Browsing by Author "Kuldeep Prakash"

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A synergistic approach to morphotectonic evolution for watershed management in the Bearma River Basin, Central India
(IWA Publishing, 2023) Prinsi Singh; Kuldeep Prakash; Suraj Kumar; Ajeet K. Kannaujiya; Tanuja Mohanty
Environmental catastrophes on a global scale have prompted a thorough evaluation of river morphology for sustainable basin development methods. Geomorphological investigations of river basins can provide significant information regarding Quaternary tectonic deformations. The present investigation intends to reveal tectonic imprints in the Bearma River Basin (BRB). Bearma is a significant river in central India that flows through Vindhyan Supergroup, Lameta, and Deccan Trap and contributes to developing the architecture of the marginal Gangetic plain. The digital elevation data has been utilized to obtain the morphotectonic indices, tectonic activity classes, and topographic characteristics. Bearma is an elongated basin with uplifted topography, continuously migrating channels, high hypsometric integral, and several stream length-gradient anomalies, indicating tectonically controlled. According to the tectonic activity index, 15.33%, 38.99%, and 46.55% areas of the BRB have high, moderate, or low tectonic activity, respectively. In conjunction with field investigations, the topographic and lineament study of the BRB has revealed significant relief variations and the importance of tectonic activity over erosion and depositional processes in determining the landscape. Reactivation of basement faults and subsurface lineaments caused by Himalayan tectonics and the Narmada Son North Fault have resulted in the recent deformation and development of the hydrographic network. © 2023 The Authors.
Assessment of topsoil contamination in an urbanized interfluve region of Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) using magnetic measurements and spectroscopic techniques
(Springer International Publishing, 2019) Abhishek Kumar Rai; Anuj Kumar Singh; Jayanta Kumar Pati; Shubham Gupta; Munmun Chakarvorty; Ambalika Niyogi; Anamika Pandey; Mrigank Mauli Dwivedi; Kamlesh Pandey; Kuldeep Prakash
The magnetic susceptibility (MS) measurements are used for rapid and cost-effective soil surveys and for accessing heavy metal contamination worldwide. In the sub-Himalayan plains of India, nearly 6.05 × 104 km2 area of most the fertile land occurs as interfluve of Late Quaternary age between the two major glacier-fed rivers (Ganga and Yamuna). The vast areal expanse of interfluve terminates at the rivers’ confluence in Sangam (25°25′13″N-81°53′22″E), Allahabad. This is the first study of MS soil survey of the interfluve region at the confluence comprising 490 samples from 49 locations. The MS values are between 8.84 and 261.25 × 10−8 m3 kg−1 and the change is more pronounced (8.84–312.65 × 10−8 m3 kg−1) with increasing depth. A sudden increase in the MS between 12- (11.28–303.32 × 10−8 m3 kg−1) and 14-cm (11.21–238.45 × 10−8 m3 kg−1) depth is observed similar to observations worldwide. The high MS hotspots are aligned parallel to major traffic networks of the city suggesting a major contribution emanating from the anthropogenic load. A significant difference has been noted in the MS values of present-day mid-channel bar sediments of Ganga (25.24 × 10−8 m3 kg−1) and Yamuna (116.47 × 10−8 m3 kg−1) Rivers. The laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) data showed the presence of heavy (Fe, Ti, Cr, Cu, Cd, Zn, and Pb) and light (H, C, N, and O) elements supporting MS data. The concentration of toxic elements predicted by partial least squares regression (PLSR) approach concurs with magnetic measurements. The topsoil MS values increase up to a depth of ~ 6.25 cm suggesting the dominant role of anthropogenic source for the increased heavy metal concentration compared with basement contributions. © 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
Characterization of Ash Samples from the Kelud (Indonesia) Volcanic Eruption of 2014 and its Environmental Implications
(Springer, 2023) Sujesh Sahay; Jayanta Kumar Pati; Anuj Kumar Singh; Ambalika Niyogi; Munmun Chakarvorty; Kuldeep Prakash; Mrigank Mauli Dwivedi
The eruptions from Kelud (Kelut) volcano, Indonesia on 13 to 14 February, 2014 ejected huge amount of volcanic ash to an altitude of more than 26 km and spread to >700 km, leading to the disruption of flights, collapse of man-made structures, traffic accidents, and large-scale evacuations while leaving indelible signs of ecosystem degradation. To better comprehend the physical and chemical characters and possible environmental implications of Kelud eruption, three unconsolidated poorly-sorted ash samples were collected on February 24, 2014 from roof tops in Yogyakarta, Indonesia and analyzed for their size (0.3 to 300 µm), shape (irregular, columnar and tabular), texture (vesicular with shards and Pele’s hair), mineralogy (andesine + diopside + enstatite + cristobalite + magnetite + glass) and geochemistry (basaltic andesite — andesite). The trace element concentrations, marginally fractionated REE pattern, and the basaltic andesite to andesite affinity of all Kelud ash samples infer their genetic linkage with island arc environment. The fine-grained particulate matter in the inhalable size range, presence of crystalline silica (cristobalite) and chemical toxicity of ash, observed during the present study, shall be useful for disaster preparedness and to create environmental safeguards for similar volcanic eruptions in future. © 2023, Geological Society of India, Bengaluru, India.
