples did not have high concentrations of the toxic contaminants, fluoride and arsenic. In absence of any type of industrial activities in the district, the water does not indicate chemical contamination of major significance, but causes of concern still exist.

3 illus, 1 table, 10 ref

024402   Anil Kumar;Singh D P (Zoology Dep, Janta College, Bakewar, Etawah-206 124) : Physicochemical characterstics of the river Yamuna in district Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh. J expl Zool 2012, 15(1), 121-22.

In the present investigation deals the physico-chemical status of the river Yamuna in district Auriya was studied. For the purpose four sites were selected to collect samples for a period of May to Dec. 2009. The samples were subjected to investigation of various physico-chemical parameters. Some tests were immediately employed at the study sites and the other tests were employed in the laboratory. Water temperature, pH, Dissolved Oxygen, Free Carbon Dioxide, BOD, Alkalinity, Dissolved solid, and Chloride were studied and discussed.

1 table, 9 ref

023292   Vandana M (NO, Centre for Earth Science Studies, Thiruvananthapuram-695 031, Email: vandanageo@rediffmail.com) : Morphometric analysis and watershed prioritisation: a case study of Kabani river basin, Wayanad district, Kerala, India. Indian J Geomar Sci 2013, 42(2), 211-22.

Kabani river is a 7th order stream with a basin area of 1647 km². There are 4 sixth order and 11 fifth order sub-basins. This analysis is mainly confined to 11 fifth order sub basins. Morphometric indices like stream ordering, bifurcation ratio, stream length, drainage density, stream frequency, form factor, elongation ratio, circularity ratio, constant of channel maintenance, asymmetry factor, sinuosity index, length of overland flow, drainage texture, relief ratio and relative relief have been worked out for all these 11 fifth order sub basins. Factors considered for watershed prioritisation are: bifurcation ratio, drainage density, stream frequency, drainage texture, form factor, circularity ratio, elongation ratio and relative relief. Sub watershed like Ws₁, Ws₃, Ws₄, WS₁₀ and Ws₁₁ showing low compound parameter are suggested for conservation treatment.

19 ref

023291   Uloma A R;Onyekachi C T;Torti E K;Amos U (Physics Dep, Abia State Polytechnic, Aba., Nigeria) : Infiltration characteristics of soils of some selected schools in Aba, Nigeria. Archiv appl Sci Res 2013, 5(3), 11-15.

The infiltration characteristics of soils of some selected schools in Aba, Abia State Nigeria, were measured using double ring infiltrometer - falling head method. Infiltration rates were studied mainly under fallow lands with exception of one location (Girls Secondary School, Umungasi) studied under farmland use practice. The tests were conducted during the rainy (wet) season. Infiltration rates obtained ranged from 1.2cm/hr - 4.28cm/hr with average water intake of 3.2cm - 10cm for the fallow lands. It was observed that the infiltration rates for the farmland was quite higher than the others. It recorded 12.4m/hr with average water intake of 31.1cm within the same time interval of I50mins. The soils were found to belong to two textural class; sandy loam and clay loam. The initial moisture content was found to be quite high, ranging from 32.6% - 40.01%. This seems to have affected the infiltration rate negatively. Porosity of the soils ranged from 34% to 37%. The pH of the soils ranged from 5.3 - 6.8 indicating that they are acidic. The soils were generally found to be prone to ponding and surface run-off.

19 ref

023290   Sisodia M S (Geology Dep, J.N. Vyas Univ, Jodhpur-342 005, Email: sisodia.ms@gmail.com) : Malani rhyolite: highly eroded complex crater. Curr Sci 2011, 101(7), 946-51.

The origin of the Malani beds of India has been construed to an event of anorogenic felsic magmatism that began at -750 Ma and ended at 650 Ma. No consensus exists regarding their nomenclature, origin and duration of magmatism. These beds have been inferred to have originated due to volcanism but show many features that are unusual for any volcanic formation, such as they are devoid of any penetrative deformation although they are supposed to have resulted due to three phases of igneous activity; they evolved due to 'crustal-volcanism'; they do not show any thrust zone or tectonic melange; their time of evolution does not coincide with any major tectonomagmatic event recognized in the geological history. These features are unusual for a volcanic formation, but are common for an impact crater. The major rock type of the Malani beds is rhyolite, which at places is mixed with sediments and often shows minor fractures and slips. This geology is analogous to Dhala Basin of Madhya Pradesh, India, which has been confirmed as an impact crater. In addition to these features, stishovite has been reported from the Malani beds, which is considered as an unambiguous evidence for impact crater. Thus the area representing Malani rhyolite is a highly eroded, complex, impact crater.

2 illus, 1 table, 66 ref

023289   Sirajudeen J;Manikandan S A;Manivel V (PG and Research Chemistry Dep, Jamal Mohamed College, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu) : Water quality index of ground water around Ampikapuram area near Uyyakondan channel Tiruchirappalli district, Tamil Nadu, India. Archiv appl Sci Res 2013, 5(3), 21-6.

