School Of Environment And Earth Sciences

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    Clay minerals as paleo-climate proxy in Quaternary Dun sediments, NW Himalaya, India
    (Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2023-10-17T00:00:00) Amrutha, K.; Ahmad, Samad; Kumar, Pankaj; Pattanaik, Jitendra Kumar
    Purpose: Clay mineral assemblages are widely used for deciphering paleoclimatic information, where diagenetic and detrital clays provide different signatures. The type and amount of clay present in the alluvial fan sediments account for the prevailing climate, topography, transport dynamics, diagenesis, and lithology of the catchment area. Clay mineral analysis of sediments collected from the younger lobe of Kiratpur Fan, Pinjaur dun, NW Himalaya, will help to understand the late-Quaternary climatic perturbations during marine isotope stage (MIS)-3 and to evaluate the suitability of clay minerals as paleoclimatic proxy. Materials and methods: Samples were collected from three sites along the Kiratpur Nadi near Paploha village, Haryana, where exposed sections had a total height of ~ 28�m. In this study, 31 samples from these sediment sections were collected and after initial processing, clay minerals were separated and oriented slides were prepared. These samples were analysed using X-ray diffractometer (XRD) with/without glycolation and heating treatments. One aliquot of dried clay from selected samples were used for FTIR to complement the XRD analysis. For FTIR analysis, about 1�mg of clay samples was mixed with ~ 10�mg of KBr and press pellets were prepared. Results and discussion: The clay fraction of these sediments constitute illite (~ 52 � 0.8%), kaolinite (~ 13 � 1.6%), and chlorite-montmorillonite interstratified clay (~ 35 � 1.5%). Shale and mudstone distributed in the catchment area might be the source of these clay minerals. Illite chemistry index of ~ 0.37 � 0.14, kaolinite/illite ratio (0.21�0.29), illite crystallinity (IC) (0.23 � 0.04), and kaolinite percentage suggest the dominance of physical weathering in the catchment area. These sediments are generated during a cold and dry period, and deposited during an aggradational phase associated with warm and wet phase within MIS-3 (40�30 Ka). Further, it was found that illite is the dominant clay throughout the Himalayas, Ganga plain, and Bay of Bengal (BoB) sediments, irrespective of their distance from the source. Hence, associating illite to younger and less-transported sediment does not work in this setting. Conclusion: Though the proxies based on clay percentage is very useful, only limited data is available. There is a significant difference in the value of IC in the Himalayan front and BoB sediments may be due to the modifications during the transportation of sediments. Overall, when sediments are transported for a longer distance, correlating clay mineral percentage with the maturity of sediment is not apparent. � 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
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    Evolution of the Permo-Triassic Satpura Gondwana Basin, Madhya Pradesh, India: Insights from geochemical provenance and palaeoclimate of the siliciclastic sediments
    (John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2022-10-19T00:00:00) Singh, Yumlembam Priyananda; Kingson, Oinam; Sharma, Kongrailatpam Milankumar; Ghosh, Prosenjit; Patnaik, Rajeev; Tiwari, Raghavendra Prasad; Pattanaik, Jitendra Kumar; Kumar, Pankaj; Thomas, Harel; Singh, Ningthoujam Premjit; Singh, Nongmaithem Amardas
    Geochemical study in the siliciclastic sediments of a basin provides an understanding of palaeoclimate, provenance and subsequently, it can be used to reconstruct the palaeo-tectonics and evolution of the basin. Sedimentation in the Gondwana basins, worldwide, generally provides a record of climatic fluctuations and evidences of the Permo-Triassic mass extinction. In spite of its global importance, our knowledge about the nature of sedimentation, basin development and conceptual regional tectonic model in the Satpura Basin, one of the Gondwana basins of India is limited. Major and trace element concentrations of the mudstones from the Denwa Formation along with the existing geochemical data of other formations are studied here for establishing a comprehensive idea about the palaeoclimate, tectonic settings, provenance and basin evolution. The composition of the sediments in the lowermost Talchir Formation revealed cold and dry climatic conditions at the sources, whereas the sources of the sediments for the overlying formations have experienced warm, humid