000337   Bhattacharjee D (Geography Dep, F.C. College, Diamond Harbour, South 24 Parganas, Email: deepa_2005kolkata@rediffmail.com) : Identification of glacial erosional landforms and their characteristics of gangotri glacier area, Uttarakhand. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2012, 35(1), 615-32.

Landscapes are surfaces composed of an assemblage of subjectivity defined components. Each element of the landscape that can be observed in its entirety, and has consistence of form or regular change of form, is defined as a landform. The definition is necessarily subjective (Howard and Spock, 1940). However, because of the peculiar intensity of atmospheric weathering and erosion on our planet, most subaerial landforms are destructional or erosional. Landforms may be constructional also. Landforms are the evolved products of the interactions of endogenetic forces originating from within the earth and the external or exogenetic forces originating from the atmosphere (agents of weathering and erosion-rivers, wind, ground water, glaciers and periglacial processes). The area under investigation (Gangotri Glacier area) predominantly belongs to the domain of glacial, glacio-fluvial and tectonic landforms.

10 illus, 7 tables, 25 ref

000336   Bhaskar G U (The MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, Eart, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technol, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA, Email: bhaskar@mit.edu) : On cosmic rays, cloud condensation nuclei and climate. Curr Sci 2011, 100(11), 1630-2.

21 ref

000335   Begum M;Jha D K;Vinithkumar N V;Das A K; Kirubagaran R (Andaman and Nicobar Centre for Ocean Science and Technology, National Institute of Ocean Technology, Dollygunj(PO), Port Blair, Email: mehmuna@gmail.com) : Preliminary study on physico-chemical and biological parameters of coastal water of Treis island, Nicobar, India. J appl Geochem 2012, Mar, 19-27.

Information available on the physico-chemical and biological parameters of seawater of Treis Island, Little Nicobar is scanty. Hence, this study was carried out to understand the seawater quality in terms of nutrient levels and pollution, if there any. During the survey it was observed that the area was very turbulent due to its geographical location. The total area of Treis Island is 0.42 km² with undulating terrain and evergreen forest cover. The seawater samples were collected at three locations around the Treis Island to study the various physico-chemical parameters like temperature, pH, total suspended solids, salinity, dissolved oxygen and nutrients in seawater. The samples were also collected to determine the biological parameters such as chlorophyll 'a', phaeophytin, phytoplankton abundance and diversity. The nutrient concentrations were estimated using standard methods and it was found to be in the range of open seawater levels as follows: nitrite 0.44-0.54μmol/L, nitrate 0.41-0.62μmol/L, phosphate 0.02-0.05μmol/L, total phosphorus 0.36-0.45μmol/ L and silicate 3.60-4.24umol/L. Ammonia was found to be below detectable limit which indicates a pollution free oceanic condition. Altogether, 52 species of phytoplankton were reordered during analysis of samples. Average phytoplankton density in the area was 1093 Nos./L, whereas average chlorophyll 'a' and phaeophytin concentration were 0.20 and 0.14mg/m³, respectively; whereas the other parameters were low, depicting an oligotrqphic condition similar to open ocean waters. Further, this study indicates that physico-chemical and biological parameters of Treis Island is within the range of open seawater and free from anthropogenic sources of pollution.

6 illus, 1 table, 21 ref

000334   Basu S (Geography Dep, Deshbandhu College for Girls, Kolkata) : Morphometric analysis of north Hinyul river basin. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2012, 35(1), 523-30.

The North Hinyul river basin is a sub basin of the Upper Ganga basin situated in Tehri Garhwal district.An attempt has been made to study the river basin quantitatively and understand the various aspects. Morphometric techniques have been used to study the linear areal and relief aspects of the basin. The basin is composed of phyllite schist quartzite limestone dolomite in most parts. It is a basin of 6th order and has an elongated shape. This basin is important in the context of the Tehri - Garhwal district in the sense that it is endowed with abundant natural and human resources and a proper understanding of these would lead to better utilization.

4 ref

000333   Basu A (Geography Dep, Women's Christain College, Kolkata) : Tolly's nala: present and future. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2012, 35(1), 633-42.

The Adi-Ganga, a palco-distributary channel of the Bhagirathi which served as an important navigational channel, is intertwined with South-Bengal's history and culture. During 1775-77, Major William Tolly excavated a 15.5 km long canal popularly called 'Tolly's Nala' to provice an effective waterway for trade; from Hastings to Samukpota following the decayed course of Adi-Ganga upto Garia and then connecting it with Bidyadhari river in the east. Till early 20th century the route was navigable by motor launch but with the silting up of Bidyadhari due to sluice gate construction for regulating tidal influx, the canal lost its prior importance. Various natural and anthropogenic causes are involved behind its gradual decay. The quality and flow of the canal water is adversely affected by sediment accumulation, eutrophication due to various point and non-point polluting factors, uncontroled effluent flow, changing landuse pattern, illegal encroachments, uplanned metro-railway expansion, these factros are also responsible in creating ordeals like water-logging, sanitation problems and health-scares. Multifarious development projects and schemes by various authorities have been undertaken over the years for reviving the vitality of the canal which have been analyzed. Before it's too late, this important waterway has to be revitalized as the lifeline of South Bengal. It can act as an efficient storm-water-flow channel and navigational route, if active co-operation to execute the action plans is taken up by all the stakeholders.

12 ref

000332   Banerjee R;Shiv Kumar K;Maithani P B (Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research, 1-10-153/156, AMD Complex, Begumpet, Hyderabad, Email: rahulbnrg@gmail.com) : Major and trace element geochemistry of palaeoproterozoic nanded granitoids of diglur-BIL OLI-dharmabad sector, Nanded district, Maharashtra:geodynamic and petrogenetic implications. J appl Geochem 2012, (Jun), 26-58.

Diglur-Biloli-Dharmabad sector exposes Palaeoproterozoic Nanded granitoids (NG) belonging to the northern extensions of Peninsular Gneissic Complex (PGC) within Deccan Trap country. They are predominantly represented by coarse grained to porphyritic pink and grey granites with patches and enclaves of mafic rocks and are profusely traversed by pegmatitic/quartzofeldspathic/quartz veins and ENE-WSW, NE-SW and WNW-ESE trending mafic dykes. Geochemically, they are similar to medium- to high-K, calc-alkaline granitoids with higher total alkali content (5.96-11.52%) and show an overall predominance of K over Na. Higher abundance of LILE and incompatible HFSE indicate important role played by the fractionation and progressive differentiation in the formation of these highly evolved granites. These elements are mostly associated with resistate minerals such as zircon, monazite, thorite, allanite and sphene. The compositional diversity of NG ranging from granite(.s.,s.) to granodiorite-adamellite suite with predominantly metaluminous to mild peraluminous nature and presence of biotite±hornblende as the dominant ferromagnesian minerals point towards derivation of magma from upper mantle or lower crustal source with I-type signatures in active continental margin setting. Negative correlation of SiO₂ with MgO, FeO^t, CaO, A1₂O₃ and positive correlation with K₂O and Na₂O substantiates highly fractionated nature of these granitoids, whereas high differentiation index (71.36-97.10), enrichment of K at the expense of Ca and ubiquitous presence of pegmatoids point towards derivation from sub-crustal source by partial melting in a volatile rich system with S-type features. Hence, it appears that crustal contamination has caused distortion in major and trace element representation and show gradation between mantle-dominated and crust-dominated patterns. Anomalous radioelemental concentration (upto 1403 ppm U and 1600 ppm Th; n=69) has been recorded in NG and distribution pattern of heat producing elements (U, Th and K) have indicated high heat production values (1.25-480.4 μWm^-3), which might have played important role in uranium remobilisation and concentration by supporting hydrothermal gradient along the dilatant structures. Considering highly labile nature of uranium in this reactivated terrain, the Nanded granitoids form a potential fertile provenance for uranium mineralisation.

11 illus 3 tables, 102 ref

000331   Balaji S;Sreelatha G;Bindu;Jeganathan R (Coastal Disaster Management Dep, Pondicherry Univ, Port Blair, Email: ksbalaj@hotmail.com) : Fresh/saline water interface studies along the Kerala coast between Kappil and Chakkai using geochmeical and geophysical methods. J appl Geochem 2012, Mar, 11-18.