Chronology and sediment provenance of extreme floods of Siang River (Tsangpo-Brahmaputra River valley), northeast Himalaya
(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2020) Sandeep Panda; Anil Kumar; Satyabrata Das; Rahul Devrani; Santosh Rai; Kuldeep Prakash; Pradeep Srivastava
This study explores paleoflood deposits of the Siang River, known as the Tsangpo in Tibet. The river that often experiences large floods brings down huge amount of sediment and water that adversely affect the downstream regions with large human populations in the states of northeast Himalaya and its foreland. Along it's ~300 km mountainous stretch we collected samples for sedimentological, petrographic and Sr–Nd isotopic study to explore sediment provenance and dated the paleofloods (via optically stimulated luminescence, OSL). Geomorphic indices including precipitation and a geomorphic swath profile across the Brahmaputra catchment were studied to understand the interplay of mountain relief and rainfall that determine potential zones of high erosion and sediment supply. The OSL technique indicated the Siang River experienced at least eight large floods between 7 and 1 ka, possibly under the influence of warm and wet climatic conditions. The petrographic and isotopic data suggests that the eastern Himalayan syntaxis, which has the highest uplift and exhumation rate in the area, is not always the highest sediment producing zone. In some instances, the Tibetan plateau produces higher fluxes of sediments via glacial and landslide lake outburst floods (GLOFs and LLOFs). © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Deciphering the role of late Quaternary sea level fluctuations in controlling the sedimentation in the Brahmaputra Plains
(Elsevier B.V., 2022) Sandeep Panda; Anil Kumar; Pradeep Srivastava; Satyabrata Das; R. Jayangondaperumal; Kuldeep Prakash
Continent-continent collision between Eurasian and the Indian plate during the Cenozoic period lead to the formation of the Himalayan Mountain chain and the development of the Indus-Ganga-Brahmaputra foreland basin to the south. Complex climate-tectonic interactions in this orogenic belt are responsible for the rapid erosion and filling of the Indus-Ganga-Brahmaputra foreland basin with the eroded materials. This study based on geomorphic mapping, lithofacies analysis, and geochemical (Strontium-Neodymium i.e., Sr–Nd analysis) provenance characterization, as well as optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages, provides a dated sedimentation framework for the western Assam lowland areas. The dated relict fan surface lies ~40 m above mean sea level (msl), is incised and forms a regional valley terrace T1 composed of meandering channel deposits. Modern braided rivers flow on the T0 surface. The findings suggest that the alluvial fan is composed of three distinct lithofacies associations and aggraded during 27 to 3 ka. The bottom-most gravelly-sandy facies indicates progradation of the fan during the last glacial maximum (LGM), owing to the increased gradient of the Himalaya bound rivers. The middle facies is a sheet flood deposit which formed during the Latest Pleostocene-early Holocene period with rising sea level and increasing precipitation. During the Mid-Late Holocene, the uppermost facies is deposited as rivers lost their gradient in response to high sea level stand, resulting in inland sedimentation within muddy meandering channels. Our analysis found that falling sea level during the late Holocene was associated with greater precipitation and allowed the river to incise, to form gullies over the fan surface and form the valley terrace T1. The Sr–Nd isotope fingerprints have been used to identify varying fan sediment sources in the Himalaya's southern front (i.e., Lesser and Higher Himalaya) as a function of changing monsoon conditions. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.