and semiarid climates. The contributions of the mafic rock-derived sediments are relatively higher in the Talchir, Barakar and Motur formations compared to the overlying formations. Approximately 60% of the sediments in the overlying Bijori, Pachmarhi and Denwa formations were derived from the felsic volcanic rocks and granites of the Sausar Mobile Belt and Betul-Chindwara Mobile Belt (BCMB) with minor inputs from mafic volcanic rocks of the BCMB. Furthermore, the sediments of the Talchir Formation were derived from the BCMB when they became tectonically active, whereas the sediments in the younger formations have been derived from a passive tectonic setting. � 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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    Career challenges for young independent researchers in India
    (Indian Academy of Sciences, 2022-04-15T00:00:00) Agashe, Deepa; Maheshwary, Sugandha; Pattanaik, Jitendra Kumar; Prakash, Jai; Bhatt, Pragya; Arya, S.S.; Chatterjee, Sriparna; Kumar, Pankaj; Singh, Paramdeep; Abbas, Nazia; Sharma, Chandra Shekhar; Chaudhuri, Chirasree Roy; Devi, Pooja
    The scientific enterprise in India has grown dramatically in the past few decades, with research emerging as a viable and important career option for students of science. The country thus has a large population of young scientists in the early stages of establishing their independent research careers. While this demographic is arguably the most important group that will determine the future of scientific research in India, their status and concerns are poorly understood. The Indian National Young Academy of Sciences conducted a national survey to better understand and present the challenges faced by them. Through a structured questionnaire, we sought the views of research-ers below 45 years of age. Here, we summarize the responses from 854 participants across multiple early career stages. We highlight key challenges faced by these scientists in establishing an inde-pendent research career, and suggest steps to address them. � 2022,Current Science.All Rights Reserved
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    Reconstruction of Quaternary climate in Svalbard: CRN as proxy
    (Elsevier, 2021-08-27T00:00:00) Amrutha, K.; Kumar, Pankaj; Khare, Neloy; Pattanaik, Jitendra Kumar
    Polar region experienced a large-scale melting of glaciers and sea ice retreat in the recent past. Drastic decrease of ice cover and its foreseen impact on ocean circulations, sea level, and ocean chemistry brought Arctic into the forefront of climate change studies. High-latitude glaciers withstand minor climatic change. However, recent trend of global climatic conditions started influencing polar ice sheet and glacier to an alarming state. Compared to lower latitudes, Arctic is significantly affected by minor changes in temperature and precipitation pattern, referred as �Arctic amplification.� Ice dynamics and impact of climate change on Antarctica ice sheet is different than the Arctic Circle as the surrounding environment and atmospheric circulations acting in these areas are diverse in nature. External forces like Milankovitch Cycles and solar irradiance; atmospheric forces like greenhouse gas concentrations, albedo, and cloud cover; and interaction among these forces are key factors responsible for prevailing climate and its changes in the Arctic Circle. Since few decades, Arctic Circle witnessed complex atmospheric, oceanic, and terrestrial changes. Location of Svalbard archipelago is very crucial in terms of the ocean circulation as it is lying between North Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean. The climate here is largely governed by the North Atlantic Oscillation and thermohaline circulation. However, rise in annual average temperature of Arctic is linked to increase in CO2 concentration and decrease in SO4 gas in the atmosphere. Study suggests that role of SO4 concentration in the atmosphere is more important than the solar irradiation in the Arctic climate. Therefore it is essential to understand how climate has responded to external and atmospheric forces. Svalbard located in the North Atlantic sector of Arctic region has shown a high response to present climate changes due to multiple feedback mechanisms associated with oceanic, atmospheric, and cryosphere processes. � 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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    Unveiling Nature�s Resilience: Exploring Vegetation Dynamics during the COVID-19 Era in Jharkhand, India, with the Google Earth Engine