Hydrochemical analysis and geophysical survey were carried out for fresh/saline water interface study from Kappil in V the north to Chakkai coast in the south of Kerala state. In order to analyse the sea water intrusion phenomenon, resistivity survey was carried out along several traverses perpendicular to the coast to derive the geoelectrical parameters, which were interpreted in terms of resistivity. Seventy six Vertical Electrical Soundings (VES) and fifteen line kilometer Wenner resistivity profiling were carried out along E-W traverses using Sweden make Tetrameter SAS 30°C instrument during the summer prior to the monsoon. Ground water samples were also collected along the same surveyed traverses and chemical analysis of water samples were done for the EC (electrical conductivity), Na, Ca, HCO, Mg and chloride concentrations. The chemical results were utilized to validate the findings of resistivity survey. The study has shown that the ground water quality is poor in the narrow stretch of land in between the coast and the backwaters especially in Pudukurichi areas as evidenced by higher electrical conductivity of water samples in the range of 4000 microseimens/cm at 25°C and very low resistivity of less than 8 ohm-m. Further, during pre-monsoon, sea water enters through the coastal inlet into the backwaters. The mixed up water percolates down affecting the ground water quality of the wells located along the fringes of the backwaters especially Pudukurichi, Matanvila and Anjengo coasts. In some areas along the coast, overpumping of wells has led to the reversal of hydraulic gradient leading to sea water intrusion.

3 illus, 5 tables, 9 ref

000330   Babar M;Ghute B B;Aktore S M;Chunchekar R V (Geology Dep, Dnyanopasak College, Parbhani, Maharashtra) : Remote sensing and hydrogeomorphological studies for evaluation of groundwater potential zones of jhod nala watershed in Parbhani district, Maharashtra. J appl Geochem 2012, (Jun), 1-9.

Study is carried out at Jhod Nala watershed in Palam Tahsil of Parbhani district with reference to remote sensing and hydrogeomorphology for evaluation of the groundwater potential zones. Geologically the area belongs to Deccan basalt of late Cretaceous to early Eocene period. Hydrogeomorphologically, the Jhod Nala watershed area is divided into four geomorphic surfaces including valley fill, pediplains, pediments and highly dissected plateau. The groundwater potentiality is good in valley fill areas and in most parts of the watershed i.e. in the pediplains it is good to moderate. The pediments and highly dissected plateau surfaces have moderate to poor groundwater potentiality.

5 illus, 17 ref

000329   Baba M;Jean Jose J;Udayakumar P;Narendra Babu K (NO, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune-411 008, Email: jeanlincy@gmail.com) : Unusual foaming along Thiruvananthapuram coast. Curr Sci 2011, 100(8), 1121.

1 illus, 1 table, 1 ref

000328   Aravindan S;Shankar K (Earth Sciences Dep, Annamalai Univ, Annamalai Nagar, Email: aravindan_rs@tyahoo.com) : Trace element concentration mapping in groundwater of Paravanar river sub-basin, Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu using geospatial technique. J appl Geochem 2012, Mar, 54-67.

The study aims to study the nature, source, concentration and cause of Trace elements in Paravanar Sub- Basin. Trace elements were analyzed in Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) at NGRI, Hyderabad during November, 2008. The analysis was subjected to infer concentration of boron, chromium, lead, arsenic and nickel and other 22 such trace elements in groundwater. The results were compared with WHO's 1993 Standard prescribed for drinking from available literature and attempt was made to interpret their origin and to locate source of above trace elements. 35 groundwater samples collected during August, 2008 from bore wells of Paravanar River Sub-Basin to infer the traces element abundance. Boron concentration has crossed the WHO's standard 1993 limit of 0.3 ppm prescribed for drinking water. Chromium (0.05 ppm), Lead (0.01 ppm), Nickel (0.02 ppm) and Arsenic (0.01 ppm) has also crossed the WHO's limit for drinking purpose. Concentration of Lead in the basin may be attributed to the basement geochemical sources, influenced by chemical weathering. The high concentration of chromium in the aquifer may be due to anthropogenic activity probably from the effluents of closed briquetting and carbonization plant, located due west central part of the basin. The groundwater may be treated properly in order to safe guard the valuable human life. Increase in concentration has to be diluted by finding the exact point source of pollutant. Trace element contribution in Paravanar sub-basin may be from basement Pre Cambrian geochemical sources influenced by weathering (Physical and Chemical) prior to the erosion. Recent or old weathering may be a factor in leaching out the trace elements towards sedimentary basin.

8 illus, 2 tables, 30 ref

000327   Anand R;Balakrishnan S (Earth Sciences Dep, Pondicherry Univ, Puducherry-605 014) : Geochemical and Sm-Nd isotopic study of titanite from Granitoid rocks of the Eastern Dharwar Craton, Southern India. J Earth Syst Sci 2011, 120(2), 237-51.

Titanite occurs as an accessory phase in a variety of igneous rocks, and is known to concentrate geologically important elements such as U, Th, rare earth element (REE), Y and Nb. The differences in the abundances of the REEs contained in titanite from granitoid rocks could reflect its response to changes in petrogenetic variables such as temperature of crystallization, pressure, composition, etc. Widespread migmatization in the granodiorite gneisses occurring to the east of Kolar and Ramagiri schist belts of the eastern Dharwar craton resulted in the enrichment of the REEs in titanite relative to their respective host rocks. A compositional influence on the partitioning of REEs between titanite and the host rock/magma is also noticed. The relative enrichment of REEs in titanite from quartz monzodiorite is lower than that found in the granodioritic gneiss. Depletion of REE and HFSE (high field-strength elements) abundances in granitic magmas that have equilibrated with titanite during fractional crystallization or partial melting has been modelled. As little as 1% of titanite present in residual phases during partial melting or in residual melts during fractional crystallization can significantly lower the abundances of trace elements such as Nb, Y, Zr and REE which implies the significance of this accessory mineral as a controlling factor in trace element distribution in granitoid rocks. Sm-Nd isotope studies on titanite, hornblende and whole rock yield isochron ages comparable to the precise U-Pb titanite ages, invoking the usefulness of Sm-Nd isochron ages involving minerals like titanite.

7 illus, 5 tables, 65 ref

000326   Aloysius M;Sijikumar S;Prijith S S;Mannil Mohan;Parameswaran K (Space Physics Laboratory, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram-695 002, Email: mannil_mohan@vssc.gov.in ) : Role of dynamics in the advection of aerosols over the arabian sea along the west coast of peninsular India during pre-monsoon season: A case study based on satellite data and regional climate model. J Earth Syst Sci 2011, 120(2), 269-79.

The circulation dynamics of an event marked by the formation of an aerosol cluster off the coast of Maharashtra on April 22, 2006, its southward migration along the Indian west coast with a mean speed of <126>200 km/day and its final dissipation after reaching the end of the peninsula by April 28, 2006 as revealed by MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) against the pre-monsoon conditions of April 2006 are examined in this study. The maximum aerosol concentration in the cluster was found getting confined to lower and lower altitudes during its southward movement. The NCEP/NCAR (National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research) reanalysis wind field indicates that the atmospheric circulation, especially the horizontal wind convergence is the major factor that guides the formation and the dynamics of the cluster. Fine mode fraction from MODIS suggests that the cluster mainly consists of coarse dust particles. The regional climate model, RegCM3 with an efficient dust generation module simulates the formation and movement of the cluster appreciably well. The simulations which also exhibit the altitudinally descending nature of the cluster during its southward movement confirm the mechanism which governs the cluster dynamics suggested based on MODIS and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data.

8 illus, 36 ref

000325   Alam S M (Geography Dep, C.U., Kolkata) : Prospects of adventure tourism in the Himalayas- a comparartive study of trekking in Uttarakhand an Sikkim. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2012, 35(1), 309-18.