Effect of seasonal variation on dust samples of a winter fog affected urban environment of India, South East Asia
(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2017) Munmun Chakarvorty; Jayanta Kumar Pati; Kuldeep Prakash; Ambalika Niyogi
Physical and chemical characteristics of leaf dust (LD) samples, collected between 2011 and 2013, of a severely winter fog affected and polluted urban environment (Allahabad, India) of Indo-Gangetic plain are presented in this study. The weather changes in the study area are grouped into three effective annual seasonal periods–winter fog, pre-monsoon and post-monsoon. The pronounced impact of seasonal variations is observed in LD characteristics, as ~46% of the winter fog period samples ranges in size between 2.5 and 20 µm with high magnetic susceptibility (up to 938.22 × 10−8 m3 kg−1). In comparison, 35% of the LD from pre-monsoon period occurs in the size range of 100–300 µm with low magnetic susceptibility (up to 43.29 × 10−8 m3 kg−1). The fractal analysis involving submicroscopic clast dimension of LD also reveals a seasonal influence. The toxic metals (Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr and Ni) in LD belonging to winter fog and post-monsoon periods increase in comparison to samples from pre-monsoon time. Multivariate statistical analysis of trace element data suggests that the LD collected from winter fog and post-monsoon periods originate predominantly from anthropogenic source, whereas those collected during pre-monsoon owe their origin to crustal and anthropogenic sources, mainly. The present study has demonstrated the role of seasonal variation in controlling the physical and chemical properties of particulate matter based on multiple parameter analyses, and the derivation of the dust load from a mixed source (upper continental crust, anthropogenic and vehicular) for the study area for the first time. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Eocene larger foraminiferal biostratigraphy, depositional history and paleogeography of the Sylhet Limestone of theMikir Hills of Assam, NE India: Implications for an Open Tethys
(Micropaleontology Press, 2021) Shantajhara Biswal; Kapesa Lokho; Uma Kant Shukla; Kezhakielie Whiso; Kuldeep Prakash
This study presents results of integrated larger foraminiferal biostratigraphy, lithofacies and stable carbon isotope (δ13Corg) analysis carried out in the Sylhet Limestone of Dillai Parbat Limestone Mine succession, Karbi Anglong District, Assam. Larger foraminiferal assemblages assign a middle Eocene age to the studied succession of Sylhet Limestone. The Shallow Benthic Zone (SBZ) 13 and SBZ 16-18 and a barren interval in between is recognized in the studied part of the Sylhet Limestone. The SBZ 13 Zone (early Lutetian) is represented by fossiliferous limestone at the base of the section and is inferred to have been deposited in a subtidal environment. The overlying barren interval lies in the arenaceous interval andwas likely deposited in a subtidal channel sand shoaling bars. The upper part of the section ismarked by SBZ16-18 (late Lutetian toBartonian) and was deposited in subtidal channel sand inner neritic zone environments, followed by intertidal marl to subtidal limestone. The organic carbon stable isotopic data reveals a sharp negative excursion at about 34-35mof the succession, whichmay be correlatedwith Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) and/or vegetation types. This and earlier studies from India and elsewhere indicate that during the middle Eocene, the Neo-Tethys Sea was open and connected through the East andWest coasts of India, Northeast India, western Himalaya, and most of theMiddle East and southeast Europe. This vast area produced enormous amount of petroleum. © 2021 Micropaleontology Press. All rights reserved.
