Search

The text summarizes the Proceedings of the Annual General Meeting of the Geological Society of India in 2022, which took place at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology in Dehradun. The meeting focused on various aspects of geosciences, including research on the Himalayas, seismogenesis, climate-tectonic interactions, and natural resources. Discussions revolved around the Annual Report and Audited Statement of Accounts for the year ending March 2022, and awards were presented to geoscientists who made significant contributions to the field. The meeting aimed to address issues related to natural disasters in the region and find solutions for sustainable development. The text also includes replies from recipients of awards, who express gratitude for the recognition and discuss their areas of expertise and research contributions in geology, mineralogy, and geochemistry. Additionally, acknowledgments and awards are given to individuals for their papers on groundwater irrigation and contributions to Precambrian Geology. The text concludes with the announcement of elected council members for the Geological Society of India for the triennium 2022-2025. [Extracted from the article]

The paper pertains to the studies carried out on the eclogitic xenoliths of KL-2 kimberlite of Kalyandurg kimberlite cluster in south India. Petrographic studies revealed bi-mineralic and kyanite-bearing eclogitic xenoliths in KL-2 kimberlite. The bimineralic and kyanite-bearing eclogites of Kalyandurg KL-2 kimberlite pipe show variation in modal proportion of garnet, omphacite, clinopyroxene and kyanite. The paper reports discovery of native gold grains and Au-Pt alloy in the kyanite-bearing eclogite xenoliths of KL-2 kimberlite. The flaky gold grains occurring in the matrix of kyanite-bearing eclogite are homogeneous and two grains of Au-Pt alloy with Au and Pt in the proportion of 9.8:1.2 are also present. This is the first report of gold and gold-platinum alloy specs from eclogitic xenoliths of Indian kimberlites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India witnessed a massive tsunami on 26th of December 2004, which adversely affected the East coast of India. This research focuses on the coastline between Nagoor to Poompuhar, Tamil Nadu which lies for a stretch of 35 km. Eight stations, namely, Poompuhar, Chinnangudi, Kuttyandiyur, Chandrapadi, Kottucherimedu, Karaikal Beach, Vadakku Vanjiyur North, and Nagoor Beach were chosen and a total of 73 samples were studied. The motive is to study the characteristics of pre and post tsunami sediment samples by analysing their grain size. The statistics of the sediments were done using G2Sd package of R programme, which showed lowering in the mean values of phi, percentage of increase in bimodality, change in skewness, and moderately well sorted sediments post tsunami indicating high-energy circumstances. The bivariate plots were plotted between different parameters to get more insight about depositional environments. Linear Discriminate Functions reveal the samples of pre-tsunami were deposited by aeolian process but most of the post-tsunami samples were deposited by beach process and 100% are from shallow marine conditions. The CM pattern and tractive current plots reveal the gradual suspension in pre tsunami whereas rolling in post tsunami. The characteristics of sediments of pre- and posttsunami in a more effective manner are presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about workshop "Western Ghats; Evolution and environmental issues" organised by research centre National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS) on 1-2 January 2016 is presented. Topic included understanding knowledge gap between geoenvironmental issues, geological evolution and resource management of Western Ghat. Workshop featured three technical seasons including theme Western Ghats-A climate regulator, discussion over presented papers and forestry of Western Ghats.

Escalated groundwater contamination around the world developed the idea of aquifer vulnerability, which has widely been employed globally to safeguard groundwater from contamination. Several extensive studies have been done to evaluate the degree of groundwater vulnerability using various techniques. However, a comprehensive assessment of existing literature in order to identify major research gaps associated with aquifer vulnerability is still required. The current study provides a critical overview of several groundwater risk assessment methodologies, including the GIS-based DRASTIC and modified DRASTIC methods, application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning techniques, and integrated approach for both intrinsic and specific vulnerability assessment. The study discusses validation of DRASTIC model and its comparison with a few other methodologies as well. The paper also highlights the international approach (time dimension in groundwater vulnerability, integrated process based and isotopic studies, etc.) that needs to be practiced rigorously on a larger scale in India. A descriptive summary of the literature indicates that a multidisciplinary and integrated framework such as understanding contaminant type, uncertainties in vadose zone need to be implemented in a much more comprehensive way, especially in India. A conceptual framework that is both reasonably adaptable and scientifically sound must be created for specific vulnerability assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pookode, the freshwater lake in the Western Ghats, is a well-known tourist place in southern India, and human interference has turned the otherwise serene environment into a polluted one. This paper discusses the geochemical and textural characteristics of the Pookode lake and by determining the sedimentation rate, an attempt is made to predict the useful life of the lake. The predominance of mud fraction and high organic matter content in sediments favour the accumulation of heavy metals as indicated by the different indices. The sedimentation rate was determined using 137Cs dating method and the maximum lifespan of the lake maintaining its hydrological and ecological functions is estimated as ∼700 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The East coast bauxite deposits of Odisha are well known in the mineral map of India. Some such deposits exposed at Nunapaimali, Sasubohumali and Baphlimali overlying khondalite of the Precambrian Eastern Ghats belt have been studied in respect of petrology, mineralogy and microstructure with a view to find out their genetic evolution. Bore hole samples from two former deposits and mine profile samples from Baphlimali revealed a good profile differentiation, in terms of three horizontal zones of variable thickness, which in descending order are: 1 to 29m laterite zone, 2 to 28m bauxite zone, 9 to 36m saprolite zone, comprising of lithomarge and partially lateritised khondalite [PLK] developed over host khondalite. Petrographic and mineralogical difference between these three zones, brought out through optical microscopy and XRD studies, further confirms the differentiation. Genetic evolution of bauxite is interpreted from the study of a large number of samples and results are collated from the photomicrographs appended in the paper. The authigenic bauxitisation was brought about by gradual dissociation of Al-silicate to Al-hydroxide minerals through different weathering cycles as indicated from their microstructural manifestations and mineral assemblages. Primary gibbsite is formed in the initial stage of weathering directly from Al-silicate minerals. Advanced stage of prolonged weathering converts the Al-silicate to kaolinite and then to secondary gibbsite. Grain size enlargement and recrystallisation showing mosaic habit, grain boundary migration and grain orientation are the outcome of digenesis. The weathering/lateritisation process continues, resulting in colloidal precipitation of gibbsite from pore water of lateritic residuum and is in progress even in recent period The Fe-oxide phases, represented by goethite and hematite are youngest in the paragenesis, and formed due to solution, precipitation and dehydration. Iron is mostly contributed by almandine garnet present in the host khohdalite. During chemical leaching, Fe gets released from garnet and occur either as FeOOH along its fractures or fill the weak planes/inter-granular space as secondary goethite. The goethite dehydrates to hematite during digenesis. Goethitisation and limonitisation particularly in the laterite zone are the results of supergene alteration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Granitoids are well exposed in Jirang-Patharkhamah area (latitude N 25°57′− 25°41′ and longitude E 