Today's tourist are not content only with traditional tourist places such as, hill or mountains, beaches, forests, deserts as well cultural and religious sites. They look for something more of the tourist thrill, fun, adventure and something other than the routine. Adventure tourism provides the tourist with a special thrill and feeling of adventure whilst participating in sporting activities in rivers, water bodies, hills and mountains. Trekking is the best form of adventure tourism which provides a journey to be undertaken on foot in areas where means of transport is generally not available. Trekking always refers to walking on trails; it does not entail cross-country hiking or climbing over rough terrain. Trekking is not mountaineering but just days of walking, along with adventure The Himalayan regions are famous for trekking. The most popular trekking areas are in Nepal, Sikkim, and Derjilling and of course the vast belt of Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal, and Uttarakhand of India. But the objective, route pattern, altitudinal variation scenic beauty and necessities of trekking in Western and Eastern Himalaya are quite comparable. The present paper is the attempt to analyze the comparative attitude of trekking in Western and Eastern Himalaya considering Uttarakhand and Sikkim as the area of illustration.

2 illus, 9 ref

000324   Al-Saigh N H;Al-Dabbagh T H (Dams and Water Resources Research Center, Mosul Univ, Iraq, Email: nabilalsaigh@yahoo.com) : Identification of landslide slip-surface and its shear strength: a new application for shallow seismic refraction method. J Geol Soc India 2010, 76(2), 175-80.

Traditional investigation methods for studying landslide and slope stability is concentrated on studying the present and original geometry of slope, geological cross-section, position of water table and shear strength parameters. It is of prime importance to determine the thickness of slipped ground and the slope of the slip surface. The depth is usually estimated from trial pitting, trenching and drilling boreholes. By using advanced non-invasive geophysical techniques engineers can get a representative picture of hidden subsurface condition with less disruption than using traditional investigation methods like coring, boring and sampling. In this reconnaissance study, seismic refraction survey using a hammer seismograph was conducted in order to determine the thickness of slip material and dip of the slip surface of a landslide. The results of seismic refraction surveys showed good correlation with borehole information. The thickness of the sliding material and the dip of the slip surface were well delineated. The results of the survey were then used to estimate the value of the shear strength parameter as a back value analysis technique. This value was then obtained by ring shear apparatus. The difference between the measured and calculated residual shear strength value was 2°C.

6 illus, 18 ref

025890   Wenjuan X;Jing J;Jinling Z (NO, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, No. 126 Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710054, China, Email: chundo@163.com) : Preliminary partition of groundwater protection zones by empirical formula method. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 589-94.

Groundwater is an important source for water supply. However, the environmental protection measures and pollutant treatment technology have not greatly improved, and people's awareness of environmental protection is not enough, groundwater environment is suffering serious damage and groundwater quality is undergoing obvious deterioration. The present study focused on the delineation of groundwater quality protection zone. The empirical formula method is used to preliminarily divide the groundwater protection zones in No. 2 Groundwater source in Dawukou District of Shizuishan City, China. And three levels of protection zones were divided reasonably. The firstlevel protection zone is 4.53 km², the second level is 5.71 km² and the third level is 25.02 km². Seen from the results, the Empirical formula method is a simple method to partition the groundwater source protection zones, which is also economic and easy to carry out. The divisional results is reasonable and reliable, it provides the scientific basis for the development and protection of water resource in the study area. Also the study can help to guarantee the safe operation of the water source and realize the sustainable development of water.

2 illus, 2 tables, 8 ref

025889   Wahiduuzzaman M (Environemntal Sciences Dep, Wageningen Univesrity and Research Centre, The Netherlands, Email: wahid.ju@gmail.com) : Analysis of cyclonic track in the coastal region of Bangladesh. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 530-43.

Study analyzes the cyclonic track in the coastal region in Bangladesh. Bay of Bengal has been intrinsically associated with natural disasters. The frequency and tract information data of depression and deep depression, cyclonic storm and severe cyclonic storm for the period of 1981-2007 (27 years) are used in the study based on the availability data from Bangladesh Meteorological Department. The track formation of cyclonic disturbances has done by GIS techniques. The analysis of the tracks of 10 tropical cyclones of the Bay of Bengal which affected the coastal region in Bangladesh shows that 5 cyclones of 1981, 1988, 1998, 1999 and 2007 hit south western region of Bangladesh and another 5 cyclones of 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997 and 2006 hit northern and north-eastern part of Chittagong. The study recommends that more detail data base analysis of the characteristics of the cyclonic track in the Bay of Bengal.

10 illus, 10 tables, 17 ref

025888   Tripati S (Marine Archaeology Centre, National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR), Dona Paula, Goa-403 004, Email: sila@nio.org) : Ancient maritime trade of the eastern Indian littoral. Curr Sci 2011, 100(7), 1076-86.

Before the discovery of the monsoon winds by Hippalus in AD 45-47, the mariners of the east coast of India were aware of the monsoon wind and currents and used them for maritime trade. The maritime trade from India to Southeast Asia was a seasonal phenomenon. The distribution of Buddhist settlements, discovery of varieties of pottery, beads and inscriptions along the ports and trade centres point to active maritime trade between India and Southeast Asia. Further, the representation of art on the walls of the caves, stupas and temples indicate that Buddhist monks, saints, traders and craftsmen used to set sail together. Over a period of time, ancient methods of maritime trade disappeared, and are now only remembered and celebrated as rituals and social events along the east coast of India. This communication details how the monsoon wind and currents favoured mariners during their onward and return voyages to Southeast Asia. In order to understand the past monsoon wind and current patterns, the prevailing wind pattern and ocean circulations have been taken into account because for centuries no major changes have been observed in the southwest and northeast monsoons. The findings of varieties in pottery, beads, etc. along the ports and Buddhist set-tlements show that all these played a significant role in disseminating Indian culture in overseas lands.

11 illus, 46 ref

025887   Somdatta C;Chakarabarti S (Information Technology Dep, Government College of Engineering and Ceramic Technology, 73, Abinash Banerjee Lane, Kolkata-700 010, Email: csomdatta@rediffmail.com) : Pre-processing of hyperspectral data: a case study of Henry and Lothian Islands in Sunderban region, West Bengal, India. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 490-501.

Hyperspectral data finds wide applicability in species level mapping of forest cover in pure and mixed stands. The Sunderban Biosphere Reserve of West Bengal is an ideal locale where hyperspectral image data may be successfully utilized for accurate mapping of nearly 94 mangrove species that exist here. The present study is the first attempt to use hyperspectral data in the Sunderban eco-geographic province to make species level discrimination of mangroves in a mixed stand. However, prior to data classification, several corrections are required to be made for pre-processing and meaningful interpretation of data. Atmospheric correction is one such crucial correction and pre-processing step which is done to minimize the effect of atmospheric agents that alters the actual radiance data that the sensor should represent. This is followed by geometric correction of the atmospherically corrected data. In this paper the MODTRAN based FLAASH algorithm and scene based QUAC algorithm have been applied on the Hyperion data and a comparative analysis carried out. The transformation techniques such as RST(Rotation Scale Translation)and Polynomial in combination with resampling methods like Nearest Neighbour (NN), Bilinear and Cubic Convolution(CC) have been used for analysis of geometric correction results and the best result selected for the next level of processing. This paper analyses the data processing steps for both atmospheric and geometric correction of hyperspectral data acquired by the Hyperion sensor over the dense mangrove forest cover of the Henry and Lothian Islands of the Sunderban Delta of West Bengal.

5 illus, 1 table, 15 ref

025886   Siva Siddaiah N (Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, 33, General Mahadeo Singh Road, Dehra Dun-248 001, Email: nssiddaiah@rediffmail.com) : Origin of chert breccia at the uncoformity between precambrian sirban limestone and paleogene subathu formation: evidence from kalakot area, J&K himalaya. Curr Sci 2011, 100(12), 1873-80.

Petrographic and geochemical studies were carried on the chert breccia that lies between the Sirban Limestone of Precambrian age and early Paleogene Subathu Formation in the Kalakot section, Jammu and Kashmir, Northwestern Himalaya, India. The chert breccia is highly welded and more resistant to erosion than the underlying limestone. It consists pre-dominantly of quartz occurring as angular to suban-gular fragments of varying sizes in a fine-grained matrix. Alkali feldspar (sanidine), biotite, iron oxides and zircon are present in minor amounts in the matrix. It has 90-91 wt% SiO₂, 3 wt% A1₂O₃, 0.25-0.42 wt% TiO₂ and 0.012 wt% P₂O₅. It has relatively higher concentrations (in ppm) of Zr (90-140), Y (20-23) and ΣREE (134-137), and significantly low contents of Sr (2-8) and Ba (3-38). Sirban Limestone consists of 46 wt% CaO, 12.91-13.34 wt% SiO₂ and 36 wt% loss on ignition. It has low concentrations of REE (ΣREE = 65-70 ppm) and relatively high content of Sr (525-534 ppm). The distinct mineralogy, texture and field features of the chert breccia are typical of a volcanic character, and the chemical composition is similar to that of a high-silica rhyolite.