The work is aimed to water quality index (WQI) for the ground-water samples collected an Ampikapuram area near Uyyakondan channel Tiruchirappalli district. This has been determined by collecting ground water samples and subjecting the samples to a comprehensive physicochemical analysis. For calculating the WQI, the following 10 parameters have been considered: pH, EC, TDS, TH, DO, COD, BOD, Cl-, NO₃ and Mg. The WQI for these samples ranged between is 244 to 383.8. The analysis reveals that the groundwater of the area needs some degree of treatment before consumption, and it also needs to be protected from the perils of contamination.

20 ref

023288   Saravanan R;Arulraj S;Shanmugam A (Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Annamalai Univ, Parangipettai-608 502, Email: saran_prp@yahoo.com) : Identification of two mud crab species (genus Scylla) using restriction fragment length polymorphism. Curr Sci 2011, 101(6), 739-40.

1 illus, 1 tables, 16 ref

023287   Nikhil Rao P P;Azeez P A (Environmental Impact Assessment Div, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty (PO) Coimbatore-641 108, Email: ppnraj@gmail.com) : Temperature rise in the Bharathapuzha river basin, southern India. Curr Sci 2011, 101(4), 492.

^ssc1 illus, 5 ref

023286   Mehta J S;Sanwal R (NO, Geological Survey of India, Sector-E, Aliganj, Lucknow-226 024, Email: jsmgsi58@rediffmail.com) : Evidence of active tectonics along oblique transverse normal fault in the Kosi River valley around Betalghat, Kumaun lesser Himalaya, India. Curr Sci 2011, 101(4), 541-3.

Reported evidence of offsetting in the Quaternary sediments along the NNE-SSW trending oblique transverse normal fault from Betalghat area, Nainital District, Uttarakhand, Kumaun Lesser Himalaya, India. The area is located in a broad, active tectonic valley of Kosi River sandwiched between three major tectonic planes; the Main Boundary Thrust and the Ramgarh Thrust in the south and the South Almora Thrust (SAT) in the north. The Quaternary sediments occur as part of the erosional remnants of terrace-cut fan deposits, consisting of an unsorted mixture of boulders and pebbles set in a sandy and silty matrix. Distinct silty clay layers occur within the sediments, which act as a marker horizon for fault movement. An offset of -1.5 m in the Quaternary sediment by the NNE-SSW trending transverse fault has been observed. The dip component in the silty clay layers and the nature of displacement indicate both compressional and extensional tectonic activity. The NNE-SSW trending fault being youngest displaces major Himalayan structural grains, suggesting that the transverse fault trending NNE-SSW is active due to oblique convergence of the Indian plate beneath the Eurasian plate.

4 illus, 13 ref

023285   Marimuthu N;Dharani G;Vinithkumar N V; Vijayakumaran M;Kirubagaran R (Andaman and Nicobar Centre for Ocean Science and Technology, National Institute of Ocean Technology (Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India), Dollygunj, Port Blair-744 103, Email: marinemari@hotmail.com) : Recovery status of sea anemones from bleaching event of 2010 in the Andaman waters. Curr Sci 2011, 101(6), 734-6.

2 illus, 1 table, 14 ref

023284   Kuppusamy M;Gupta A K (Geology and Geophysics Dep, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur-721 302, Email: anilg@gg.iitkgp.ernet.in) : Intense deep convective mixing in the southeast Arabian sea linked to strengthening of the northeast Indian monsoon during the middle pilocene (3.4 Ma). Curr Sci 2011, 101(4), 543-8.

Climate of the Indian Ocean is dominated by monsoon reversals, influencing hydrography and biogeo-chemistry of the Indian Ocean as well as land vegetation through changes in precipitation. During summer or southwest monsoon season, intense upwell-ing zones driven by Ekman spiral appear in the western and eastern parts of the Arabian Sea that enhance surface primary production and thus proliferation of distinct fauna and flora. During the winter season, northeast monsoon winds cause deep convective overturning (mixing) that injects nutrients to the surface ocean and increases surface production. As a result, the primary production in the Arabian Sea has bimodal annual distribution. The present study analyses 5.6 Ma record of surface-dwelling planktic foraminifera, Glo-bigerina bulloides, Globigerinoides ruber and Globig-erinoides sacculifer from Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 219, southeast Arabian Sea to understand changes in the surface ocean as driven by the Indian monsoon coinciding with the northern hemisphere glaciation (NHG). An increase in mixed-layer species at -3.4 Ma suggests intense deep convective overturning caused by strong NE monsoon winds related to strengthening of NHG. Globigerina bulloides shows a high positive relation with G. ruber during the past 3.4 Ma and a weak relation in the early Pliocene (5.6-3.4 Ma). The high G. bulloides percentages during the past 3.4 Ma could be linked to the injection of nutrients in the top layer by the advecting sub-surface nutrient-rich water.

4 illus, 41 ref

023283   Kundu S N;Pattanaik D S (Geology Dep, Utkal Univ, Vanivihar, Bhubaneswar-751 004, Email: ds_pattanaik@yahoo.com) : Mapping onland river channels up to the seafloor along the west coast of India. Curr Sci 2011, 101(7), 958-61.

River channel terminates at the sea in the form of a delta. Recent research has reported the existence of marine channels and depositional environments. This has been further corroborated by the significant discoveries of oil and gas in deepwater. Such studies have raised several questions like: How do these channels originate deep in the ocean floor? Are these channels extensions of present-day onland river systems? The present communication presents a GIS-based analytical study of bathymetry and elevation to establish the relation between present-day onland river systems and marine channel systems in the offshore west coast of India.