91°30′–91°38′). The area lies mostly in Ri-Bhoidistrict and is also extended to West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya. The granitoids are medium grained and nonporphyritic. The colour is dominantly grey although some granitoids are pink in colour. The common minerals in order of abundance are quartz, plagioclase, K-feldspar, biotite and hornblende. Secondary minerals are sericite, chlorite, muscovite, secondary hornblende and secondary biotite. Among accessory minerals, sphene, zircon, apatite, calcite, zoisite, magnetite and monazite are significant. The intergrowth textures such as perthite, myrmekite in these rocks indicate that the rocks were affected by low temperature alteration. The representative samples ploy in the field of granite in various geochemical discrimination diagrams. The aim of the present paper is geochemical characterisation of the granitoids using major and trace elements (including REE). The whole rock geochemistry reveals that the granitoid is I-type, calc-alkaline, metaluminous to weakly peraluminous and an attempt is made to examine the nature of the magma based on biotite mineral chemistry. The biotite chemistry indicates that the granitoid is I-type and calc-alkaline. The paper also aims to estimate temperature of emplacement of granitoids based on two feldspar geothermometer and Ti-in biotite geothermometer. The temperature calculated from two feldspar thermometry is in the range 512–602°C and the average is 550°C. The temperature calculated by Ti-in biotite thermometer is in the range 623 to 656°C and the average is 645°C. Geothermometric results plays an important role in definition of petrogenetic history and regional tectonism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jara dome in the western part of the Kachchh basin is the distal-most exposure of the Callovian to Aptian age sediments of the Kachchh stratigraphy. These outcrops are represented by three formations, namely, the Jumara, Jhuran, and Bhuj formations. The central part of this dome is represented by the entire succession of the Jumara Formation (Member-I to IV). This paper aims to document ichnofabric changes in the distal part of the basin during a basinal-scale transgression. The Jumara succession at the Jara dome is represented by finer sediments compared with the other coeval sediments across the basin. Ichnofabric analysis of the Jumara Formation at the Jara dome implies 21 ichnospecies from 12 ichnogenera with the reconstruction of ichnofabric constituent analysis for all four members. Member-I implies low diversity-low density trace fossils with a simple tiering profile. Member II is two thick bands of marls rich with high diversity and density occurrence of Zoophycos. Ichnofabric analysis suggests slow sedimentation in the shelf environment below the Storm wave base under dysoxic conditions. Ichnofabric analysis of overlying Member III suggests deposition below the fairweather wave base with well-oxygenated, shifting substrate-type environments. Ichnological analysis of Member IV (Dhosa oolite Member) suggests that a transgression event was inferred at Jumara Dome. Thus, the ichnofabric analysis of the Jumara Formation suggests an increase in ichnodiversity steadily from member-I to III and then a decline. A comparison of the Jara dome ichnology data with other coeval sediments of the Kachchh basin suggests high diversity in the Jara dome area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive account on the evolution of the Tertiary Himalaya coals of India and their various attributes. The coal bearing sequences in Himalaya have formed in two different geotectonic settings, first under foreland basin (Oligocene coals of Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh of northeastern India) and second under Platform basin (Eocene coals of Meghalaya of north-eastern India) conditions. The Jammu coals of northwest India developed in the late Paleocene in the western Himalayan foreland basin. A sea transgression inundated the Jammu area which gave rise to forest swamp and Jammu coals eventually formed under tropical humid climatic conditions in the tropical climatic belt of northern hemisphere. In northeastern India, the Oligocene coals have shown more maturity than the Eocene coals and have relatively high carbon content and they also have developed caking characters in many coalfields. This may be because the Eocene coal developed in the tropical climatic belt when the northern part of the northeast India was still in the southern hemisphere and the Oligocene coal evolved when the northern part of the northeast India was in the northern hemisphere and the collision during the Oligocene in this part improved the maturity of Oligocene coal due to Himalayan orogeny. The Himalayan coals are exceedingly rich in vitrinite with variable quantities of liptinite and inertinite macerals. Dominance of typical Tertiary angiospermic floral assemblage in the Himalayan coals is well indicated by the occurrence of single, double and triple celled telutospores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The documentation of excavation method and support design based on rock mass classification systems i.e. rock mass rating (RMR), Q-system and New Austrian tunneling method (NATM) for adit-7 tunnel being constructed in Garhwal Himalaya, India is discussed in this paper. The New Austrian tunneling method classes of rock units have been developed by using correlations with the RMR and Q systems, according to the ONORM B 2203. NATM principles were used because the geological conditions were continually changing. The study indicated that the RMR-based rock mass estimation was overstated, but the qualitative assessment was right. The NATM technique is more adaptable for Garhwal Himalayan rocks having various uncertainties in rock mass evaluation. The current adit investigations indicate that there are numerous unanswered concerns, concerning rock mass quality evaluation, tunnel behavior during construction and usability. Results of the analysis are considered to be useful for the design of the new tunnels constructed in the similar type of the terrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study considers the impact of the degree of weathered material constituting the sedimentary rocks on the strength of the Lower Gondwana coal measure rocks. The dependence of the strength of primary rocks on the alteration indices has been previously studied, but it is unknown for secondary/sedimentary rocks. Therefore, in this paper, Lower Gondwana coal measure rocks (sandstone and shale) from the most productive coalfields of India, the Barakar and Raniganj coalfields, have been studied geochemically and geomechanically to find out their correlation. Geochemically, the study revealed that an arid, non-marine, and deltaic depositional environment prevailed during the sedimentation of Barakar and Raniganj Formations. The provenance was deduced to be mafic igneous. It was also deduced that the Lower Gondwana sandstone is clay-rich, and the sandstone samples fall in the shale field in the chemical classification scheme for terrigenous clastic sediments. The weathering indices, along with the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of the Barakar and Raniganj Formation coal measure rocks, have been assessed. The dependence of UCS on the weathering indices has been evaluated, and positive relationships were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research study aims to analyze flood frequency to relate flood magnitudes with corresponding return periods. These estimates are crucial for the development of flood-preventive hydrological infrastructures and flood plain zoning, etc. Basin-wide high intensity of rainfall and high discharge from the upper riparian region during monsoon months creates flooding in the middle and lower reaches of the Ghagra River basin. Therefore, the flood estimates for three gauging sites situated on the mainstream of the Ghagra River viz., Elginbridge, Ayodhya, and Turtipar, have been comprehended using the Gumbel distribution (Extreme Value Type I) method and the Log-Pearson Type III distribution method. Flood estimates are calculated for 1.01, 1.05, 1.11, 1.25, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 years return periods considering flood time series of 50 years to reduce estimation uncertainty. The findings of flood frequency analysis (FFA) revealed that the probability of occurrence of the flood is more than 80% at all three sites because Ghagra River can carry around 7800 to 9000 m3/s of water discharge without posing a high risk of levee break. The upper and lower limits of discharge carrying capacity depend on the river's desiltation process. Hence, the flood occurs