7 illus, 2 tables, 31 ref

025885   Singh S P;Sharma J;Singh P (Physics and Computer Science Dep, Faculty of Science, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Dayalbagh, Agra-282 005, Email: sunil_pratap@rediffmail.com) : Geo-referenced information system for tourism (GeoRIST). Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 456-64.

Presents a geo-referenced information system (GeoRIST) for national and international tourists or the travelling community visiting to Agra enabling them to find their interest in city and ask for information about sights, accommodations and other places of interest which are nearby them by analyzing and displaying the tourism objects in geographic context on interactive tourist maps. The developed system is the application of Internet based Geographic Information System (GIS) which integrates spatial database, statistical data and textual information in order to develop a data model providing proper and complete information for analysis and planning. The whole system lives in a common web-based application implemented in ASP.Net with C#.Net MapScript, Ajax and exploiting MapServer for GIS functionalities and PostGIS for its connection with the PostgreSQL database containing road network, infrastructure of the area and data about hospitality, tourism activities and facilities.

5 illus, 13 ref

025884   Singh P;Khan I A (NO, Institute of Environment Education and Research, Bharti Vidyapeeth, Pune-411 043, Email: preetisingh1704@gmail.com) : Ground water quality assessment of Dhankawadi ward of Pune by using GIS. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 688-703.

Aims to assess and map the spatial distribution of ground water quality of the Dhankawadi ward of Pune by using the Geographical Information System (GIS). Dhankawadi is experiencing rapid urbanization, this made people to depend on groundwater resources. APHA's standard laboratory procedure has been adopted to assess the quality of ground water at each sampling location. Garmin GPS has been used to collect the sampling point location. Inverse Distance Weighed (IDW) spatial interpolation technique has been used to estimate the spatial distribution of the ground water parameters and WQI. A potable index map has been prepared with help of WQI map. Google earth has been used for preparation of Land use and Land class (LULC) image. Results of WQI are interpreted with respect to the LULC. The potable Index map shows that, the groundwater in the study area is good enough for drinking and domestic purposes except in the places of Upper Katraj nagar and north part of Bharati Vidyapeeth University campus.

17 illus, 5 tables, 27 ref

025883   Sidda N K;Boddu D;Ram Mohan Rao K (Computer Science and System Engineering Dep, University of Zaragoza, Spain, Email: naveensidda@yahoo.co.in) : Electic mapping approach for non spatial data. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 349-56.

Highlighting the usage of `state of art technology' for creating the user friendly spatial interfaces for the common usage applications. The advent of web services and APIs opens up the possibility of collecting and communicating the non spatial information spatial intuitively. A Spatial treat to the non spatial problem makes the data comprehensive and significant to solve the real time problems. Authors developed an interactive interface by investigating the API technology to transform and map the substantial non spatial data in a spatial format to a horde of internet users. This development not only demonstrates the advancements in communicating and visualizing the data, but also emphasizes on the usage of ready to use data for quick, economical and effective dissemination. In this line of research, we developed spatial graphical user interface that showcases the details of Cyberabad police zones for the benefit of the common public.

5 illus, 10 ref

025882   Sethupathi A S;Lakshmi Narasimhan C; Vasanthamohan V;Mohan S P (NO, Infosys Technologies Ltd, Bangalore-560 100, Email: lakshmina_c@yahoo.com) : Prioritization of miniwatersheds based on morphometric analysis using remote sensing and GIS techniques in a draught prone Bargur - Mathur subwatersheds, Ponnaiyar river basin, India. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 403-14.

Morphometric analysis has been carried out on 781 sq.km area in the Bargur and Mathur subwatersheds. Based on All India Land area organization norms, the drainage network of the study area has been divided in to 10 miniwatersheds using 1:50,000 scale SOI toposheets and Landsat ETM satellite data. The Morphometric analysis of subwatershed has been carried out using GIS software. The drainage network exhibits dendritic drainage pattern. Stream order ranges from fourth to sixth order. Drainage density varies between 1.26 to 2.94 Km/Km². Texture ratio of drainage basins range between 2.59 to 15.46, and the miniwatersheds are classified as moderate to fine drainage texture excepting 4 miniwatersheds which are classified as fine to very fine drainage texture. The stream frequency of Bargur and Mathur subwatersheds ranges between 2.36 to 7.28. The stream frequency is low in most of the subwatersheds indicating low relief and high permeability, however, four subwatersheds show high stream frequency, indicative of high relief and low infiltration capacity of bedrock. The relief ratio ranges from 0.03 to 0.07. The bifurcation ratio range from 0.43 to 8.45, with a mean bifurcation ratio of 3.327 for entire basin, indicates that all miniwatersheds fall under normal basin category. The elongation ratio of miniwatersheds varies from 0.23 to 0.58, indicates miniwatersheds fall under oval and elongated pattern. Present study demonstrates the competence of remote sensing data coupled with GIS techniques in morphometric analysis. Based on the quantitative morphometric analysis, the study area has been classified into highly suitable, moderately suitable and poorly suitable for groundwater prospects.

3 illus, 2 tables, 23 ref

025881   Sengupta S;Syed R;Sarkar S;Halder K (Geology Dep, Calcutta Univ, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata-700 019, Email: ssggeol@gmail.com) : Nummulites lamarck (foraminifera) as substrate for other benthoic taxa: a case study from the middle eocene of Western Kutch, Gujarat. Indian J Geosci 2011, 65(4), 265-74.

Materials collected from the 'obtusus bed' in the type locality of Harudi Formation (Middle Eocene) in western Kutch have yielded hitherto unrecorded evidences of the larger foraminifera Nummulites Lamarck forming substrate to other benthonic taxa (OBT). The OBT include attached left valves of the bivalve (Mollusca) Flamingostrea Linne, cheilostomate Bryozoa Therenia David and Pouyet, cyclostomate Bryozoa Stomatopora Bronn, worm moulds in relief and some bioeroders leaving traces that are identified as of. Ichnoreticulina Radtke and Golubic, Oichnus simplex Bromley and Sulcichnus meandriformis Martinell and Domenech. The Nummulites-OBT association indicates that the 'obtusus bed' was formed under low-sedimentation regime with occasional pulses of sediment influx. Accumulation of Nummulites bioclasts in low-sedimentation regime transformed parts of the marl depositional surface to shelly grounds. These shelly grounds acted as substrate for the growth and proliferation of OBT. Living Nummulites thrived on both marl and shelly grounds.

3 illus, 3 tables, 47 ref

025880   Sateesh K;Sandip G (NO, Centre for Studies New Delhi, Associated with Madhya Pradesh Council o, Bhopal-462 003, Email: sateesh.karwariya@gmail.com) : Land use and land cover mapping using digital classification technique in Tikamgarh district, Madhya Pradesh, India using remote sensing. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 519-29.

Tikamgarh is one of the oldest inhabitation of India. It is located in the northwestern part of Sagar Division of Madhya Pradesh. Geographically it lies on the Bundhelkhand Plateau between the Jamni, a tributary of the Betwa and the Dhasan rivers. It extends between the 24° 26' N to 25° 34' N latitudes and 78° 26' E to 79° 21 E longitudes. The total geographical area of Tikamgarh District is 5048 sq. km. The total population of the district is 12,02,998 (2001 Census). Male constitute 53% and female 47% of the total population. Land use and Land cover is an important parameter for developmental planning. In the present study an attempt has been made to generate the land use land cover map from IRS satellite image using unsupervised classification. The study is based on secondary data; and using Erdas imaging software to subset the study area. The satellite imagery has used to prepare the land use and land cover map using unsupervised classification. The land use and land cover map clearly shows that area of crop land is higher than others. In this research paper, remotely sensed data would be used to fill the gap in the knowledge on the state of land use and Land cover in Tikamgarh district. The goal is to undertake a detailed, spatially explicit inventory of local trends in land use and land cover changes. This data coupled with the interdisciplinary assortment of scientific methods will be used to investigate the causes and consequences of land use/cover change across a range of spatial and temporal scales. The result of this paper would contribute to developing recommendations to enhance sustainability and foster resilience.