3 illus, 7 ref

023282   Kokila Ramesh;Iyengar R N (Center for Disaster Mitigation, Jain Univ, Bangalore-Kanakapura Road, Jakkasandra-562 112, Email: aareni@yahoo.com) : Forecasting of Karnataka monsoon rainfall for the year 2011. Curr Sci 2011, 101(4), 468.

1 illus, 1 table, 3 ref

023281   Firozi F;Negaresh H;Khosravi M (Faculty of Grography and Environmental Planning, Sistan and Baluchestan Univ, Zahedan, Iran) : Studying of drought, modeling and forecasting the precipitation of Shiraz city. Archiv appl Sci Res 2013, 5(3), 173-83.

Forecasting climate processes makes available appropriate tools to managers at different fields, given these projections, they should design future policies in order to optimize costs and maximize productivity features. Precipitation forecast is very important for various purposes as, flood, drought, catchment management, agriculture, etc. The main aim of this study is to investigate changes in the time of precipitation using time models in the study area and forecasting these elements as well as studying drought and wet years for water management. In this study, three models, namely Box Jenkins, Decomposition and Healt Winterz models were used for the period 1977 to 2010 in Shiraz station and finally, regarding the comparison of error between the three methods, the Box Jenkins approach was chose as was the most appropriate method for forecast and then the monthly and seasonal precipitation forecast from 2010-2013 years have been investigated. Studying annual rainfall of this station using Hiem and Koutil Tables, it was found that Shiraz pre-province have been in drought period 20 years out of 33 years with 51.51% weak drought and 9% severe drought and these droughts have been occurred especially in these years. The recent drought has had an impact on lakes and underground water sources and causes a shortage of water and declining groundwater for agriculture.

17 ref

023280   Chaudhary P;Rai S;Wangdi S;Mao A;Rehman N; Chettri S;Bawa K S (NO, Massachusetts Univ, MA 02125, USA, Email: kamal.bawa@umb.edu) : Consistency of local perceptions of climate change in the Kangchenjunga Himalaya landscape. Curr Sci 2011, 101(4), 504-13.

Himalaya is experiencing rapid climate change that is likely to significantly impact local ecosystems, biodiversity, agriculture and human well-being. However, the scientific community has been slow to examine the extent and consequences of climate change. Local communities have been coping with environmental change since millennia. Thus they often have considerable knowledge about environmental change and means to cope with its consequences. Examined the perceptions of local communities about climate change and its impacts on ecosystems, biodiversity, agriculture and livelihoods in the Kangchenjunga Himalayas region; (b) analysed the consistency of perceptions across geographical regions, and (c) assessed the conformity between local perceptions and scientific evidence. Our study is based on surveys conducted in 576 households, focus group discussions, key informant surveys and direct observations. The results show that people in the Kangchenjunga Himalayas region have considerable knowledge of climate change and its effects on the weather, ecosystems, biodiversity and agriculture. These perceptions are consistent across the region and conform to scientific findings.

3 illus, 2 tables, 67 ref

023279   Borgohain P;Hazarika S;Gilfellon G B;Gogoi M P (Applied Geology Dep, Dibrugarh Univ, Dibrugarh-786 004, Email: swapnil.hazarika@gmail.com) : Petrography and diagenesis of the upper palaeocene-lower eocene rocks of Nahorkatiya oilfield, Assam. Curr Sci 2011, 101(5), 664-9.

The Upper Palaeocene-Lower Eocene rocks in Nahor-katiya oilfield of Upper Assam consist of sandstones with variable colours, compactness, particle size, porosity and permeability alternating with shales. Diagenesis has played a major role in determining the reservoir quality of these sandstones. The thickness of these sandstones is less (2-3 m in certain cases), but their productivity is high. These sandstones contain large secondary pores and intragranular fractures which have developed mainly due to the activity of interstitial solutions and tectonic effects. Authigenic growth of secondary minerals in the intergranular spaces and in certain cases the development of overgrowth cause reduction in permeability, which finally leads to the significant loss in production. Permeability is also lost due to the presence of clay minerals such as kaolinite, illite and chlorite, which tend to swell significantly in the presence of water. All of these clays are present in varying proportions within the Upper Palaeocene-Lower Eocene reservoir sandstones.

5 illus, 1 table, 17 ref

023278   Bhaumik A K;Gupta A K;Dey R;Clemens S C (Applied Geology Dep, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad-826 004, Email: ajoyism@gmail.com) : Stilostomella: extinction or local disappearance of elongated species?. Curr Sci 2011, 101(7), 952-8.

Benthic foraminiferal analysis of 15 core top samples from the Indian Ocean, revealed the presence of eight pristine elongated benthic foraminiferal species and one group of species. Six have been already reported as extinct group, whereas three have been categorized as survival group. Documentation of these species from recent sediments of the Indian Ocean allowed us to use the term 'local disappearance' rather than 'extinction' for the Mid-Pleistocene Transition. The present study also documents their shallow infaunal habitat in high organic carbon and low temperature environments. However, these species are also able to tolerate high temperature and well-oxygenated condition.

