Hari B. Srivastava

Fuzzy gamma based geomatic modelling for landslide hazard susceptibility in a part of Tons river valley, northwest Himalaya, India

Himalaya, being an active orogen, is continuously undergoing tectonic activities that pose threats of land stability on the mountains. A large number of mass movement occurrences have been observed in a part of the Tons river valley area. Remote sensing and geographical information system (GIS) based techniques have been used to derive and analyse various parameters and attributes pertinent to the landslide hazards. The GIS based analysis in the present work, incorporating the fuzzy membership values from the existing landslides, has been used for spatial modelling of the parameter maps including geology, slope amount, slope aspect, weathering, erosion, drainage influence, tectonic influence and landuse/land cover for landslide hazard zonation. The model has been used to spatially classify the study area into zones of very high, high, moderate, low and very low landslide hazard zones. Eighty-five percent of the active landslides have been observed to occur in very high and high hazard zones.

Strain and crystallographic fabric pattern in a folded calcite vein: the dependence on initial fabric

Buckle folding of single competent rock layers is typically accommodated by tangential longitudinal strain (TLS), which involves layerparallel stretching in the outer arc of a fold and layer-parallel shortening in the inner arc, with a neutral surface separating the two. We describe a folded fibrous calcite vein in which the primary crystallographic fabric, with c-axes perpendicular to the vein walls, allows only for layer shortening by twinning on 0112; twinning cannot lead to layer stretching. As there are no other deformation mechanisms that allowed for stretching in the outer arc, the folding must have occurred without the development of a neutral surface in the layer. Intensity of twinning increases from the outer edge of the folded vein to the inner edge, suggesting that a neutral surface existed at the outer edge. This is supported by approximate measurements of twinning strain that show a strain gradient consistent with TLS, and that indicate also about 10% layer-parallel shortening prior to fold growth.

Strain and Crystallographic Fabric in Mesoscopic Ductile Shear Zones of Garhwal Himalaya

Abstract The MCT Zone of Bhagirathi valley of Garhwal Himalaya is characterized by numerous mesoscopic ductile shear zones. These shear zones are developed in response to nearly NNE-SSW maximum horizontal compression and provide an opportunity to study the variation in strain and crystallographic fabrics within the ductile shear zones. The grain shape and orientation of quartz under microscope reflect that strain is higher in the center and it progressively decreases towards the shear zone boundary. The preferred orientation of quartz c-axes across the shear zone suggests that the single girdle of the quartz c-axes are probably first developed at the shear zone boundary and become prominent in the center of shear zone with increase in the intensity of deformation. The strong crystallographic preferred orientation normal to foliation suggests that the internal deformation of the quartz might have taken place by dislocation creep mechanism exhibiting a non-coaxial deformation history.

Sedimentary processes in two different polar periglacial environments: Examples from Schirmacher Oasis and Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica

Abstract Schirmacher Oasis and Bharati Promontory in Larsemann Hills of East Antarctica are currently ice-free coastal areas exposed in physiographically different polar periglacial environments. Schirmacher Oasis is bound by the presence of a vast stretch of ice shelf in the north and the polar ice sheet in the south. It exhibits well-developed patterned ground, abundant till deposition, block-fields, episodic development of curvilinear morainic ridges, extensive outwash plains and erratics. In contrast, the occurrence of such depositional features is sparse on Bharati Promontory, where landmass is directly in contact with the ocean. The sedimentary processes vary in their magnitude owing to different physiographic settings in these two geographically separated locations. Scanning electron microscopy of quartz grains shows subsequent reworking under glaciofluvial environment and final deposition of material in glacially scoured basins. The fluvial action is more pronounced in the Schirmacher Oasis than on Bharati Promontory. The transport of sediment by polar ice is mainly through englacial pathways with a minor contribution from the supraglacial component. Discharge of all sizes of sediments ranging from large boulders to glacially abraded rock-flour in varying proportions takes place at the ice–bedrock interface. Granulometric analysis also shows turbulence of transporting media and reworking of sediments before final deposition.

Strain determination from concentric folds

Abstract A new technique to determine flattening strain from initially concentric folds is described in this paper. The proposed method is simple and involves direct measurements on fold profiles. It requires measurement of the distance between the center of the fold to the middle of the layer, and this is plotted as a function of line orientation. The method needs few measurements at fixed angular spacing resulting in quick estimation of strain.