6 illus, 1 table, 7 ref

025879   Sarup J;Singhai A (Civil Engineering Dep, Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, Email: jyoti.sarup@gmail.com) : Image fusion techniques for accurate classification of remote sensing data. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 602-12.

Image fusion techniques are helpful in providing classification accurately. The satellite images at different spectral and spatial resolutions with the aid of image processing techniques can improve the quality of information. Especially image fusion is very helpful to extract the spatial information from two images of different spatial, spectral and temporal images of same area. An operation of image analysis such as image classification on fused images provides better results in comparison of original data. Comparison of various fusion techniques have been discussed and their accuracies have been evaluated on their respected classification. LISS III multispectral data and panchromatic data have been used in this study to demonstrate the enhancement and accuracy assessment of fused image over the original images using ERDAS imagine software.

18 illus, 4 tables, 8 ref

025878   Roy A B;Chatterjee A;Chauhan N K;Sinha J; Rakshit D (Geology Dep, Presidency Univ, Kolkata-700 073, Email: alokesh@yahoo.com) : Satellite imagery study of Kachchh, Western Indian subcontinent: implications for fault development and associated landform pattern. Indian J Geosci 2011, 65(4), 287-96.

Use of satellite imagery (IRS P6 LISS III and LISS IV MX) for the Kachchh geological province in western Indian subcontinent helped in precisely locating four major faults: Nagar Parkar Fault (NPF), Island Belt Fault (IBF), Kachchh Mainland Fault (KMF) and Katrol Hill Fault (KHF) from north to south. From the geometry of the south coastline of Kachchh and its parallelism with the NPF, there lies an intriguing possibility that this is a fault-controlled feature formed simultaneously with the other major faults occurring north of it. Movements along all these major faults along with a number of minor cross faults have influenced the geomorphic framework of the terrain. In satellite image, KMF appears as a strip of banded rocks, which on ground checking is proved to be a 180-m- wide zone of shear marked by very steeply dipping or vertical mylonite rocks. The importance of KMF, on which 2001 earthquake epicentres are located, lies in the fact that it constitutes the dividing line between two major geomorphotectonic components of Kachchh: the Great Rann of Kachchh in the north and the Kachchh Mainland in the south. Based on the geomorphic signatures associated with the faults, particularly those with the NPF; and petrochemical character of mafic magmatism in the region, the formation of faults can be linked with crustal upheaval during the Deccan-K/T boundary-related phase of Reunion Plume outburst under the Indian Lithosphere.

16 illus, 1 table, 23 ref

025877   Ray S K;Neogi S (Geology Dep, Presidency Univ, College Street, Kolkata-700 073, Email: skray45@yahoo.co.in) : Extent and analogues of the rangit window in the Sikkim Himalaya. Indian J Geosci 2011, 65(4), 275-86.

Field identification and mapping of widespread occurrences of mudstone-dominated carbonate-free siliciclastic rock assemblages, frequently containing layers of matrix-supported sandy to pebbly mudstones, have helped to revise the extent, outline and tectonic setting of the Rangit window in the Sikkim Himalaya. The revisions raise doubts on validity of the tectonic interpretations that are based on the earlier maps. We have designated the siliciclastic assemblages as the Phong La Formation, which shows lateral passage, without any major tectonic break, into the carbonate-siliciclastic assemblages that were mapped by the earlier workers as the Baxa Group of rocks of the Rangit window zone. This conformable passage suggests that the Phong La Formation is a constituent unit of the Baxa Group. The facies assemblages of the Phong La Formation indicate its deposition by processes related to gravity-driven mass flow (turbidity current flow) in distal deep-water setting on the continental slope. Our conclusions on extent of the window zone are however, independent of the suggested stratigraphic correlation. The Daling Group of rocks with two sets of foliations, penetrative lineations and imprints of superposed folding surrounds the window zone rocks on all sides. An abrupt break in deformation pattern and metamorphism helped to mark the contact of the feebly deformed to undeformed Phong La Formation with the overlying Daling Group of rocks as a surface of thrust discontinuity, and trace the discontinuity to the thrust surface that was mapped by the earlier workers at the window's perimeter. Accordingly the perimeter of the window has been extended along the contact of the Phong La Formation with the overlying Daling rocks. The revised expanse of the window zone, which includes the Phong La Formation, is almost double of the 150-sq-km (approximately) expanse mapped by the earlier workers. The thrust at the window's perimeter defines the western, northern and eastern limits of the window and joins the easterly-trending Rangit Fault that delineates the southern limit. The Gondwana and Baxa (including Phong La) rocks of the window zone ride over the Daling rocks along the steeply dipping Rangit Fault. The pebbly mudstone bodies in the southern part of the window zone, mapped by the earlier workers more than three decades ago as thrust-bound slices of Gondwana pebble slates, are enveloped by mudstones-siltstones, which continue along strike into the Phong La Formation. This continuity indicates that these bodies represent sandy and pebbly mudstones (diamictites) occurring at different stratigraphic levels of the Phong La Formation, and the interpretation of thrust imbrications based on the earlier maps needs to be reviewed and revised.

7 illus, 19 ref

025876   Ramesh Babu V;Somayajulu Y K;Anilkumar N; Sudhakar M (NO, National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Dona Paula, Goa-403 004, Email: yksoma@nio.org) : Geostrophic volume transport and eddies in the region of sub-tropical and sub-antarctic waters south of Madagascar during austral summer (January-February) 2004. Curr Sci 2011, 100(7), 1044-50.

Geostrophic volume transport based on hydrographic data is estimated across two transects that are covered south of Madagascar in the region of the sub-tropical and sub-Antarctic waters as a part of the Indian Pilot Expedition to the Southern Ocean on board ORV Sugar Kanya during austral summer 2004. Strong den-sity current shears are encountered in the study area suggesting high potential for the generation of meso-scale eddies. Volume transports with reversing directions are encountered especially in the depth range of 0-1000 m between Madagascar and around Sub-Tropical Convergence (STC) and they reach maxi-mum values of 40 and 80 Sv (1 Sv = 10⁶ m³ s^-1) directed towards southeast and east across tracks 1 and 2 respectively. Such reversing flows, however, are not much seen in the sub-Antarctic and Antarctic waters. The sea surface height anomaly (SSHA) field in the southwestern Indian Ocean based on satellite al-timetry during January-February 2004 further shows that relatively high meso-scale variability associated with the regions of larger volume transports promotes meandering of East Madagascar current (EMC) and combined Agulhas return current (ARC)/Antarctic circumpolar current (ACC) systems from where eddies are likely to shed out with a developmental tendency of clockwise (anti-clockwise) rotations on right (left) side of these current streams. A positive correlation between SSHA and mixed layer depth (MLD) is confined to the sub-tropical waters, suggesting the influence of eddies on the dynamics of MLD in the study area.

9 illus, 18 ref

025875   Rahman S;Hasan S M R;Islam M A;Maitra M K (Geography Environment Dep, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Email: blu_sr@yahoo.com) : Temporal chagne detection of vegetation coverage of Dhaka using remote sensing. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 481-9.

Foregoing areal expansion of Dhaka city with its dense population has been triggered the processes of land transformation as well as the growth of urbanization that are responsible for the physical and environmental instability of that area. In this research attempt has been taken to detect the loss of vegetation cover for the Dhaka district using multi-temporal, multi-date and multi-sensor aerospace data and to analyse the assessment of the impact of urbanization and biodiversity. Landsat imageries of the year January 1989, February 2002 and January 2010 have been used to find out the difference of vegetation coverage of Dhaka metropolitan and its surroundings over 20 years. About 20 percent vegetation cover that was present in 1989 has gradually decreased to 15.5 and 7.3 percent in year 2002 and 2010, respectively. Abrupt declination of vegetation coverage has been identified in Dhaka Metropolitan and Savar thana with a rate of 3.5 and 2.72 sqkm per year since last two decades, whereas gradual loss has been found in Nawabganj thana with an average of 1.62 sqkm per year. A considerably better situation has been observed in Keraniganj, Dhamrai and Dohar thana where the increasing rate was 0.9 sqkm during 1989-2002 period and declined at a rate of 2.28 sqkm during 2002-2010. The research has shown the pattern and nature of the interrelationship between urban sprawl and urban vegetation loss. Temporal urban map and database provides the baseline information for the planner and practitioners to monitor and predict the patterns and future trends of urbanization. Temporal mapping is driven by remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) to capture and analyse information from both historical and modern records. The map and the database have been focused the intense changes to the landscape that have incrementally developed over time.