3 illus, 3 tables, 46 ref

023277   Baruah H;Das P K (Geology Dep, Arya Vidyapith College, Guwahati-781 016) : Lithofacies and depositional environment of Gondwana rocks of Singrimari area, West Garo hills district, Meghalaya and Dhubri district, Assam. Ultra Scient phys Sci-Sect B 2012, 24(3), 427-34.

The Gondwana rocks of Singrimari area are dominantly arenaceous lithounits. The rocks are represented by diverse lithological variations and good preservations of sedimentary structures. Seven lithounits have been identified after field and megascopic observations. The lithofacies architecture of the succession is interpreted to reconstruct the depositional environment which ranges from point bar to channel bar of braided river system. The plant fossil remains are of Glossopteris flora. Both leaf and stemparts have been discovered from the carbonaceous shale layer. From the overall characters show the similarities with Lower Gondwana rocks. The age is suggested to be Permo-carboniferous on the basis of plant remains and lithological characters.

3 illus, 2 tables, 14 ref

023276   Bai C G;Wang J;Gong X H (College of Transportation, Southeast Univ, Nanjing-210 096, China, Email: jwang169@vip.sina.com) : Seasonal variation characteristics of tidal sedimentation of the middle tidal flat- a case study of tidal flat in Dafeng, Jiangsu province, China. Indian J Geomar Sci 2013, 42(2), 157-62.

Annual field observations and sample collection of each spring-neap tidal cycle sediments had been done on middle tidal flat of Dafeng coast, Jiangsu province. Grain-size and pollen analysis had been examined. Variation trends of sedimentary particle size are basically same on different landforms on middle tidal flat, but particle size has obvious seasonal difference. Upper of the middle tidal flat is relative higher, the sedimentary particles are smaller. As there is no vegetation cover in the middle tidal flat, the seasonal variation of sporopollen characteristics has significant differences with high tidal flat in the aspects of pollen species, number of individuals or the ratio of Artemisia/Chenopodiaceae.

7 illus, 1 table, 13 ref

023275   Agale M C;Patel N G (Zoology Dep, R.C. Patel Arts, Commerce and Science, Shirpur, Dist. Dhule, Maharashtra) : Hydrochemical study of water from Budaki medium irrigation tank, Shirpur, Dist. Dhule (Maharashtra). Archiv appl Sci Res 2013, 5(3), 112-16.

Nobody has done assessment of water quality of Budaki M.I. tank even though it is utilized for pisciculture, irrigation and domestic purposes. It is an urgent need to assess the quality of water. The Physico-chemical parameters of Budaki M.I. tank were studied during Jan. to Dec. 2010, from four different sites. The results revealed that there was a significant seasonal variation in same physico-chemical parameters. The Water temperature ranges from 19°C to 29°C, Total Solids 146 to 211 mg/l. Total Dissolved Solids 118 to 170 mg/l, PH 7.1 to 8.3 mg/l, Hardness 118 to 219 mg/l, Nitrates 0.22 to 0.48 mg/l, Phosphate 3.1 to 9.1 mg/l, Calcium 7 to 35 mg/l, Magnesium 6 to 28 mg/l. Above values are within the acceptable limits of drinking water, hence the water is potable suitable for various purposes.

27 ref

023274   Ada O R;Adeyemo D J;Okoh S (Center for Energy Research and Training, Ahmadu Bello Univ, Zaria, Nigeria) : Physical parameters and total radioactivity concentrations in some borehole water. Archiv appl Sci Res 2013, 5(3), 211-19.

Water must meet certain criteria for it to be considered safe for drinking. Fifty (50) samples of borehole water were collected at random from Zaria and its environs in Nigeria. Some of the physical parameters were measured using thermometer, pH meter and conductivity meter. Investigation of total alpha and beta radioactivity was carried out using eight channel gas field detector with lead thickness of 10 cm and window diameter of 55mm. the mean temperature, pH, conductivity and total dissolved solids value found in the water samples were 32.9°C, 6.5, 223 μS/cm and 149ppm respectively. The analysis of gross alpha and beta radioactivity concentrations in the Samples showed that the minimum alpha and beta activity concentration observed was 0.0023±0.001Bq/l and 0.037±0.001Bq/l respectively and the maximum activity concentration for alpha and beta observed was 5.79±0.038Bq/l and 5.28±0.23Bq/l respectively. The geometric mean for alpha and beta radioactivity measurements made was 0.1±0.002Bq/l and 0.3±0.003Bq/l respectively. Physically, all the samples met the recommendation for good water quality. However, in some of the samples had alpha and beta radioactive concentrations above the set values recommended by World Health Organisation (WHO) and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

10 ref

022201   Vinay Kumar;Kumar R;Kumar R;Vimal B K;Kumar M (Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry Dep, Bihar Agricultural College, BAU, Sabour-813 210, Email: rbinnu@gmail.com) : Assessment of Diara land under Bhagalpur district using remote sensing and GIS tools. J appl nat Sci 2013, 5(1), 213-16.