almost every year in the basin; its only variation is its severity. The rainfall-runoff relationship is estimated by integrating a simple linear model and for rainfall trend analysis Mann-Kendall is applied. Linear regression analysis-based rainfall-runoff relationship outcomes revealed a significant relationship with a positive correlation coefficient i.e., 0.2722 for Elginbridge, 0.39624 for Ayodhya, and 0.4844 for Turtipar gauging site in the monsoon season but other factors like a high amount of water discharge from dams in upper riparian regions, etc. are also responsible for flooding in the middle and lower reaches. The Mann-Kendall trend analysis shows a decrease in annual average rainfall and rainfall in the monsoon season. Discharge variability indicates the direct relationship between flood fury and changes in climatic patterns in recent decades. This paper identifies that future research is needed to better inform the policy planners who strive to design sustainable infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is endowed with unique geological and tectonic setting conducive to host potential mineral resources. A look at the mineral resource status of selected minerals in India indicates abundant and/or adequate resources of iron, chromite, manganese, bauxite, coal, limestone, dolomite, mica, zinc, graphite but deficient to scarce resources of nickel, cobalt, molybdenum, copper, sulphur, potash, apatite, rock phosphate, gold, PGE's, diamond etc., in spite of the vast obvious geological potential (OGP) blocks that exist in India. The OGP blocks have been estimated to around 1 lakh Km2 for gold, 3 lakh Km2 for diamond, 1.6 lakh km2 for base metals, 8000 km2 for PGEs and 5000 km2 for iron ores. By a rough estimate only 10% of this is explored and less than 2% is mined. The Reserve to Resource ratio which, as per mineral exploration practice, should be over 50% is woefully low for most of the minerals. For instance it is 17% for bauxite, 14% for copper, 24% for iron 14% for lead-Zinc, 8% for limestone and 30% for chromite etc. This calls for highly focused exploration strategy at high confidence level. India need to take a leaf out of strategies of many other countries and frame her own policy based on OGP areas to trigger the mining growth by accelerating mineral exploration programme. Benefits that flow from the mineral exploration/mining sector have huge impact on local populace, industry especially mineral dependent industries, employment and overall prosperity. Recent amendments in the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulations) Act-1957 in the year 2021, have sought to bring out the potential of the mineral sector such as to increase the revenue of the State, escalate employment, maintain the continuity of mining operation, increase production, time bound operationalization of mines, increase the speed of exploration and auction of mineral resources and lastly to resolve the long pending issues that have decelerated the growth of this sector. This is an encouraging step and likely to bear fruits. These legislative and policy reforms in the mineral exploration and mining sector have laid down a sustainable road map that aims to boost mineral output by 200% in the next 7 years and raise the GDP contribution to 2.5%. Mineral laws Amendments Act 2020 are transformative and investor friendly. Mining is now defined as legal entity and hence seamless transfer of mining lease is possible. New auction mechanism instituted will ensure transparency, eliminate discretion, reducing bureaucratic delay and easier trading of mineral rights. Setting up of District Mineral foundation (DMF) will work for the interest and benefit of mining related operations and overcome the local resistance to the mineral exploration and mining activities. The National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) will focus on extending more financial assistance to government and also the private sectors to augment advance technology and will surely give fillip to exploration initiatives. The paper deals with such ideas in relation to the required thrust in mineral exploration sector in Indian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minerals and metals are crucial raw materials for industries and a major source of development for the country. In India there has been a pronounced growth in the exploration for minerals both in terms of quantity and value. To further enhance the growth rate and remove any bottleneck, the government has taken several legislative reforms through more transparency and non-discretion by way of first-come, first-served basis in the allocation of mineral concessions, through Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Amendment Act, 2015. Recently, MMDR Act, 1957 has been amended through the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2021 vide notification dated 28.03.2021 for improving ease of doing mineral production and business in the country and help increase Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Exploration of energy-critical minerals, fertilizer minerals, precious metals and stones, strategic minerals and deep-seated minerals which are otherwise difficult to access and for which the country is mainly dependent on imports, needs to be prioritized. Enhanced exploration and mining can significantly reduce India's import dependence on mineral and metals and help economic growth. For comparison, only 10% of obvious geological potential (OGP) area of India has been explored while Australia has explored more than 90% of its area. In this paper, some of these legislative reforms and challenges to provide an impetus to mineral exploration are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents results on the characterization and hydrometallurgical studies for the recovery of Rare Earth Elements (REE) from micro-granite type hard rock REE deposit of Bhatikheda, Siwana Ring Complex, Rajasthan, India. The total REE (TREE) content of the ore is 0.36%. Heavy REE (HREE) constitutes about 40% of the TREE by weight. Allanite, zircon and gittinsite were identified as the major REE bearing phases. The nature of occurrence of REE phases in the ore is widely varying with the presence of fully liberated grains to those which occur very finely disseminated in lighter gangue minerals. Physical beneficiation using gravity-based separation techniques gave suboptimal performance. Agitation leaching of ground ore with different mineral acids gave good solubilisation of light REE (LREE), about 75%, but the leach recovery of HREE was only 40%. However, sulfation roasting followed by aqueous leaching (SRAL) yielded leach recovery of 85% of total REE under optimised conditions. The lean tenor of TREE in the leachate coupled with its complex solution chemistry necessitated use of ion exchange (IX) process with strong cationic resin in lieu of conventional solvent extraction based separation and purification. The dissolved REE values from the purified liquor were quantitatively precipitated in the form of TREE fluoride using HF as the precipitant. The final product was about 90% pure on dry weight basis. An integrated process scheme for the recovery of TREE values from the Bhatikhera hard rock deposit is designed- [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allanite, being one of the most common REE bearing mineral phases in the multimetallic mineralized domain of Singhbhum Shear Zone, has always attracted attention from researchers. The present paper outlines a detailed petromineralogical study on various textural types of allanites. The allanite is categorized into 6 different types falling under three major categories on the basis of deformation, metamictisation and darkening of pleochroic halos. On the basis of mineral assemblage and probe analysis of allanite it follows that the optical and textural variations are an implication of not only multiple generations of their formation but rather significant variation in nature of hydrothermal fluids as evidenced by the differences in co-crystallized assemblages. They hint at relatively reducing hydrothermal conditions in Singhbhum Shear Zone responsible for REE-U-Th mineralization overprinting earlier event of oxidizing hydrothermal mineralization in which the well-known Th-poor uraninite, crystallized. Majority of the allanite appeared post or at the most syn-tectonic in their formation. The available geochronological data of allanite suggests them to be formed around 1.8 Ga. Considering textural criteria as seen in the present study, it appears that the majority of allanite owing to their undeformed morphology must have formed later to or at the most during waning stages of shearing and hence the minimum age of shearing in SSZ could be considered around 1.8 Ga instead of 1.6 Ga. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainwater Harvesting (RWH), although an ancient technique of artificial recharge to groundwater and reuse of stored rainwater, has been improved with the developing technology. RWH systems have many benefits in rural as well as in urban areas of arid and semi-arid regions. Almost all metro cities of India are facing problems of water logging and flooding even after a short heavy rainfall. In metro cities RWH could be helpful for artificially recharging groundwater in depleted water level areas; reduction of flood risk in urban areas; assured source for an effective alternative water supply solution and use of harvested water during water scarcity period. Nevertheless, most of the studies in literature focused on the potential of RWH for buildings, institutional areas for reducing water consumption, whereas few examples were examined for their efficient use. Almost all big cities in India are planning metro rails which have huge potential for RWH with its elevated stations, viaduct (elevated corridor) and depot areas. This work aimed to investigate and realize the RWH potential especially for metro rails which are in the implementation stage for different cities in India. This paper also highlighted the legislations of RWH of different states where metro rails were implemented. It also emphasized on the root cause of inefficiency of the RWH system and how to increase the efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a total resource of 22,487 million tonnes of haematite (Fe2O3) and 10,789 million tonnes of magnetite (Fe3O4), India ranks seventh among the countries to possess abundant iron ore resources, in the world. India is not only one of the leading producers of iron ore but also at present second largest manufacturer of steel in the world (2021). Though the country can boast of huge good quality iron ore resources, the percentage of reserves to total resources is quite dismal as only 5,422 million tonnes (24%) of haematite and mere 53 million tonnes (0.49%) of magnetite resources are categorised as reserves as on 1.4.2015 as per UNFC categorisation. It is a matter of great concern that with rapid expansion in the steel manufacturing capacity, there will be unprecedented demand for iron ore for domestic consumption, since it is estimated that by the year 2030 India is likely to produce 300 m.t. of steel to meet the ever-growing domestic demand. Besides, India is likely to continue its iron ore export to keep the structural balance in the international market. In such a situation, can India equip itself to meet the surging demand for iron ore and what should be the strategy for the country not only to augment its iron ore resources but also to enhance its reserve base to a respectable level. This paper attempts to analyse the existing iron ore resources vis-a-vis demand-supply balance of iron ore for the year 2029–30, considering the pros and cons of the existing government policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The entire Himalayan arc is predicted to produce a series of significant earthquakes and the subsequent great earthquakes of magnitude 8.0 and higher. A substantial amount of rock tunneling is being carried out in the Himalayan region to meet the growing demand for transportation, power, and other infrastructure projects. Earthquake forces influence the final design of the tunnel, which requires further strengthening of the concrete lining and improvement in tunnel support. Because of increasing importance, it is essential to combine the dynamic forces and displacements produced by seismic ground movements into the design stage for tunnels. In this paper, a numerical analysis has been carried out to assess the seismic performance of a proposed hydropower tunnel of 8.8m diameter (horseshoe-shape) in Uttarakhand, India. The impact of earthquakes on underground structures such as tunnels is often considered to be insignificant. However, the results of this study show how that stress from seismic loads can be damaging to the stability of the tunnel. In this study, a pseudo-static approach was adopted to assess the impact of the earthquake on the tunnel lining for the sections located in different rocks namely slate (Q=3.4), quartzite (Q=6), and dolomitic limestone (Q=5.2), respectively. Pseudo-static analysis findings suggest there is a 35% increase in the lining forces for an impact of earthquake for the tunnel section situated in Slate. Furthermore, displacements and damage-prone areas are determined to assess the damage to the tunnel, which could be helpful for rapid evaluations of potential future damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fresh and pure water has an important role to play for healthy life. Currently, in many studies higher concentrations of contaminants like calcium, sodium, nitrate, lead, chromium, arsenic, fluoride etc. have been reported that makes the water unfit for its direct consumption. Sources and release mechanism of many such pollutants is still not known. These sources can be anthropogenic or geogenic. This paper deals with one of such contaminants namely fluoride and emphasizes on its release from various minerals viz. Gypsum, fluorite, tourmaline, actinolite, plagioclase, biotite, quartz, kayanite, epidote and orthoclase under different pH environment. It has been noted that maximum fluoride has been released from the fluorite at all pH environment (acidic, normal and alkaline) of water while minimal fluoride was released from kayanite. However, orthoclase, tourmaline and biotite can release fluoride in considerable amount. The attempts were also made to compare the release of fluoride from modern sand (Ganga sediments) with ancient sand (from sandy aquifer) under different pH condition. Outcome of studies shows that maximum fluoride released from the sand at the pH range of 6.1 to 8.2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an attempt to study the relationship between coal microstructures and mineral matter in Ramagundam Gondwana coal of Godavari basin. For this purpose, the occurrence and distribution of mineral matter in different lithotypes and microlithotypes have been investigated and their association with organic matter has been studied. The work has been accomplished through detailed petrography, SEM-EDS and XRD studies. Presence of clay minerals and pyrite, along with trace amounts of apatite, ankerite, hematite, calcite, dolomite and quartz has been revealed from the study. The lithotypes and bands have variable concentrations of mineral matter which occurs associated with different microstructures in coal. Optical microscopy reveals that mineral matter occurs maximum in dull-coal but it is almost equally distributed in dull-banded coal and banded-bright coal. The study also incorporates the nature of fracture and phyteral pores and their association with mineral matter. Vitrain is characterized by cleats, micropores and microfractures which are often filled up partially or completely with mineral matter; fusain has well preserved tracheids with open pits and partially homogenized cell structure filled with mineral matter. In durain and clarain lithotypes, the minerals are intimately intergrown with the organic constituents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the consequences of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was tremendous advancements in global tsunami science and coastal emergency management systems. The event, which killed over 235,000 people, brought to light the vital gaps in global tsunami science and observation systems. The subsequent global and national initiatives to develop Tsunami Early Warning System (TEWS) conceded positive results in reducing harm to people and damage to infrastructure. Especially, after the 2011 Japan tsunami, more significant improvements are accomplished in the last decade in tsunami science and its applications to disaster risk reduction. Although early warning systems have been a great promise for tsunami mitigation, there are still considerable uncertainties in monitoring and detection. Most of the current Tsunami Early Warning Systems are based on seismic origin earthquakes occurring at subduction zones. However, the other 'atypical' sources such as events related to submarine landslides and volcano eruptions are yet to be addressed globally. Here in this paper, we review the current state of the Indian Tsunami Early Warning System, recent advances to reduce the forecast uncertainties, and future developments to deal with 'atypical' sources. Also, we review the significant developments in community preparedness and awareness activities of India to reduce tsunami impact on the public and property. Advanced technology combined with enhanced response capabilities of the public at risk is important for a successful and sustainable Tsunami Early Warning System. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coralline algae of the Late Pleistocene Miliolite Formation of Kachchh region, Gujarat, western India are studied in terms of taxonomy and their paleoenvironmental implications. The Quaternary bio-clastic sediments belonging to the Late Pleistocene Miliolite Formation are well exposed in Kachchh, western India and these sediments consist of sandy limestones and calcareous sandstones. The present paper deals with the study of coralline algae from the sediments of the Late Pleistocene Miliolite Formation. Twenty two species of coralline algae are being recorded for the first time from these sediments. Out of twenty two species, eight belong to non-geniculate coralline algae and fourteen belong to geniculate coralline algae. The geniculate coralline algal species are: Lithophyllum incrustans Philippi, Lithophyllum sp.1, Lithopyllum sp.2, Lithoporella melobesioides Foslie, Lithothamnion sp.1, Lithothamnion sp.2, Lithothamnion sp.3 and Lithothamnion sp.4 and geniculate coralline algal species are: Amphiroa anchiverricosa Johnson and Ferris, A. fortis Johnson, A. rigida Lamouroux; Arthrocardia cretacica Raineri, A. indica Kundal and Humane, A. konitaensis Ishijima; Calliarthron antiquum Johnson; Corallina grandis Rao, C. prisca Johnson, C. typica Ishijima; Jania guamensis Johnson, J. mengaudi Lemoine, J. sripadaraoi Kundal and Humane; J. vetus Johnson. The present coralline algal assemblage suggests that the sediments containing algae from the Miliolite Formation were deposited in the shallow water marine/beach environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At times when there was hardly any commercial equipment available for important field investigations and no other Institute in India was engaged in the development activity of Geophysical instruments, CSIR-NGRI has taken an important and challenging initiative of design and development of Geophysical instruments in early 1960's. A wide variety of geophysical instruments was designed and manufactured for field use and successfully demonstrated their usage in different field investigations across different parts of the country. After the successful demonstration of these instruments, they were produced on batch scale at the Institute, to meet the immediate requirements of research, teaching and survey organizations and subsequently the know-how for few instruments were transferred to commercial firms. This paper is a review of few of the important development activities of Geophysical instruments carried at CSIR- National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI) such as Resistivity meter, Seismic refraction timer, Proton Precession Magnetometer (PPM), Time domain Electro Magnetic System (GS-100), Flux Gate Magnetometer, Magnetic susceptibility meter, Metal detector, Pulsed Transient Airborne E.M System, Rubidium Vapour Magnetometer, Magneto telluric sounding System, EM Enslin unit, Salinity meter, Automatic water level and quality meter, Borehole logger etc. Another important work is the development of technique and a device for measurement of spectral induced polarization response using Pseudo Random Binary Sequence (PRBS) current source, Multi electrode SP Measurement System. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an attempt to investigate the mineral matter constituents in Permian coals of Mahanadi basin, India. Twenty two bulk samples from the working mines have been selected for the study. Analytical techniques such as X-Ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy coupled with coal microscopy have been used in this study for rapid characterization. The chief mineral phases are quartz, kaolinite, orthoclase, muscovite, and chlorite in order of increasing abundance in all the samples. Petrographic analysis reveal the dominance of Vitrinite (36.17%) followed by the Inertinite (32.33%), Liptinite (14.30%) group of macerals and mineral matter (17.18%). Mineral matter in the voids and cell lumens is common mode of occurrence in the coals which can be attributed to syngenetic and epigenetic types. The proximate analysis suggest the coals have high ash yield (8.37% to 38.46% on air dried basis) with high volatile matter (10.8% to 35.51% on air dried basis) making it suitable for thermal power plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Availability of water flow for assessing in transboundary river basin is a crucial issue and is necessary for water sharing and management. As a Transboundary river, Ganga has created water conflict between India and Bangladesh, related to water sharing at Farakka. Under these circumstance, applying hydrological model SWAT, measurement and understanding of water availability is important. This paper examines the spatio-temporal distribution of surface water in the entire Ganga basin to understand the actual causes of water shortage during lean season. Based on DEM, slope, soil, LULC and weather data, the SWAT model has been run at the catchment scale with a good performance under R2 and NSE evaluation methods. The study shows that annually Ganga basin of India is rich in water (average 1216165.5 cumec) and majority of the catchments delivers enough water to the main stream but during lean season only above Ramganga, Ghaghara, Gandak and Yamuna lower are active, which together contributes 60.6% of the lean season water discharge to the main channel of Ganga. Likewise, India, annual discharge in Bangladesh (average 65764 cumec) is satisfactory, but lean season water flow has only 3% of the annual, is very meagre which affects actual water availability of northwestern part of the country. The study also established that actual evapotranspiration of the entire basin is much higher than precipitation during the lean season and indicated a great deviation between supply and demand which concluded water stress condition in the Ganga basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper reports an important amount of Ti-V-Ga and REE enrichments in the hitherto-unreported eighteen bodies of ferruginous and aluminous laterite capping over the Dhandraul Formation of the Vindhyan Supergroup, Eastern India. It is brown to deep reddish-brown, limonitic, massive, and having a pisolitic form which is mainly rounded to subrounded and filled up of clay, bauxite, limonite, hematite, goethite, and surface encrustation of ferruginous material. Laterites are chiefly composed of ferruginous minerals like hematite, magnetite along with secondary jaspery material and limonite, goethite, in association with silicates and clay minerals. The analyzed samples show high values of Ti, V, Ga, and LREE like La, Ce, Pr, Nd, and Eu along with some significant values of Sm, Gd, Dy, and Yb. TiO2 value is ranging from 0.72 to 18.84 % with an average of 9.77 wt. % which is twenty-two times higher than the crustal abundance. Values of vanadium vary from 48 to 1163 ppm with an average of 593 ppm, and gallium varies from 9 to 90 ppm with an average of 47 ppm, and these values are three to five times higher than the crustal abundance. The "REE is varying from 208.81 to 899.31 ppm with an average of 484.49 ppm which is three times higher than the crustal abundance. The other significant trace elements identified are in ppm: Co (5–135), Cr (76–970), Cu (5–17), Ni (7–48), Pb (6–143), and Zn (14–231 ppm). This finding has got an enormous impact on the future Ti-V-Ga and REE exploration in the Vindhyan Supergroup in the state of Bihar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider existing reliable data indicate the depositional age of the uppermost sandstone (Maihar Sandstone) of the Vindhyan Supergroup to be closer to 1000 Ma. We consider the penultimate statement by Pandey et al. (2023) "... the Maihar Sandstone is deposited within the Ediacaran Period" (our italics) is erroneous. In this note, we address both the dubious geochronology and the dubious biostratigraphy called on by Pandey et al. (op. cit.), and comment on the impropriety of changing extant stratigraphy on the basis of either. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering geological and geotechnical assessment of the dam foundation are essential for the design of the dam to ensure safety. At the southeastern part of Karnataka, Yaragol gravity dam is being constructed, which is designed based on site geomorphological and geological conditions and economic reasons. This paper discusses the results of the engineering geological and geotechnical investigations that have been carried out at the foundation levels of the dam. The dam foundation is composed of foliated gneiss and granite gneiss belonging to Archean to Paleoproterozoic age with intrusive dykes. This study is based on field and laboratory investigations, surface discontinuity mapping, drilled borehole data and in-situ shear testing. In-situ shear parameters of rock-rock interfaces and concrete-rock interfaces were conducted for the evaluation of dam stability against sliding. The classification and rock mass quality of the dam site is assigned using the rock mass rating (RMR) for all the 19 blocks and allowable bearing pressure (qallow) is assessed based on rock types and RMR. At all the blocks foundation, geological defects were mapped and analyzed and treated with suitable engineering measures. Based on structural features mapped, curtain grouting and consolidation grouting is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