Geochemistry of Mesoproterozoic Deonar Pyroclastics from Vindhyan Supergroup of Central India: Evidences of felsic magmatism in the Son valley

Deonar Pyroclastics of Semri Group in the Vindhyan Supergroup originated as a result of violent and explosive intrabasinal submarine volcanism during the Mesoproterozoic period. These pyroclastics are rhyolitic to rhyodacitic in composition, comprised of banded, massive, pumiceous flow, breccia, vitric tuff, lapilli and volcanic bomb. The pyroclastic deposits represent welded and non-welded ignimbrites, exhibit typical eutaxitic texture. Mantle normalized multi-element patterns show enrichment in LILs and depletion in HFSFs. Ti, Nb and REE contents show close correlation with Zr, indicating their immobile character. HFSEs and Th/Nb, La/Nb and Zr/Nb values indicate contamination and these signatures represent mixing between mantle-derived rocks and the average continental crust. Deonar Pyroclastics reflect continental rift environment. Felsic magma plausibly generated by underplating of the mature Proterozoic crust of the Indian craton (which acted like a ‘heating lens’) resulted in extensive melting of metabasalt in the lower crustal levels. The high heat flow beneath the Indian shield accentuated heat generation which led to extensive partial melting of metabasalts. Thus, generation of rhyolitic magma occurred along the reactivated deep seated fractures and rifting of the craton, resulting in the explosive intra-basinal felsic vulcanicity in the Vindhyan basin.

Transition in Late Quaternary Paleoclimate in Schirmacher Region, East Antarctica as Revealed from Lake Sediments

The lacustrine sediments are one of the best sources to provide information on climate change, specially in peri-glacial climatic region. Schirmacher Oasis, located on the Princess Astrid Coast in Queen Maud Land, is one of the few areas in East Antarctica that provides valuable information on paleoclimate of the region with various depositional features formed due to deglaciation process. This Oasis is dotted with more than 100 lakes of proglacial, land-locked and epi-shelf type. The multi-proxy sedimentological data, generated from the sediment cores from land-locked lakes and grab sample from a proglacial lake, lying in the same drainage line in the central part of Schirmacher region has provided better insight into the paleoclimatic evolution of the region. The immature and chemically unaltered lake sediments have shown restricted drainage pattern. Different phases of warmer and cooler intervals are highlighted by the patterns of fluctuations in different sedimentological and statistical parameters. The dominance of glacial signatures is very clear on the lake sediments as revealed by the surface textures of quartz grains. Physical weathering has mainly controlled the overall sediments and the composition of clay fraction. The clay minerals indicate a gradual shift in the weathering regime and therewith in climate from strongly glacial to fluvioglacial specially around 42 ka. This indicates beginning of warming of the area much before the LGM. But the warm period is not strong enough to alter the overall clay chemistry. Proxy records indicate short-period climatic oscillations during late Quaternary.

Tectonometamorphic Evolution of Jutulsessen, Gjelsvikfjella, cDML, East Antarctica

The Jutulsessen area, can provide a vital clue to the supercontinent assembly of Gondwana Land as it is situated within the Circum East Antarctic Mobile Belt just east of the Penksockett rift marking the divide between the central Dronning Maud Land from the Western Dronning Maud Land. This landmass is dominated by migmatitic quartzo-feldspathic rocks intruded by syn to post-tectonic granites. The work highlights the data from western part cDML area with a view to arrive at a more comprehensive model for the cDML and subsequently to the super continent assembly. Granitic and migmatitic gneisses comprising of amphibolitic and biotite rich enclaves. The gneisses show variations from quartzo-felspathic gneiss to amphibolitic gneiss. The area has witnessed complex geological history involving at different deformational episodes with concomitant metamorphism. The pervasive dominant foliation trends NW-SE with shallow to medium dips towards SW. In the Stabben area, a nonfoliated intrusive syenite-gabbro pluton limits the gneissic exposures. Compositionally, the orthogneisses plot in the monzogranitegranodiorite field where as the mafic dykes/enclaves plot in the basalt-andesite-rhyodacite field. The bulk geochemical characteristics suggest significant crustal contamination. Garnet-biotite Fe-Mg exchange thermometry gives peak metamorphic temperature of 483° C for the gneisses and 628° C for the dioritic enclave within gneisses. A peak metamorphic grade of upper amphibolite to granulite facies is deduced from the mineral assemblages. Widespread anatexis has led to extensive occurrence of migmatites in the area. Recent geochronological studies assign an age of 1170 Ma to 970 Ma for the migmatites/gneisses and an emplacement age of 501 Ma for the Stabben gabbro and syenite. The discriminant plots of the Jutulsessen rocks indicate diverse origin ranging from pre-plate collision to post-collision orogenic tectonic setting. The mafic enclaves/dykes show ocean island arc to MORB affinities. Voluminous addition of juvenile crust during the Pan-African orogeny strongly overprints earlier structures.

Active tectonics in the Assam seismic gap between the meizoseismal zone of AD 1934 and 1950 earthquakes along eastern Himalayan front, India

The Assam Seismic Gap has witnessed a long seismic quiescence since the