4 illus, 4 tables, 13 ref

025874   Nongkynrih J M;Husain Z (NO, North Eastern Space Application Centre, Government of India, Departmen, Umiam-793 103, Email: jnongkynrih@gmail.com) : Morphometric analysis of the Manas river basin using earth observation data and geographical information system. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 647-54.

Basin morphometry is a means of numerically analysing or mathematically quantifying different aspects of a drainage basin. In the present study, morphometric analysis of the Manas drainage basin has been carried using earth observation data and geographical information system (GIS) techniques. The morphometric parameters considered for analysis includes the linear, areal and relief aspects of the basin. The Manas basin covers an area of 31,480 sq km and is an 8th order drainage basin with mainly dendritic drainage pattern. The mean bifurcation ratio is 3.81 indicating the basin is largely controlled by structure. The basin has medium drainage density of 0.78 per km² and is elongated in shape. The length of overland flow values of the basin is 0.64, indicating high relief. The study has strengthened in understanding the hydrological, geological and geomorphological characteristics of the Manas drainage basin.

1 illus, 3 tables, 12 ref

025873   Narmatha T;Jeyaseelan A;Mohan S P;Ram Mohan V (Geology Dep, Uniersity of Madras, Chennai, Email: narmatha.ta@gmail.com) : Integrating multivariate statistical analysis with GIS for groundwater in Pambar sub-basin, Tamil Nadu, India. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 392-402.

Groundwater samples from Pambar sub-basin were analyzed for chemical parameters. For present study 61 water samples were collected the study area in a regular distribution. The higher values of most of the parameters were found in the area of old settlement, while lower values observed in new settlements. This shows clear impact of land use on groundwater. Water quality data collected from different localities are used in conjunction with multivariate statistical technique to identify key variables. The first four components were chosen for interpretation of the data, which accounts for 76.47% of the total variance in the data set. The maximum number of variables, i.e. Cl, Na, TH, TDS and EC were characterized by first component, while second component is characterized by PO₄ and NO₂. The third and fourth components were characterized by Na and K respectively. This shows that hydrochemical constituents of the groundwater are mainly controlled by TDS and EC. For cluster analysis Wards linkage method was used. The findings of the cluster analysis are presented in the form of dendrogram of the sampling stations (cases) as well as hydrochemical variables, which produced three major groupings, suggests that groundwater monitoring can be consolidated.

5 illus, 4 tables, 17 ref

025872   Nag S K;Lahiri A (Geological Sciences Dep, Jdavpur University, Kolkata-700 032, Email: nag_sk@yahoo.com) : Integrated approach using remote sensing and GIS techniques for delineating groundwater potential zones in Dwarakeswar watershed, Bankura district, West Bengal. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 430-42.

Today all water resource development processes in most of the countries are based on micro watershed planning. Mico-watershed is the smallest area, which acts as a comprehensive unit in the hydrological environment. For sustainable development of water resources, all planning should be based on the character of the hydrological environment of the watershed. In the study area, the geological formation consisting of quartz, schist, slate show a fine texture of drainage pattern which indicate a high potential for groundwater occurrence. In general the slope is greater than 300 thereby indicating more runoff and less infiltration. Lineaments, hydrogeomorphology and slope are the key parameters in the groundwater occurrence in the Dwarkeswar watershed. The lineaments mapped from satellite images cut across slope categories and litho units, thereby indicating the possibility of acting as major conduits for subsurface movement and linear aquifers for the storage of water. The central and southern part of the watershed areas provide good prospect for groundwater. It has been observed in the field and from the groundwater potential map that the gentler slope has more prospects for groundwater. Lineament density, lithology and drainage texture act as complementary conditions for gentler slopes.

7 illus, 2 tables, 23 ref

025871   Mukhopadhyay B;Dasgupta S (Geodata and Database Div, Geological Survey of India, Central Headquarters, 27 J.L. Nehru Road, Kolkata-700 016, Email: basabmukhopadhyay@yahoo.com) : Processes of generation of earthquakes in Burmese-Andaman arc and Himalaya-random or non-random?. Indian J Geosci 2011, 65(4), 311-18.

The frequency analysis of inter-event time between successive earthquake events (m_b ≥ 5.0), with variable time bin, exhibits non-Poissonian characters when analysed for two contrasting seismotectonic sectors, viz. Burmese - Andaman Arc and Himalaya of Indian subcontinent. The inter-event time follows Hurst phenomena. The value of Hurst coefficient of the original sequence is placed in-between the maximum and minimum Hurst coefficient values generated by 300 randomized sequences. These randomized sequences are synthetically generated from the original inter-event time sequence by Monte-Carlo simulation method. Statistical 'Z' tests on Hurst coefficient values of the original inter-event time sequence with suitable null-hypotheses and Hurst plots exhibit pronounced non-random nature of earthquake occurrences and thereby reflecting the existence of temporal clustering in the sectors. The self similarity process of earthquake occurrences has pointed towards the critically stable condition of the seismogenic crust in the Indian subcontinent. As the process of earthquake generation is deterministic, prediction of earthquakes by statistical means is also possible.

2 illus, 3 tables, 23 ref

025870   Mondal A;Guha S;Mishra P K;Kundu S (Water Resources Development and Management, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, Email: arun.iirs@gmail.com) : Land use/land cover changes in Hugli Estuary using Fuzzy C-Mean algorithm. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 613-16.

Present study, land use/land cover changes has been evaluated in the decade between 1989 and 2010 utilizing Landsat TM5 satellite images in the Hugli estuary which stretches across 4817.98 km² of Gangetic delta in West Bengal, India, predominantly dominated by mangrove plantation. The study utilizes supervised classification techniques using Fuzzy C-mean classification algorithm. The main advantage of this approach of classification is that no spectral information is lost like in the case of hard partitioning of feature space, thereby, generating a much accurate classified image. With an overall accuracy of 90% for 1989 image and 89% for 2010 image, and kappa coefficient of 0.87 and 0.85 for both images for 120 sample pixels; it can be said that this technique is very satisfactorily classifying the pixels into different features without losing any information. The total land area has been increased from 2007.63 km² (41.67%) in 1989 to 2159.39 km² (44.82%) in 2010, at an average rate of 7.23 km²/year. This is mainly due to the increased land area in the category of waste land and forest including mangrove plantation. This increase in land area is attributed to the huge deposition of silt through the silt-laden river networks in the region.

4 illus, 6 tables, 16 ref

025869   Menon R;Raja P;Malpe D;Subramaniyan K S V; Balaram V (NO, National Geophysical Research Institute, Uppal Road, Hyderabad-500 606, Email: prajanbss@gmail.com) : Radioelemental characterization of fly ash from chandrapur super thermal power station, Maharashtra, India. Curr Sci 2011, 100(12), 1880-3.

Natural radioactivity due to the presence of ⁴⁰K, ²³⁸U and ²³²Th was measured in fly ash samples collected from economizer, aerator and electrostatic precipita-tor (EP) of the Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station (CSTPS) using a Nal (Tl)-based gamma ray spectrometer. The study indicates an elevated concen-tration of these radionuclides, especially in the finer ash samples from EP, which may provide an exposure pathway through inhalation of airborne ashes and could probably cause severe environmental and human health problems. The present study gains significance as it provides the requisite basic data on the radionuclides concentration in fly ash from CSTPS for a detailed follow up of environmental monitoring and to formulate effective management strategies.

2 illus, 1 table, 27 ref

025868   Meena K S;Gunsaria R K;Meena K;Kumar N;Meena P L (Chemistry Dep, M.L.V. Government College, Bhilwara-311 001, Email: kamodsinghlectche@gmail.com) : Problem of hardness in ground water of Deoli tehsil (Tonk district) Rajasthan. J Curr chem pharm Sci 2012, 2(1), 50-4.