River morphometry is a useful approach in basin analysis which helps to interprets fluvially originated landforms. The aim of the present work is to evaluate the morphometric and morphotectonic parameters along with prioritization for soil erosion and water availability in Chite Lui watershed. Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is a useful approach to find out soil erosion and ground water potential zone with an aim to achieve successful management of a watershed. It helps to examine the susceptibility zone in watershed. The present paper documents the delineation of 14 sub-watersheds in Chite Lui River at 3rd order stream. Its prioritization has been performed using several morphometric parameters namely drainage density, elongation ratio and many other parameters using Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP). Sub-watersheds are ranked from 1–14 based on soil erosion and groundwater potential zones. The Chite Lui watershed is a fifth order drainage basin with a total area of 52.7 km2. The tectonic parameters of the watershed as the asymmetry value is 34%, indicates the structural control over the area either by uplift or tilting. The hypsometric integral value is 0.5 and the valley width height ratio is 0.05 which also suggest tectonic activity in the area. Sinuosity related many parameters along with geomorphic indices like stream power index (SPI), stream gradient index (SL) and topographic wetness index (TWI) were also calculated to suggest the watershed health. The present paper shows that the morphometric analysis is highly relevant and efficient in delineating susceptibility zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of groundwater in irrigation and drinking purposes and sustaining growth in economy is well-known. Groundwater is generally less susceptible to contamination and pollution when compared to surface water bodies. This paper is based on extensive investigations on the spatial and seasonal representative measurement of chemical parameters from 80 dug wells of Churu and adjoining Bikaner districts of Rajasthan, India. The region has dearth of water resources — both surface and sub-surface, with the main source of water being the dug wells. The application of hydro-statistical techniques and tools like Pearson's correlation coefficient, relative activity of sodium ion (SAR), Wilcox diagram, Piper diagram and magnesium hazard indicate that the chemical parameters of the water of the study region is of very poor quality and not suitable for drinking and irrigation purposes. Wilcox diagram shows high sodium content, can destroy the soil structure rendering the soil and water unsuitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fully mechanised mining method using continuous miner (CM) for pillar extraction in single-pass is introduced in the year 2010 at Pinoura Mine of South Eastern Coalfields Limited, Bilaspur in India. Overall mining cycle time is reduced by single-pass pillar extraction as it does not require drivage of split galleries in pillars and support installation for such galleries. Further, inherent technical abilities of the deployed CM for faster cutting and quad-bolter for supporting, helped in faster recovery of pillars without creating any strata control issues. Rate of face advance varied between 5–15m/day with an average of 8m/day. Field observations found that CM based single-pass extraction is capable in dealing with the strata control issues during depillaring under weak and laminated (incompetent in nature) roof layers having rock mass rating value around 42. A total of eleven panels, have been depillared under the weak and laminated geology, ranging depth of cover from 59 to 149m in different panels of the mine. During field investigations in these panels, a maximum of 2.89MPa induced vertical stress is recorded and influence of caved roof over underground mining structures is observed up to 15m in the out-bye from the goaf edge. This paper deals with estimation of snook size and limiting roof movement value based on numerical simulation and field studies during the single-pass extraction below the incompetent geological formations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper describes the abundant and very well preserved ichnotaxon complex Hillichnus agrioensis, as established by four different morphological levels of exposures. Associated trace-fossils such as Jamesonichnites heinbergi and Ancorichnus ancorichnus are also being reported from the Hettangian to Bajocian Thaiat Member of Lathi Formation of Jaisalmer basin, western Rajasthan, India. The ichnospeices Hillichnus agrioensis is being documented for the first time in India. Morphologically, Hillichnus agrioensis includes straight to gently curved, branched or feather-like (almost flat) structures with a central tube. It is interpreted as a deep-burrowing bi-siphonate or tellinaceans bivalves. The ichnotaxon Jamesonichnites heinbergi is interpreted as a burrow made by an infaunal deposit-feeder (fodinichnion), while Ancorichnus ancorichnus is domichnion and may also solely be the result of locomotion (repichnion). This study suggests the presence of shallow or marginal-marine environment for the above-mentioned trace-fossil bearing horizons as trace-fossils characterized by such features have also been found from other parts of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian coal mining industry is in transition phase with the growing demand of coal and is likely to escalate further with the need of ultra-mega power projects as well as announcement of smart cities projects. Although, there exist sufficient coal reserves in India, continuous acquisition and possession of coal bearing land is required to minimize the existing gap prevailing between coal demand and supply.The solution of the problem lies not only in modification of laws and policies of industry, but also in modification of mining engineering practices towards sustainable development. This paper critically examines the cause of the problem in the light of Indian laws and practices of the industry. In this paper a method of exact reclamation of post-mining land has been designed as a solution to make easier land acquisition by way of proposing a system of returning back the exact reclaimed land to its owners under corporate social responsibility activity of the industry. The proposed conceptual model of interlinking corporate social responsibility with land exchange will encourage sustainable development practice by mining engineers, and may turn around the public image of the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, effective use of hydrocarbon fuels are essential for achieving energy security, economic growth, climate goals and to bridge the implementation delays in the renewable energy sector. Based on the published data, the paper reviews the role of hydrocarbon resources in the Indian energy sector and the need for an innovation-centered ecosystem in the areas of clean-coal usage, natural gas, sequestration and utilizing unconventional hydrocarbon resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-surface coal mine fires burn valuable resources and give rise to great threat in the local environs and people's health. Jharia coal field is one of utmost fire affected coal fields in India. This paper deals with the study of sub-surface coal fire using self-potential (SP) method, a cost-effective and non-invasive passive geophysical technique. SP method in coal fire mapping works based on redox potential generated by oxidation of coal and also on Thomson potential due to temperature gradient. Initially, SP anomaly map generated using electrode drift corrected field data. The SP anomalies in the present study area vary from ∼95 to ∼ −40mV. SP anomaly map has been continued to a height of 10m from the ground to remove the possible shallow surface