The Diara land is found in between the natural levees of the river and formed due to its meandering and course changing behavior. The topography of Diara land is mostly undulating and intersected with numerous dead and disconnected channels, Remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) is a reliable technique to prepare a comprehensive inventory of land use pattern of an area. The present study was carried out to prepare a complete digital map of diara land of Bhagalpur district using spatial software (TNT Mips). On the basis of visual interpretation of the satellite image and physiographic pattern of the land escape, polygons were digitized for area delineation and mapping for diara land. Out of sixteen blocks of Bhagalpur district, only six blocks were identified as an old Diara land (203.26 km²) and thirteen blocks were identified as a new diara land (869.78 km²). Occupied areas viz. Narayanpur, Bihpur, Kharik, Naugachhiya, Ismailpur, Rangra Chowk and Gopalpur blocks were identified under complete diara land. No any one Diara land characteristics ware marked in Shahkund, Goradih and Sanhaula blocks.

2 illus, 11 ref

022200   Tomar A S;Singh U C (S O S Earth Science, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, Email: ajaysinghtomar@rediffmail.com) : Automation process of watershed assessment: remote sensing & GIS techniques. J Remote Sensing GIS 2013, 4(1), 1-6.

A number of water reservoirs, lakes are found in the study area such as Bhagora Tal, Chand Pata Tal, Madhav Lake, Signiwas Tal, Raichand Kheri Tal, etc. These water bodies are occupying low land, plain lands, surrounded by hills and are generally used for domestic water supply, hydel power generation and irrigation purposes. They depend on the availability of seasonal water in nature. The purpose of the watershed assessment in the study area is to aid the local government in their efforts to prioritize, develop and manage watershed in a proper manner. It was a challenge to explore watershed assessment in Shivpuri city, India, due to surrounding hilly area. The groundwater table has declined and the extraction of ground water is not sustainable, but on the satellite image it is seen clearly in blue or cyan color depending on the depth of water. Spatial as well as spectral resolution has a very important role to play in watershed assessment. Other more detailed data sets, NDWI remote sensing techniques, drainage length, drainage order, drainage pattern, watershed, ESRI ArcObjects (Windows-based automated process to generate watershed and other product from SRTM data) and SRTM data outcomes made to the model to incorporate the new information. This information is used to enhance the region's watershed assessment for identifying potential area.

8 illus, 11 ref

022199   Sudarshan Prasad;Sinha A K;Meera Kumari (Irrigation & Drainage Engineering Dep, College of Agricultural Engineering Rajendra Agricultural Univ, Pusa-848 125, Email: sp_28783@yahoo.com) : Probability analysis of monthly and seasonal rainfall for Budaun district of Uttar Pradesh. Envir Ecol 2012, 30(1), 11-14.

Awareness of rainfall pattern, in terms of probability, helps in the planning of crops, different irrigation schemes and watershed management. Keeping it in view, the rainfall data of 27 years, from 1976 to 2002, were collected from the district headquarters at Budaun, have been analyzed and discussed in this paper. Average annual rainfall was found to be 1,012.23 mm. Normal, abnormal and drought months and seasons and years have benn presented which may be useful for planning of agriculture and irrigation schemes. The percent probability of zaid and kharif seasons was found to be normal 77.78 and 70.38%, respectively. The probability for kharif season was found to be drought 18.51% while that of zaid season was 11.11%. Tolal amount of rainwater available during the kharif, rabi and zaid seasons was found to be in the range of 326,16-1086.78 mm, 1.14-167.92 mm and 38.56-379.98 mm, respectively. Thus the surplus amount of water during kharif season may be stored in water harvesting structures, to provide supplemental irrigation for growing of wheat crop in rabi season or to help in recharge of ground water.

2 illus, 3 tables, 10 ref

022198   Snehmani;Singh M K;Gupta R D;Ganju A (Snow Avalanche Study Establishment-Research and Development Center (SA, , Him Parisar, Chandigarh, Email: jay_rsgis@yahoo.co.in ) : DTM generation and avalanche hazard mapping using large format digital photogrammetric data and geomatics technique. J Remote Sensing GIS 2013, 4(2), 4-13.

The main objective of the study is Digital Terrain Model (DTM) generation from aerial photogrammetric data and identify and map the potential avalanche prone zones in Manali region. Avalanche is a dynamic hazardous phenomenon in the snow-bound mountainous terrain. Mapping of avalanche prone terrain is crucial to minimize the avalanche hazard. Nowadays, airborne data capturing technology, such as large-format Photogrammetry, has opened new vistas for the mapping of complex and inaccessible mountainous areas. In the present study, large format digital Photogrammetry data of 20 cm ground sample distance (GSD) have been used to generate high-resolution and accurate Digital Elevation Model and ortho-images. Digital terrain model along with its derivative terrain products and land cover map generated from land cover classification of derived ortho-photo is analyzed to locate the probable avalanche zone. The terrain characteristics, snow-pack condition and prevailing meteorological conditions are the groups of variables that influence the occurrence of avalanche. Amongst these, the terrain characteristics is the most influencing factor, and easier to map due to its stable nature along the time. Therefore advanced geo-informatics techniques have been used by mixing terrain property, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and satellite imagery to determine the different geographical factors that affect the avalanche triggering. Also the derived information was combined in Analytic Hierarchy Process to extract a map of the avalanche prone zones in the study area standard mapping techniques as coarse-resolution data are not very appropriate for such studies.