    (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2023-09-08T00:00:00) Ahmad, Tauseef; Gupta, Saurabh Kumar; Singh, Suraj Kumar; Meraj, Gowhar; Kumar, Pankaj; Kanga, Shruti
    The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to global health and economic stability. Intriguingly, the necessary lockdown measures, while disruptive to human society, inadvertently led to environmental rejuvenation, particularly noticeable in decreased air pollution and improved vegetation health. This study investigates the lockdown�s impact on vegetation health in Jharkhand, India, employing the Google Earth Engine for cloud-based data analysis. MODIS-NDVI data were analyzed using spatio-temporal NDVI analyses and time-series models. These analyses revealed a notable increase in maximum vegetation greenery of 19% from April 2019 to 2020, with subsequent increases of 13% and 3% observed in March and May of the same year, respectively. A longer-term analysis from 2000 to 2020 displayed an overall 16.7% rise in vegetation greenness. While the maximum value remained relatively constant, it demonstrated a slight increment during the dry season. The Landsat data Mann�Kendall trend test reinforced these findings, displaying a significant shift from a negative NDVI trend (1984�2019) to a positive 17.7% trend (1984�2021) in Jharkhand�s north-west region. The precipitation (using NASA power and Merra2 data) and NDVI correlation were also studied during the pre- and lockdown periods. Maximum precipitation (350�400 mm) was observed in June, while July typically experienced around 300 mm precipitation, covering nearly 85% of Jharkhand. Interestingly, August 2020 saw up to 550 mm precipitation, primarily in Jharkhand�s southern region, compared to 400 mm in the same month in 2019. Peak changes in NDVI value during this period ranged between 0.6�0.76 and 0.76�1, observed throughout the state. Although the decrease in air pollution led to improved vegetation health, these benefits began to diminish post-lockdown. This observation underscores the need for immediate attention and intervention from scientists and researchers. Understanding lockdown-induced environmental changes and their impact on vegetation health can facilitate the development of proactive environmental management strategies, paving the way towards a sustainable and resilient future. � 2023 by the authors.
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    Predicting Future Land Use Utilizing Economic and Land Surface Parameters with ANN and Markov Chain Models
    (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2023-09-18T00:00:00) Rani, Ankush; Gupta, Saurabh Kumar; Singh, Suraj Kumar; Meraj, Gowhar; Kumar, Pankaj; Kanga, Shruti; ?urin, Bojan; Dogan?i?, Dragana
    The main aim of this study is to comprehensively analyze the dynamics of land use and land cover (LULC) changes in the Bathinda region of Punjab, India, encompassing historical, current, and future trends. To forecast future LULC, the Cellular Automaton�Markov Chain (CA) based on artificial neural network (ANN) concepts was used using cartographic variables such as environmental, economic, and cultural. For segmenting LULC, the study used a combination of ML models, such as support vector machine (SVM) and Maximum Likelihood Classifier (MLC). The study is empirical in nature, and it employs quantitative analyses to shed light on LULC variations through time. The result indicates that the barren land is expected to shrink from 55.2 km2 in 1990 to 5.6 km2 in 2050, signifying better land management or increasing human activity. Vegetative expanses, on the other hand, are expected to rise from 81.3 km2 in 1990 to 205.6 km2 in 2050, reflecting a balance between urbanization and ecological conservation. Agricultural fields are expected to increase from 2597.4 km2 in 1990 to 2859.6 km2 in 2020 before stabilizing at 2898.4 km2 in 2050. Water landscapes are expected to shrink from 13.4 km2 in 1990 to 5.6 km2 in 2050, providing possible issues for water resources. Wetland regions are expected to decrease, thus complicating irrigation and groundwater reservoir sustainability. These findings are confirmed by strong statistical indices, with this study�s high kappa coefficients of Kno (0.97), Kstandard (0.95), and Klocation (0.97) indicating a reasonable level of accuracy in CA prediction. From the result of the F1 score, a significant issue was found in MLC for segmenting vegetation, and the issue was resolved in SVM classification. The findings of this study can be used to inform land use policy and plans for sustainable development in the region and beyond. � 2023 by the authors.