noises. The upward continued anomaly map has been enhanced using first vertical derivative. Further, Euler's depth solutions have been estimated to understand possible geometry and source depth of sub-surface coal fires. The local geological map and field photograph corroborate well with the results for the characterization of coal seam fires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphometric analysis in the recent few years has derived attention in terms of its applicability in different aspects of geological and environmental perspectives. It provides an insight into the process driven changes such as drainage basin assessment, runoff, infiltration, basin evolution, natural and tectonic framework etc. The study of the Ghaghara River fluvial dynamics in a gentle sloping region and alluvial terrain has not been put forward in a broad perspective as compared to hilly or hard rock terrains and needs to be addressed effectively. In the present paper, the morphometric analysis of the Ghaghara River has been carried out to delineate various surface processes that carve the basin into fluvial terrain. The basin delineation has been done using Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) data using Arc GIS 10.3. The study shows stream varying from one to six (I-1844, II-807, III-200, IV-49, V-23 and VI-1) orders. The mean bifurcation ratio indicates that the basin is geologically and structurally controlled in flat regions. The low stream frequency value 0–5km−2, explains that the basin under study is highly permeable. The length of overland flow (>0.7) is indicative of sheet erosion rather than channel erosion, while the drainage texture points towards the coarse texture. The morphometric analysis and observations from the measured parameters indicate an asymmetrical and elongated basin with neo-tectonic activities. Therefore, multi-fold interpretations are generated on the basis of the morphometric analysis of the Ghaghara river basin which may be useful in providing information relevant to societal interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on exploring changes in Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) over Baramulla district of Kashmir using remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS). Linkage of LULC with evapotranspiration and precipitation is also explored in this paper. LULC were categorised into dense forest, sparse forest, water body and other classes by using geospatial satellite data from Landsat for the years 1979, 2001 to 2018. The dense forest and water body show decrease in extent from 1979 to 2018. A decrease of about 27 % has been reported from 1979 to 2018 in dense forest. Furthermore, water body shows a reduction of about 36% during the same time span. Significant changes in dense forest and water body affected the water cycle of the region. Reduction in dense forest and water body resulted in significant decrease in evapotranspiration which caused reduction in precipitation over the study area. Reduced precipitation over study area caused conversion from agriculture to horticulture. Increase of about 55% in horticulture has been reported with decrease of about 54% in agriculture over study area. Evapotranspiration from reanalysis shows coherent variation with precipitation from India Meteorological Department (IMD) gridded product. A decadal decrease of about 0.5% in evapotranspiration resulting in decrease of about 0.38% in precipitation over study area is reported. Increased horticulture causes increase in black carbon due to increased biomass which results in increased warming over study area. Changes reported in this study may cause a significant socioeconomic and environmental impact over Baramulla. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper deals with morphometric analysis of Koshalya-Jhajhara (K-J) watershed, tributaries of Ghaggar in northwestern India. The area forms a rugged topography having elevation range from 399 m to 1810 m MSL. Aster DEM and SOI toposheets have been used to calculate various parameters using Geographic Information System (GIS). Linear, areal and relief aspects for morphometric analysis were calculated using GIS. Total number of streams in the watershed are 991 out of which 543 are of 1 order, 259 are of 2 order, 124 are of 3 order, 58 are of 4 order and only 7 are of 5 order. The order of stream determines the chances of flood in the stream. Higher the stream order more the probabilities of flood. The present paper indicates that K-J watershed is of 5 order and less elongated in shape having lower peak flows of longer duration with dendritic pattern and having fine drainage texture. Bifurcation ratio varies from 3 to 5 which indicate that geological structures don't have dominant influence on drainage pattern. High slope is witnessed in NE part and low slope in SW part with very low gradient ratio. Variables like stream frequency and drainage density determines the volume of the water discharge and its speed of flow in the river channels. Higher the stream frequency and drainage density more will be the probability of floods. These variables also effects temporal variations in the speed at which the water flows in the stream when flood reaches its peak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the ancient perennial water abstraction structures-Keni-developed by the tribal communities in Wayanad district, Kerala, southwest coast of India. Keni is shallow wooden abstraction structure built in the soil zone where the water table is near or above the ground level. These traditional water abstraction structures are perfect example of water harvesting and water purification. As a preliminary assessment, a detailed survey of the Keni in the district is conducted and the result of the chemical analysis of water from the Keni is presented in this paper. Water from Kenis meet the drinking water quality standards prescribed by the BIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater is one of the valuable resources and due to increase in the population, industrialization and agriculture practices, the groundwater stress has increased to a greater extent. Once the groundwater gets contaminated, remediation is very difficult. The steps to measure the groundwater vulnerability must be taken for sustainable groundwater protection and management planning. In this paper, the DRASTIC model is applied to find out and generate a small-scale map of groundwater vulnerability to assess the contamination in the upper Palar river basin, Tamil Nadu, India. A number of tanneries are located along the banks of the river basin. The quality of groundwater in and around river basin area has been affected very much due to the untreated effluent of the tanneries discharged directly to the river. The DRASTIC model consists of seven hydrogeological parameters including depth to water table, net recharge, aquifer media, soil media, topography, impact of vadose zone and hydraulic conductivity; each factor is assigned by weight and rating which depends upon the influence of the seven hydrological layers of the river basin area. The ArcGIS 10.3 software was used to create the groundwater vulnerability map by overlaying the seven layers, which is intended to show potential areas of groundwater contamination. The results of the study shows that, 50% of the study area falls under very high pollution potential zone, 20% under high pollution potential, 15% under moderate pollution potential, 10% under low pollution potential, and the remaining 5% of the area has no risk. The very high vulnerability class which is covered by the alluvium along the river course is most likely to pollution due to the very lower slope terrains in the direction of the central part, which allows better percolation of contaminants into the groundwater. The low vulnerability class lies in the area covered by the hard rock and clay loam soil in the upper reach of the Palar river which contains mountains and hard rock terrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karanpura field is the western most member of the E-W trending Damodar Valley basin, belonging to Indian Gondwana sedimentation. This paper aims to provide a field-scale depositional model of Permian Barakar Formation from Karanpura field in order to enlarge the knowledge of stratigraphic and facies architecture. The study reviews the findings from extensively available cores. Four major facies were defined, which represented a fluvial depositional environment. Observations from core analyses were integrated with high resolution geophysical log data to understand the stacking pattern and depositional cyclicity of Barakar Formation. The lateral and vertical distributions of the facies associations were highlighted