7 illus, 7 tabled, 14 ref

022197   Snechmani;Singh M K;Gupta R D;Ganju A (Snow Avalanche Study Establishment-Research and Development Center (SA, , Him Parisar, Plot No 1, Sector 37A, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Email: jay_rsgis@yahoo.co.in) : Extraction of high resolution DEM from cartosat-1 stereo imagery using rational math model and its accuracy assessment for a part of snow covered NW-Himalaya. J Remote Sensing GIS 2013, 4(2), 23-34.

This paper reports the experiments carried out for extraction of DEMs from Cartosat-1 stereo imagery using stereo correlation technique for Manali region. The focus of this paper was to assess the accuracy of extracted DEM with respect to DGPS observations, DEM generated from digitized contours of Survey of India (SoI), 1:50,000 scale topographic map(converted to ellipsoidal height using egm2008 geoid model) as well as well-known freely available DEMs ASTER GDEM and SRTM. The vertical accuracy of Cartosat-1 DEMs was analysed with DGPS derived ground control points. The relative vertical accuracy (root mean square error; RMSE) of Cartosat-1 DEM with DGPS control points was ±9.6 m. The RMSE with the topographic DEM was found to be ±10.6 for 22 spot heights and ±10.8 m for 6,458,800 checkpoints. The relative vertical accuracy assessment is more important than the absolute vertical accuracy assessment. The result of relative accuracy assessment of DEMs with respect to field measurement of DGPS points and reference DEMs shows Cartosat-1 DEM is more accurate when compared to ASTER DEM, SoI Topographic DEM, and SRTM DEM for Manali region.

12 illus, 5 tables, 25 ref

022196   Sailaja B;Voleti S R;Subrahmanyam D;Nathawat M S;Rao N H (Directorate of Rice Research, , Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Email: bsailaja@drricar.org) : Regional rice yield estimation by integration of spatial technologies and crop model. J Remote Sensing GIS 2013, 4(2), 56-66.

This study investigates how spatial technologies like remote sensing and GIS (Geographic Information System) integrated with a crop growth model to estimate paddy rice yields. Two approaches were used to estimate rice yield one is from remote sensing images and another from soil, climate layers of GIS, linked to the crop model. Oryza2000 model was used as a crop model to link with these technologies. Results show that yield estimated from these two approaches were closed to the reported values from department of Agriculture, Andhra Pradesh, India and yield estimated from remote sensing is more precise than GIS layers. This underscores the potential value of remote sensing, GIS and crop model for yield estimation. The successful application of methodology used in our study to other areas will depend on number of factors including the secondary data estimates, distribution of different crops grown in that area, crop condition at the time of satellite overpass and land scene anomalies.

7 illus, 3 tables, 58 ref

022195   Redowan M;Riadh S M;Masum K M (Forestry and Environmental Science Dep, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet-3114, Bangladesh, Email: redowanforestry@yahoo.com) : Effect of image band number and band multicollinerarity on mapping accuracy of tree diversity and evenness. J Remote Sensing GIS 2013, 4(2), 14-22.

Satellite imageries are increasingly being used in the studies of plant diversity due to cost effective wider spatial coverage. Multispectral or hyperspectral imageries consist of different spectral bands where some bands might be multicollineared among them and deemed redundant to use in the classification/analysis. This study investigates how the accuracies of maps of tree diversity and evenness of an area are affected when redundant and multicollineared bands are not included in image classification. We classified two medium resolution imageries; Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS) Advanced Visible and Near Infrared Radiometer type 2 (AVNIR-2), in combination with four ancillary environmental variable layers namely elevation, slope, aspect and solar radiation in backpropagation Neural Network (NN). Map accuracies obtained by using all bands/all multicollineared bands of TM and environmental variables were compared and contrasted with the corresponding accuracies obtained by using all bands/all non-multicollineared bands of ALOS with environmental variables. Results show that use of all available bands of TM/ALOS does not increase the accuracies of the tree diversity and evenness maps significantly than using its necessary fewer bands. Also the use of multicollineared bands do not increase map accuracies significantly as long as the principal bands of the imageries (band no 4 of TM and ALOS, 0.76-0.90 μm) responsible for capturing vegetation diversity and evenness are not excluded from classification. In a nutshell, in remote sensing tree diversity and evenness using TM and ALOS data, number of image bands and multicollinearity among them are not factors to affect map accuracy significantly.

1 illus, 6 tables, 28 ref

022194   Rai S N;Thiagarajan S;Ratna Kumari T (NO, National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR), Hyderabad-500 606, Email: snrai@ngri.res.in) : Exploration for groundwater in the basaltic deccan types terrain in Katol taluk, Nagpur district, India. Curr Sci 2011, 101(9), 1198-1205.

This communication describes the results of vertical electrical soundings carried out at 12 sites for delineation of deeper aquifers in the Deccan traps terrain in Katol Taluk, Nagpur District, Maharashtra, India. Interpretation of sounding data suggests the presence of water-bearing intertrappeans/vesicular and fractured zones within the trap sequence and sedimentary formations below the traps, which are considered to be a potential source of groundwater for meeting the increasing demand for water supply.