Hardness is an important water quality parameter because excess hardness is not suitable for drinking and other purpose. Hard water produces serious health problems like- urolithosis, cardiovascular disorder, kidney problems, anencephaly and cancer.

6 illus, 1 table, 10 ref

025867   Madhusudan C;Ganapathy G P (Centre for Disaster Mitigation and Management, VIT University, Vellore-632 014, Email: seismogans@yahoo.com) : Disaster resilience of transportation infrastructure and ports. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 443-55.

Contemporary literature on disaster resilience of transportation infrastructure and seaports is reviewed. There is a considerable body of literature on disaster resilience in terms of engineering and technical resilience of infrastructure to disasters. Resilience of communities is also a subject of wide research. The impact of disasters on transportation infrastructure and their resilience has been studied by researchers, mainly in the context of the developed world. There is a considerable paucity of such studies on the resilience of transportation infrastructure in the multimodal context, even in the developed world. Studies on the impact of disasters on the interface of maritime transport and land based transport in a seaport centered setting are scarce. Most studies in this context have been spurred in the aftermath of 9/11 and hence are essentially security oriented. In general it is observed that there is still no widely accepted measure for resilience of transportation infrastructure for any mode of transportation. The review also exposes the lack of serious research on the impact of disasters on the resilience of transportation and port infrastructure in the developing countries. Areas requiring further attention from researchers are identified.

65 ref

025866   Liu X;Jiang B (Urban Planning and Environment Dep, Geoinformatics Div, Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden, Email: xintao@kth.se) : Novel approach to the identification of urban sprawl pathces based on the scaling of geogrpahic space. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 415-29.

Introduces a novel approach to identifying urban sprawl patches based on the statistics of blocks and natural cities under the principle of scaling of geographic space. Blocks are the minimum cycles decomposed from a road network and the important geographic elements in the process of urbanization. Scaling of geographic space refers to the phenomenon that small geographic objects are far more numerous than large ones. In this study, the measurements of block area, morphology and structure are found to demonstrate scaling property and follow heavy tailed distributions. Because of this, the mean values of these measurements can clearly divide all blocks into a two-level hierarchical structure, of which each hierarchy represents different geographical implications. For instance, small blocks imply the urban area while large ones imply rural area. Based on these findings, an improved method is proposed to aggregate the small blocks into natural cities in Texas. Authors further identify the abnormal blocks inside the natural city of Dallas, Texas as sprawling blocks, which constitute what we call urban sprawl patches. Multiple levels of urban sprawl are classified by performing the above process iteratively. This approach provides a quantitative and natural way to assess urban sprawl in the context of the urban environment.

9 illus, 3 tables, 25 ref

025865   Liling Z;Wenjuan X;Zhihua H (NO, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Chang'an University, No. 126 Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710054, China, Email: zhouliling613@hotmail.com ) : Groundwater evaluation in KeKeYa groundwater source: Comparison of water balance method and numerical simulation method. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 580-8.

Water balance method and numerical simulation method are widely used in groundwater evaluation. Based on the detailed analysis of hydro-geological conditions, both methods were applied to evaluate groundwater resources in KeKeYa groundwater source. The study shows that the difference between the total groundwater recharges and discharges is small, and the errors of the results of both two methods are both acceptable. The study also shows that the water-balance method which is simple and easy to understand is appropriate for groundwater evaluation of large region, but not suitable for small region because of the poor accuracy. The numerical simulation method which highly depends on the detailed analysis of local hydro-geological conditions and requires mass data is appropriate for both large and micro regions. The study also finds that applying the two methods together can improve the accuracy of groundwater evaluation result greatly.

3 illus, 4 tables, 14 ref

025864   Lakshmi Kantakumar N;Sawant N G;Shamita Kumar (NO, Institute of Environment Education and Research, Bharati Vidyapeeth Un, Pune, Maharashtra, Email: lakshmikanthkumar@gmail.com) : Forecasting urban growth based on GIS, RS and SLEUTH model in Pune metropolitan area. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 568-79.

Geoinformatics is today used extensively for managing the rapidly growing urbanization of our cities and villages. Growing urban areas increasingly encroach on the surrounding rural areas putting enormous pressure on the meager infrastructure, very often leading to the unplanned and unsustainable development. The study area is Pune and its surrounding rural areas. In this study, a self modifying cellular automated Slope, Land use, Exclusion, Urban extension, Transportation and Hill shade - model (SLEUTH) has been used to simulate and predict urban growth of Pune city by 2030 and its impact on the surrounding rural areas. The study is based on 38 years (1973-2011) of multi-temporal data compiled and interpreted from Landsat images, Survey of India toposheets and Aster GDEM. The predicted urban growth shows that Pune city may expand mainly in the North and East, rather than in the South and West directions. Rural areas in Urli Knanchan, Wagoli, Rahu, Talegoan Dhandhere, Hadapsar and Thergaon revenue circles might be the most influenced areas of Pune's urbanization by 2030. This study showed that the combined approach of geographical information system, remote sensing and SLEUTH model is very useful in modeling and predicting the future urban scenarios, which help in planning of rural infrastructure development.

8 illus, 3 tables, 19 ref

025863   Koshak N;Dawod G (Center of Research Excellence in Hajj and Omrah, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Email: nakoshak@uqu.edu.sa) : GIS morphometric analysis of hydrological catchments within Makkah metropolitan area, Saudi Arabia. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 544-54.

Spatial information technologies, particularly the Geographical Information Systems (GIS), represent efficient tools in determination of drainage basin morphometric properties for water resources management and environmental planning. GIS and a high-resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) have been utilized for the morphometric analysis of six basins exist within Makkah metropolitan area, southwest Saudi Arabia. Several morphometric parameters have been computed and analyzed,such as total relief, relative relief, relief ratio, ruggedness number, texture ratio, elongation ratio, circularity ratio, form factor ratio, drainage density, stream frequency, sinuosity factor, and bifurcation ratio. Impacts of morphometric parameters on flash flood characteristics have been also investigated. It has been found that the catchment no. 3 has the least time of concentration, the highest runoff depth. Such hydrological hazards are mainly due to the basin's small area and its highest relief ratio, relative relief, and ruggedness factor. Hence, it is concluded that this specific catchment might be considered as the most hazardous area in Makkah city in terms of flash flood impacts. Therefore, it is recommended that the attained results be utilized in water resources management and environmental planning in Makkah city.

4 illus, 9 tables, 19 ref

025862   Kamlesh K;Satyendra Kumar (Geography Dep, HNBGU, Dehradun) : Geomorphological study of Atagad basin, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand: GIS and remote sensing approaches. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 595-601.

Geomorphology is the science of evolution of landforms in terms of its lithology, structure, basin geometry and other morphometric factors. The main object is to map the land system into further various Landform unit and features through geomorphic approach in Atagad Basin. This study has been carried out to create the geomorphologic parts of Atagad Catchment. Geomorphologic maps were prepared using Satellite images (Landsat ETM+,TM, MSS ,SRTM )and digital SOI topographic sheet of the region; this was further updated during post field work. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) generation based on topographical sheet was prepared for creating relief map, slope map and erosion intensity zone in addition to drainage map with the help of topographical sheets, the generation of various thematic layers has also been developed. Land Use/Cover over the study area has been analyzed for the time periods of 2008. Various theme maps (erosion intensity, LST) were generated for GIS study analysis is done to analyze the instability and morphology of the catchment area.

3 illus, 2 tables, 12 ref

025861   Jotish N;Choudhury P;Ullah N;Singh K V (Civil Engineering Dep, National Institute of Technology, Silchar, Assam, Email: jnongthombam@gmail.com) : Geomorphological based rainfall-runoff model for ungauged watersheds. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 676-87.

Dynamic parameter velocity is an important parameter in GIUH based models. Accuracy of the IUH/UH predicted using GIUH models largely depends on the estimate used for dynamic parameter velocity. Kirpich formula and velocity relationships are independently used to estimate time of concentration for a watershed. In the present study it is shown that combining these empirical formulae a new relationship useful for estimating dynamic parameter velocity for a watershed can be developed. The new technique can be used with easily measurable watershed parameters to estimate dynamic parameter velocity. The model is applied to an ungauged watershed in Barak basin, in India. Applicability of the present model is tested by using a standard UH example reported earlier by different investigators. Peak discharge and time to peak value for the selected example are estimated applying the present technique and are compared with earlier results. Model performances show that the present technique can provide accurate estimate for the dynamic parameter velocity and when used with GIUH approach results to improved prediction for the peak value. The present technique is simple and gives estimate of dynamic parameter velocity on the basis of easily measurable watershed parameters and is useful for ungauged watersheds.