by well correlations, which established major fining upwards depositional cycles in the area. The depositional model has been interpreted on a regional scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper emphasis the participation of different geomorphic parameters related to various characteristics of drainage in evaluation of active tectonics of an area. For the purpose, the morphotectonic evaluations of the Son valley, central India have been carried by involving various drainage related geomorphic indices viz., stream-gradient index (SL), hypsometric integral (HI), drainage basin asymmetry (AF), valley floor height and width ratio (Vf), transverse topographic symmetry factor (T), mountain front sinuosity (Smf), drainage basin shape (BS) and sinuosity index (SI) and relative rock strength (RRS) for classification of relative index of active tectonics (RIAT) in geographic information systems (GIS) environment to understand the role of active tectonics in geomorphologic evolution of the studied region. The established RIAT classes through field validations categorize the valley into four zones such as class 1- low activity (RIAT < 2.7); class 2-moderate activity (RIAT =2.7 < 2.99); class 3- high activity (RIAT=2.99 < 3.29); and class 4-very high activity (RIAT>3.29). The sub-dendritic, rectilinear and parallel linear drainage styles in RIAT classified basin reveal the traverse of a network of seventeen faults in association with two major faults namely Son-Narmada-North Fault (SNNF) and Son-Narmada South Fault (SNSF) in variable associations of rocks and multiple types of structural elements present in the Son valley. The signature of vertical upliftments may indicate the instability tectonic activities along the identified network of faults associated with SNNF and SNSF. Hence, the study suggests variable tectonically activeness of area in the Son valley. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new occurrence of lamprophyre dyke is being reported from Saurashtra peninsula of Gujarat, north-western Deccan trap. The paper presents and discusses the detail mineralogy, field setting and whole rock major and trace element geochemistry. The newly discovered lamprophyre dyke intruded into the porphyritic olivine basalt flow. It is E-W trending dyke paralleling with Narmada rift trend, 200 m long and ∼1 m in width. Petrographic observations suggest the lamprophyre dyke is fine grained, porphyritic and shows typical panidiomoprphic texture. It contains phenocrysts of euhedral to subhedral amphibole (kaersutite), subhedral clinopyroxenes (diposide augite) and olivine pseudomorph enveloped in the groundmass composed of plagioclase, clinopyroxene and amphibole with carbonate, Ti-magnetite, zeolite and apatite occurring as accessory phases. Few clinopyroxenes show reaction and embayed margins thus indicating xenocrystic orgin. The normative chemistry of the lamprophyre dyke suggests alkaline nature with significant amount of olivine and nepheline. Whole rock geochemical data shows comparatively higher SiO2 than the other lamprophyres of the Deccan and similar to the MgO depleted lamprophyres of the Chhota Udepur alkaline province. The primitive mantle normalized multielements pattern shows absence of any high field strength element (HFSE) anomaly. Studied dyke displays more similarity with the earlier reported pre- Deccan alkaline lamprophyres and more particular with the Chhota Udepur lamprophyre. Occurrence of this new lamprophyre dyke from the Saurashtra region extends and confirms the presence of lamprophyre magmatism in the far north-western part of the Deccan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind energy is a popular from the non-conventional energy sources in the World. In India states like Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Orissa, and Maharashtra are as regarded as superior areas with respect to this type energy. The installed capacity of wind in India till December 2010 was 13,056.37 MW, principally distributed throughout the Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, etc. In Maharashtra, there are 38 wind farms and the 3655 wind machines are installed with the 3431.86MW capacity of power generation up to September 2013. In Satara district, 17 wind sites and also other some sites are discovered. At present there are 1636 wind turbines are installed with its capacity of power generation is 1122.61MW and the production of wind energy of 2183745.15KWh average per annum in Satara district.The main objectives of the present paper are to assess the scope of non-conventional energy resources especially the power generation from wind and to analyze the trend and distribution of the wind mills and wind farms in Satara district. It is find out the amount of recovered from the power generation comes around 12 years without subsidy and around 8 years with subsidy. The total life span of wind turbines is 25 years. It is very much clean and does not cause any problem to the environment as well as to the survival on the surface of the earth. Therefore, it is inferred that the generation of power from wind is not only cheaper and permanent energy source but also a non-polluting, freely available source. It is helpful for the development of economically and socially in a region especially in rural development. With these consequences the income level will increase and it will further help in minimising the social disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jharkhand is well known for the largest iron deposits in India. Noamundi is the main deposit, which is associated with shale, keolinite. The rock succession exposed in the southern Singbhum and Keonjhar and lying unconformably over the older metamorphics are known as Iron Ore Series (Ravindrakumar, 1986). This paper relates the assessment of grades of iron ore of the area. The study involves with pre-processing, FLAASH (Fast Line-of-Sight Atmospheric Analysis of Spectral Hypercubes) Atmospheric correction algorithms of EO-1 Hyperion data and evaluating the spectral characteristic by using ENVI 4.7 software package. The position of peak reflectance and absorption trough, continuums removal and absorption band depth are considered for assessment the spectral characters. The strong absorption observed is between the 860 to 900nm wavelength region and peak reflectance is observed in the 750 to 780nm wavelength region of the image spectra. The position of the NIR absorption trough shift to the direction of the longer wavelengths is due to decrease of iron content. Higher values of band depth indicate a better possibility of the iron occurrence. As a result, this spectral study enables the possibility to differentiate the grades of iron ores from hyperspectral satellite images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sonrai basin, located along the southwestern margin of Bundelkhand Granite-Gneiss Complex (BGC) is known for its base metal and phosphorite mineralization. Uranium mineralization of appreciable grade and thickness was reported in Pisnari block in the northern part of this basin during sub-surface exploration activity in 1976-97. This was in the form of uranium-bitumin association within fractures in the carbonate-terrigenous sediments of Gorakalan shale, Rohini carbonate and Bandai sandstone of Sonrai Formation of Bijawar Group. Similar mineralization was also noted within the lower chloritic shale member of Solda Formation of the same Group. During subsequent drilling activity at a later phase (2005-09), uranium rich zones within Rohini carbonate and chloritic shale members were corroborated by the interception of mineralized bands in two boreholes drilled near Pisnari. Petrographic study of radioactive core samples reveal that uranium mineralization is closely associated with globular carbonaceous matter and sulphides along the fractures. Uranium is either adsorbed in carbonaceous matter or occurs as ultrafine inclusions of coffinite within carbonaceous matter. An additional phase of secondary uranium mineral (uranophane) is also noted in one of the boreholes. The uranium minerals, in association with sulphides, fill up moderately dipping fractures (approximately 15o towards North) which are oblique to the core axis of the inclined borehole and thus, the mineralization is characterized as hydrothermal fracture-controlled vein type mineralisation. C-HN- S analysis of carbonaceous matter occurring in close association with the uranium minerals reveal heterogeneity in composition with respect to carbon and sulfur. The present paper aims at discussing the geological, petrological and radiometric aspects of this mineralization, so as to enhance the understanding of the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]