5 illus, 2 tables, 13 ref

022193   Rahman A;Khan J;Ali I;Khan T A;Alam S D (Geography Dep, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi-110 025, Email: ateeqgeog@yahoo.co.in) : Dynamics of land use land cover changes in Ballia district, using landsat TM Data. J Remote Sensing GIS 2013, 4(1), 29-35.

The land use/land cover is an important component to understand the human intervention with the environment. The land use/land cover pattern is an outcome of natural and socio-economic factors and their utilization by man in time and space. Land is becoming a scarce resource due to immense agricultural and demographic pressure. Hence, information on land use/land cover (LU/LC) and possibilities for their optimal use is essential for the selection, planning and implementation of land use schemes to meet the increasing demands for basic human needs, basically housing. Land which is one of the basic and finite resources for human existence is deteriorating with the rapid growth of population. The main objective of this study is to assess the LU/LC in 1971 and 2009 and to identify the locations, types, and trends of the main land use changes in the last 40 years in the eastern-most district, Ballia in Uttar Pradesh. Two sets of data, i.e., SOI toposheet (1971) and Landsat TM imagery (2009), with a time span of forty years were used for the study. Visual interpretation technique is employed to classify the toposheet/image into four classes, i.e., built-up land, agricultural land, wastelands, and water bodies. Ground truth observations were carried out for accuracy assessment. The study shows that the agricultural land that occupied about 85% of the total area of the district in 1971 has decreased to about 3% in 2009. Built-up lands have increased by about 2 to 5% of the total area. Proper land use planning is essential for a sustainable development of Ballia district.

4 illus, 2 tables, 14 ref

022192   Patel K C;Vyas K B;Nimavat K S;Hathi M V (NO, R.R. Mehta College of Science & C.L. Parikh College of Commerce, Palanpur, Gujarat) : Chemical properties of ground water in Gadhawada region. Der Pharma Chem 2009, 1(2), 292-5.

Irrigation of Crops is an essential input for attaining high yields, but the quality of the irrigation water is also equally critical for long term achievable production goals. Poor quality water, if used for a long time will make the soil less productive or even barren depending on the amount and type texture of soil. Low or marginally saline waters sometimes appear to stimulate crop growth because of the nutrient ions present. However, the excess of soluble salts in water lauds to their accumulation in the surface particularly in heavy textured or in poorly drained soils. Many areas of country are facing a serious problem of not only scarcity of water but also of critical poor quality of irrigation water. Tube-well and on well waters generally pose such problems more than surface water.

12 ref

022191   Mishra D C (NO, National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR, New Delhi), Hyderabad-500 007, Email: dcm_ngri@yahoo.co.in) : Continental margins offshore west and east coasts of India based on satellite gravity and seismic sections- seaward dipping reflectors. Curr Sci 2011, 101(9), 43-5.

4 illus, 11 ref

022190   Mishra B;Ghimire B R;Baral D;Mishra Y;Nagai M (CCAM Group, , Nepal, Email: bhogendra@gmail.com) : Japanese encephalitis risk zone mapping using remote sensing data: A case study of Mid and Far- Western part of Nepal. J Remote Sensing GIS 2013, 4(2), 47-55.

This study explores the usability of remotely sensed data and GIS technology to identify the impact of climatic/environmental variables and land use to Japanese Encephalitis (JE). JE is still a major health concern of Nepal. Since the first outbreak in 1978, its cases are reported in 54 districts out of 75. The climatic and environmental variables such as temperature, precipitation and land use (mainly paddy field) etc. are the main influencing factors for the growth of culextritaeniorhynchus mosquitoes that consequently increase the chance of occurring JE. This study tries to correlate relationship of JE cases with independent climatic and environmental variables using regression analysis. JE has been found positive correlation with the precipitation and temperature to some extent but as the precipitation and temperature increased it starts to decrease. Similarly, the result shows that the paddy field is the most vulnerable area for the JE. Remotely sensed data are found to be useful in finding climatic and environmental variables as well as land cover. Finally, JE risk map of far and mid western part of Nepal was developed. The maps have been generated for risk level: Very High, High, Moderate, Low and Very Low.

5 illus, 1 table, 22 ref

022189   Mir R A;Jain S K;Saraf A K;Goswami A (Earth Sciences Dep, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Roorkee, Email: riyazgsi@gmail.com) : Glacier volume changes and their climatic causes in Tirungkhad Basin Located in Western Himalaya. J Remote Sensing GIS 2013, 4(2), 35-46.

In the Himalaya, a significant number of glaciers are shrinking due to climatic variations. Monitoring of these glaciers is important to assess future availability of water resources. However, Himalayan glaciers are normally difficult to monitor due to the rugged, mountainous terrain. Therefore, in the present study, Survey of India (SOI) topographical maps (1966) and Landsat datasets as ETM+ (2000, 2006) and TM (2011) were used to monitor glacier volume changes in the Tirungkhad basin, a tributary of Satluj River, located in the western Himalaya. The glacial volumes were estimated using regression relationship between area and depth. The investigations have suggested an overall reduction of 32% from 1966 (9.13 km3) to 2011 (6.19 km3). Trend analysis showed significant increase in temperature (TMax and TMin) associated with significant decrease in snowfall (SWE) and insignificant decrease in rainfall. These investigations suggest that the variations in meteorological parameters may be one of the reasons for glacier volume changes in the study area. In the long run, these changes in volume of glaciers can create scarcity of water in the region.