7 illus, 2 tables, 26 ref

025860   Hutti B;Nijagunappa R (Environmental Science Dep, Gulbarga University, Gulbarga-585 106, Email: urbasu@gmail.com) : Applications of geoinformatics in water resources management of semi-arid region, North Karnataka, India. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 371-82.

Karnataka is lack of water resources, especially in its arid and semi-arid regions. So the management of water resources in these areas is very important. The annual average rainfall of 50 cm for the whole country and its totality area, it has been discovered that total water resources in India are of the order of 167 million hectare-meters. It has further been calculated that only 66 million hectare-meters of water resources in India can be employed for irrigation. The population of India as on 2011 stood at 1,210,193,422 (1.21 billion) persons. Thus, India supports about 1/6th of world population, 1/50th of world's land and 1/25th of world's water resources. India also has a livestock population of 500 million, which is about 20 percent of the world's total livestock population. More than half of these are cattle, forming the backbone of Indian agriculture. The total utilizable water resources of the country are assessed as 1086 km³ Geoinformatics technology has its special advantage in this aspect. Introduces the applications of Geoinformatics, including remote sensing, geographical information system and global positioning system, in this field, such as surface water resources, groundwater exploration, dynamic monitoring of floods, water environment and drought monitoring, planning of water diversion project between basins and so on. It shows that Geoinformatics technology can play important role for North Karnataka development, especially in India. India is still an agricultural country; the water consumed in agriculture is the most significant one.

14 ref

025859   Handique B K;Gitasree Das (NO, North Eastern Space Applications Centre, Umiam-793 103, Email: bkhandique@rediffmail.com) : Spatial statistical analysis for delineating timber species diversity hotspots at compartment level. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 655-68.

Loss of biodiversity due to rapid deforestation has been a major concern for conservation biologists. Even though biodiversity hotspots are identified at global scale, methods for identification of biodiversity hotspots at lower administrative units are missing. A novel technique using remote sensing, geographical information system and spatial statistical analytical tools has been demonstrated for delineating timber species diversity hotspots within a selected reserve forest. Even though, the whole reserve forest is believed to be rich in timber species diversity, only 23 percent of the reserve forest has been found to be covered under timber species diversity hotspots. Among three major forest types, moist deciduous forest type found to contribute highest towards timber species diversity. Positive correlation of timber species diversity with canopy density has been observed. Among different elevation levels, 500-700 MSL has maximum areas under timber species diversity hotspots. This approach of identification of hotspots within a reserve forest is expected to help in optimal decision making for timber harvesting and in situ conservation planning.

5 illus, 3 tables, 44 ref

025858   Ghosh S (NO, , 54/3, Mahendra Banerjee Road, Kolkata-700 060, Email: sombhunath.ghosh@gmail.com) : Lohawat meteorite revisited. Indian J Geosci 2011, 65(4), 251-64.

Lohawat howardite which fell at about midnight in northwestern India in 1994 has been revisited in the light of its petrological complexity and chemical heterogeneity. Based on mineral chemistry and whole-rock chemistry hitherto not reported, Lohawat howardite is described here as diogenite component-enriched polymict breccia with a stamp of mild shock metamorphism up to 50GPa. Besides two major clast lithologies (diogenite and eucrite), a large variety of mineral clasts, chondrite clast including chondrules, rock-melt clast, shock-induced clast and unusual clasts have been described. Genomict character of eucrite clasts is established from the presence of cumulate and non-cumulate textures. Pigeonites show both exsolution (at estimated temperature of 967°C) as well as inversion and imply a sample population from deepest part of a thick, highly stirred eucrite layer of the HED parent body. Based on broad-beam EPMA data on ultrafine grained pulverised matrix it is inferred that the eucrite clast-enriched matrix of Lohawat howardite varies from ultramafic to basaltic composition.

15 illus, 10 tables, 23 ref

025857   Geena G B;Ballukraya P N (Applied Geology Dep, University of Madras, Maraimalai Campus, A.C. College Building, Guindy, Chennai-600 025, Email: geenagbabu@gmail.com) : Morphometric analysis of Korattalaiyar river basin, Tamil Nadu, India: a GIS approach. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 383-91.

Watershed development and management plans are very important for harnessing surface water and groundwater resources. To prepare a comprehensive watershed development plan, it becomes necessary to understand the topography, erosional status and drainage pattern of the area. This study was undertaken to determine the drainage characteristics of Korattalaiyar river basin and the area of the basin is 3,625km²morphometric parameters are computed by using Geographic Information system (GIS). GIS was used in evaluation of linear and areal aspects of morphometric parameters. The drainage patterns of the basin are dendritic and include a seventh order stream. The quantitative analysis of various aspects of river basin drainage network characteristics reveals complex morphometric attributes. The streams of lower order mostly dominate the basin. The development of stream segments in the basin area is more or less affected by rainfall. The erosional processes of fluvial origin have been predominately influenced by the subsurface lithology of the basin.

3 illus, 1 table, 14 ref

025856   Ganguli M (Geography Dep, The University of Burdwan, Golapbag, Burdwan-713 104, Email: malayganguli@gmail.com) : Groundwater withdrawal and land subsidence: a study of Singur block, West Bengal. Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 465-71.

Land subsidence is a slow imperceptible geological process referring gradual decrease in the elevation of land surface. It can be occurred due to many reasons such as, underground mining, extraction of oil, gas, water beneath the surface, natural settlement, hydro compaction, drainage of organic soil etc. Broadly the occurrence of subsidence can be classified into two reasons, natural and anthropogenic causes. Anthropogenic causes play a leading role in a short period of time. The present work is an attempt to measure land subsidence of Singur block, district Hooghly, West Bengal due to ground water extraction. It is found from the observation that the rate of decline of static water table, the depth of total aquifer system and the hydro-geological characteristics of the aquifer control the rate of subsidence of the area. The whole work is done based on secondary data sources. The average rate of subsidence was 0.92 mm/ year during 1998-2002 which increased to 8.7 mm/ year during 2002 - 2006. The estimated average rate of land subsidence is 6.13 mm/ year for 1 m drop of static water table.

4 illus, 3 tables, 8 ref

025855   El Aouli E;Ikenne M;Amaouain H (LAGAGE Lab, Geology Dep, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Zohr University, PO Box: 8106, Agadir 8000, Morocco, Email: hassan.elaouli@laposte.net) : Geochemical and geodynamic constraints on the origin of calc-alkaline cryogenian mafic rocks in the Igherm inlier (Wester Anti-Atlas, Morocco). Int J Geomatics Geosci 2011, 2(2), 357-70.

Igherm inlier (western Anti-Atlas, Morocco) dolerilic dyke swarms with various directions and gabbroic intrusive bodies were emplaced during Neoproterosoic times, cutting across either Eburnean micaschists and granites or panafrican limestones and quartzites. The mafic rocks of the lower Cryogenian magmatism from the Igherm inlier (Moroccan western Anti-atlas) have calc-alkaline, tholeiitic and alkaline affinities. The calc-alkaline dolerite dykes and gabbros bodies emplaced before the conglomeratic formations of the Upper Cryogenian and after the tholeiitic mafic rocks that characterize the pre-Pan-African rifting, are similar to rocks from orogenic setting. They are characterized by high LILE, Th, Ce, P, Sm contents and La/Nb ratio and a low HFSE content with negative anomalies in Nb, Zr and Ti. The geodynamic environment of the sedimentary country rocks corresponds to that of a passive margin in a distensive tectonic context. The calc-alkaline affinity of these magmas can be attributed to the influence of a Pal‘oproterozoic subduction zone that contributed to the enrichment of the subcontinental mantle. During the extensional event of the Pan-African orogenesis, the mantle would have produced tholeiitic, alkaline and/or transitional magmas before melting (caused by adiabatic decompression) reached the enriched subcontinental mantle previously enriched during the Eburnean subduction, where it would have generated calc-alkaline magmas.

6 illus, 2 tables, 46 ref