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    Uncovering the hydro-meteorological drivers responsible for forest fires utilizing geospatial techniques
    (Springer, 2023-05-29T00:00:00) Gupta, Saurabh Kumar; Kanga, Shruti; Meraj, Gowhar; Kumar, Pankaj; Singh, Suraj Kumar
    Forest fires have become a growing concern worldwide, with climate change exacerbating their frequency and intensity. In the Simlipal region of India, forest fires are relatively rare; however, in 2021, significant damage occurred in the buffer area�s forests. Understanding the driving factors behind these events is essential for developing effective management strategies. This study investigates the impact of hydro-meteorological conditions on forest fire causes in the Simlipal region by analyzing Terra climatic data and geo-statistics for the period of 1984 to 2021. Long-term trends were determined using non-parametric tests on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform. Our findings reveal that the maximum burned area location has a decreasing trend in Land Surface Temperature (LST), with a small portion (<10%) showing an increasing trend (0.02 �C/year) near burned locations. Wind speed is decreasing at a rate of ?0.006 m/s/year. The sudden forest fires are caused by the combined effect of increasing LST and decreasing wind speed in some areas (<10% of the region). However, the major factor contributing to forest fires in the entire area is the rising trend of annual potential water deficit and actual evapotranspiration, as well as an increasing trend of minimum temperature. The soil moisture deficit during the summer season, especially between 2012 and 2021, contributed to forest fires in the burned area. The soil moisture deficit during the summer season, particularly from 2012 to 2021, played a significant role in the occurrence of forest fires in the affected area. The study emphasized the need for increased attention to this region in order to preserve biodiversity, which was assessed through an analysis of burned severity mapping in GEE (Google Earth Engine). These findings have important implications for future forest management strategies in the Simlipal region. Climate variability is likely to exacerbate the frequency and intensity of forest fires in the region, necessitating effective management strategies to mitigate their impact. Such strategies could involve improving fire prevention and control measures, such as creating fire breaks and increasing the availability of fire-fighting equipment, as well as enhancing forest monitoring systems to detect potential fires early. Additionally, efforts to address climate change, proper management of land use practices, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions could help to mitigate the future impacts of forest fires in the Simlipal region and elsewhere. � 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.
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    Assessing the Impact of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami on South Andaman�s Coastal Shoreline: A Geospatial Analysis of Erosion and Accretion Patterns
    (MDPI, 2023-05-28T00:00:00) Singh, Saurabh; Singh, Suraj Kumar; Prajapat, Deepak Kumar; Pandey, Vikas; Kanga, Shruti; Kumar, Pankaj; Meraj, Gowhar
    The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami significantly impacted the coastal shoreline of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, causing widespread destruction of infrastructure and ecological damage. This study aims to analyze the short- and long-term shoreline changes in South Andaman, focusing on 2004�2005 (pre- and post-tsunami) and 1990�2023 (to assess periodic changes). Using remote sensing techniques and geospatial tools such as the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS), shoreline change rates were calculated in four zones, revealing the extent of the tsunami�s impact. During the pre- and post-tsunami periods, the maximum coastal erosion rate was ?410.55 m/year, while the maximum accretion was 359.07 m/year in zone A, the island�s east side. For the 1990�2023 period, the most significant coastal shoreline erosion rate was also recorded in zone A, which was recorded at ?2.3 m/year. After analyzing the result, it can be seen that the tsunami severely affected the island�s east side. To validate the coastal shoreline measurements, the root mean square error (RMSE) of Landsat-7 and Google Earth was 18.53 m, enabling comparisons of the accuracy of different models on the same dataset. The results demonstrate the extensive impact of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami on South Andaman�s coastal shoreline and the value of analyzing shoreline changes to understand the short- and long-term consequences of such events on coastal ecosystems. This information can inform conservation efforts, management strategies, and disaster response plans to mitigate future damage and allocate resources more efficiently. By better understanding the impact of tsunamis on coastal shorelines, emergency responders, government agencies, and conservationists can develop more effective strategies to protect these fragile ecosystems and the communities that rely on them. � 2023 by the authors.