5 illus, 4 tables, 57 ref

022188   Khan F;Kumar S (NO, Anurag Group of Institutions, Hyderabad, Email: faridkhan999@gmail.com) : Correlation between enhanced vegetation indices and rainfall partterns of Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh. J Remote Sensing GIS 2013, 4(1), 7-12.

Vegetation indices enhance vegetation spectral signatures by combining bands of red (630-700 nm) and near-infrared wavelengths (700-1100 nm). This can be best suited to study vital activity of vegetation on land surface. Kurnool district is chosen to assess the capability of continuous spatial and temporal coverage; MODIS-derived enhanced vegetation indices (EVI) data were utilized to monitor the vegetation seasonal dynamics and their relationship with precipitation. Statistical analysis of mandal-wise mean EVI and corresponding seasonal rainfall data show the proportional relation with positive correlation. MODIS EVI is a good indicator of vegetation change with respect to rainfall. Further study is needed to refine the correlation between EVI and rainfall. This work enables demarcation of areas on the basis of density of forest; also, it helps in identifying the effect of rainfall for the healthy growth of vegetation. Finally, the drought prone area can be identified for timely remedial action. The results also show the possibility of predicting vegetation change in the study area due to rainfall using the derived relationships among vegetation and rainfall with the use of public domain low-resolution satellite data and ground observations.

10 illus, 1 table, 4 ref

022187   Gulbhile V D (Zoology Dep, Late. Laximibai Deshmukh Mahila College, Parli-Vaijinath-431 515, Maharashtra, Email: drgulbhilevd@rediffmail.com) : Physico-chemical parameters of ground water at Parli-Vaijinath, Maharashtra. J Ecobiol 2012, 29(1-2), 107-12.

This investigation was undertaken to study the physic-chemical parameters of ground water quality of bore, wells in Parli-Vaijinath Maharashtra. The physic-chemical parameters were studied during June 2009- May 2010. The water samples of borewells were collected from four different sites. The site 1 is Vidyanagar, site 2 L.L.D.M. College, Site 3 Bank Colony and Site 4 Thermal Colony. The physic-chemical parameters viz. temperature, electric conductivity, pH, Dissolved oxygen, Chlorides, salinity and total hardness were monitored to assess the water quality. The Thermal power station and some small scale industries like Koromandal Cement Factory, Sapna Tiles Factory, Jagmitra Textile Industry, Vaidynath Sugar Factory and Agrawal Ice Factory are located in Parli-Vaijinath. The result shows that the ground water from sampling sites in which dissolved oxygen, chloride, total hardness and salinity parameters were beyond the permissible limit according to WHO and ISI.

1 table, 8 ref

022186   Duka S;Cullaj A (Chemistry Dep, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania, Email: soniladuka@hotmail.com) : Evaluation of nutrients and chlorophylls levels in bovilla reservoir of Tirana, Albania during 2006-2008. Asian J Chem 2012, 24(1), 361-6.

Bovilla reservoir is formed only 14 years ago and since year 1998, is the main source (up to 1800 l/s) of drinking water for the city of Tirana and its suburbs (more than 850 000) inhabitants. The presence of various nutrients in excessive quantities in water can lead to eutrophication. Eutrophication is the major problem in public water supply reservoirs because it can cause in water treatment process. The effects of eutrophication can render the water body unsuitable for uses such as public water supply where a high standard of water quality is required. Depth profiles of nutrients and chlorophylls, which were carried on in Bovilla reservoir, during 2 years period from May 2006- May 2008 with 2 months frequency, are presented in this paper. Total phosphorus average resulted 4.85 μg/L; total phosphorus ranged from less than 2.0 to 14.7 μg/L during the study period. Higher total phosphorus values were reported in the water layer in contact with sediment bottom. The total nitrogen average resulted 248 μg/L; total nitrogen ranged from less 131 to 374 μg/L during the study period. Based on the total nitrogen:total phosphorus ratio phosphorus results to be limiting nutrient for lake primary production. Overall mean of peak values of chlorophyll a concentration resulted 3.2 μg/L, that is characteristic for oligotrophic level. The aim of the study was to collect sufficient baseline quality data to provide a basis for water quality protection and monitoring.

1 illus, 2 tables, 10 ref

021161   Valdiya K S (NO, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore-560 064, Email: valdiya@jncasr.ac.in) : Bracing for flood hazards. Curr Sci 2011, 101(1), 16-17.

3 illus, 8 ref

021160   Sumalatha M;Kumanan R;Prabhakar P;Shanti Priya S;Ravi Kumar K;Santhosh B (Pharmaceutical Analysis Dep, Vignan Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vignan Hills, Deshmukhi-508 284, Email: rkumanan@rediffmail.com) : Hydrology-assesment of quality of water from Nalgonda district. Int J chem Sci 2012, 10(1), 239-56.

Complete analysts for the compatibility of water for drinking in Nalgonda district as per the official guidelines were carried out. Water quality is an index of health and well being of a society. Various essential and desirable tests carried out on the water samples collected from various regions of nalgonda district reveals that fluoride, calcium, magnesium and total hardness levels are out of range in many places comparatively.

1 illus, 4 tables, 22 ref