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    Decoding Chambal River Shoreline Transformations: A Comprehensive Analysis Using Remote Sensing, GIS, and DSAS
    (MDPI, 2023-05-08T00:00:00) Singh, Saurabh; Meraj, Gowhar; Kumar, Pankaj; Singh, Suraj Kumar; Kanga, Shruti; Johnson, Brian Alan; Prajapat, Deepak Kumar; Debnath, Jatan; Sahariah, Dhrubajyoti
    Illegal sand mining has been identified as a significant cause of harm to riverbanks, as it leads to excessive removal of sand from rivers and negatively impacts river shorelines. This investigation aimed to identify instances of shoreline erosion and accretion at illegal sand mining sites along the Chambal River. These sites were selected based on a report submitted by the Director of the National Chambal Sanctuary (NCS) to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) of India. The digital shoreline analysis system (DSAS v5.1) was used during the elapsed period from 1990 to 2020. Three statistical parameters used in DSAS�the shoreline change envelope (SCE), endpoint rate (EPR), and net shoreline movement (NSM)�quantify the rates of shoreline changes in the form of erosion and accretion patterns. To carry out this study, Landsat imagery data (T.M., ETM+, and OLI) and Sentinel-2A/MSI from 1990 to 2020 were used to analyze river shoreline erosion and accretion. The normalized difference water index (NDWI) and modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI) were used to detect riverbanks in satellite images. The investigation results indicated that erosion was observed at all illegal mining sites, with the highest erosion rate of 1.26 m/year at the Sewarpali site. On the other hand, the highest accretion was identified at the Chandilpura site, with a rate of 0.63 m/year. We observed significant changes in river shorelines at illegal mining and unmined sites. Erosion and accretion at unmined sites are recorded at ?0.18 m/year and 0.19 m/year, respectively, which are minor compared to mining sites. This study�s findings on the effects of illegal sand mining on river shorelines will be helpful in the sustainable management and conservation of river ecosystems. These results can also help to develop and implement river sand mining policies that protect river ecosystems from the long-term effects of illegal sand mining. � 2023 by the authors.
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    Simulating Groundwater Potential Zones in Mountainous Indian Himalayas�A Case Study of Himachal Pradesh
    (MDPI, 2023-03-13T00:00:00) Sud, Anshul; Kanga, Rahul; Singh, Suraj Kumar; Meraj, Gowhar; Kanga, Shruti; Kumar, Pankaj; Ramanathan, A.L.; Sudhanshu; Bhardwaj, Vinay
    Groundwater resources are increasingly important as the main supply of fresh water for household, industrial, and agricultural activities. However, overuse and depletion of these resources can lead to water scarcity and resource deterioration. Therefore, assessing groundwater availability is essential for sustainable water management. This study aims to identify potential groundwater zones in the Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh using the Multi Influencing Factor (MIF) technique, a modern decision-making method widely used in various sectors. Geospatial models were integrated with the MIF technique to evaluate prospective groundwater areas. Grid layouts of all underground water influencing variables were given a predetermined score and weight in this decision-making strategy. The potential groundwater areas were then statistically assessed using graded data maps of slope, lithology, land-use, lineament, aspect, elevation, soil, drainage, geomorphology, and rainfall. These maps were converted into raster data using the raster converter tool in ArcGIS software, utilizing Survey of India toposheets, SRTM DEM data, and Resourcesat-2A satellite imageries. The prospective groundwater zones obtained were classified into five categories: nil�very low, covering 0.34% of the total area; very low�low (51.64%); low�moderate (4.92%); moderate�high (18%) and high�very high (25%). Scholars and policymakers can collaborate to develop systematic exploration plans for future developments and implement preservative and protective strategies by identifying groundwater recharge zones to reduce groundwater levels. This study provides valuable insights for long-term planning and management of water resources in the region. � 2023 by the authors.