Experimental Synthesis of Coloured Soda-lime-silica (SLS) Glasses using Untreated Silica Sand of Shankargarh Area (Prayagraj District, Uttar Pradesh, India) and its Ramifications
(Springer, 2022) Anuj Kumar Singh; Pawan Kumar Rajak; Jayanta Kumar Pati; Mrigank Mauli Dwivedi; Kamlesh Pandey; Kuldeep Prakash; Abhishek Kumar Rai; Shivanshu Dwivedi
The physical, mechanical and chemical processing of silica sand, the main ingredient of silicate glass, are routinely carried out in glass and ceramic industries worldwide to enhance the silica content and to reduce the concentration of ferromagnesian impurities. The processing of silica sand prior to glass synthesis generally involves washing with water, physical screening (size and magnetic separation) and chemical treatments. The silica sand mining, in parts of Prayagraj (earlier known as Allahabad) district, Uttar Pradesh, is continuing for more than six decades and yet meager peer-reviewed published scientific data is available hitherto. On the other hand, the continued rampant water cleaning of silica sand for more than six decades has led to the accumulation of toxic sludge in the vicinity and also causing ground water depletion in the area. In order to find an amicable balance amongst silica sand processing, ground water depletion and environmental degradation, an attempt has been made to use untreated/raw silica sand of Prayagraj district, mainly from the Shankargarh area, to synthesize soda-lime-silica (SLS) glass. Following this objective, thirty five silica sand samples are collected from different washeries and grouped into seven classes based on their magnetic susceptibility values (30.23 to −0.71 × 10−8 m3kg−1). Representative silica sand samples from these seven groups are mixed with sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in a ratio of 75:15:10 and melted at 1300°C under one atmospheric pressure for a run duration of 90 minutes. Transparent to translucent SLS glasses of various hues and variable refractive indices (1.504–1.547) are formed. The glasses, thus analyzed by the electron probe micro analyzer (EPMA), comprise SiO2 (80.56–85.79 wt%), Na2O (9.70–12.69 wt%), CaO (4.80–6.51 wt%), Al2O3 (0.51–1.46 wt%), FeOT (0.15–0.95 wt%) and TiO2 (0.12–0.29 wt%), similar to the commercial SLS glasses manufactured worldwide. The present study suggests that the raw silica sand from Shankargarh area can be used to synthesize coloured SLS glasses even without washing with water and as a consequence the water resources and geo-environment of the area shall remain protected from further degradation. © 2022, Geological Society of India, Bengaluru, India.
GIS-based morphometric analysis with emphasis on hypsometric appraisal for sub-watershed prioritization: a case study of the Shyamari River Basin, Central India
(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2023) Prinsi Singh; Kuldeep Prakash; Anjanay Kumar; Ajeet Kumar Kannaujiya; Akash Deep; Tanuja Mohanty
Morphological attributes of a river basin are associated with the basin's shape, profile, network, and relief. Global environmental calamities have prompted a comprehensive assessment of river morphology and watershed management for sustainable development strategies. The Shyamari, a significant tributary of the Ken River in the Bundelkhand region, lies in the Yamuna sub-catchment of the Ganga basin. The Shyamari River Basin (SRB) traverses varied lithological terrain via the Bundelkhand Craton, Bijawar Group, Vindhyan Supergroup, and Deccan Traps. The present work focuses on the morphometric and hypsometric assessment of the SRB using remote sensing and GIS techniques. The work includes hydro-geomorphological investigations, such as erosion risk assessments, lineament studies, drought susceptibility analysis, and the inspection of sediment transport indexes, stream power indexes, and topographic wetness indexes. Morphometric and hypsometric studies show that the SRB exhibits a late youth stage of geomorphic evolution, with high discharge, limited infiltration, and high erosional capacity. Lineaments and drainage orientations demonstrate deformation control over the drainage network. Lineaments act as secondary conduits in hard rock terrain to enhance groundwater potential. Erosion risk and hydro-geomorphological assessment reveal that sub-watersheds in the northern part of the basin require more attention. The study provides valuable information that will be helpful in river basin management in the Bundelkhand region. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
Presence and implications of petrogenic organic carbon in High Himalayan Crystalline lake sediment
(Cambridge University Press, 2024) Priyanka Singh; Vijayananda Sarangi; Ravi Bhushan; S Nawaz Ali; Shailesh Agrawal; Pooja Tiwari; Masud Kawsar; Prasanta Sanyal; Kamlesh Kumar; Biswajeet Thakur; M.C. Manoj; Veerukant Singh; Ankur Dabhi; Anupam Sharma; Kuldeep Prakash; P. Morthekai
Twelve lacustrine sediment samples from a relict lake in the Kalla Glacier valley were co-dated using AMS radiocarbon (14C) and infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating methods. In general, the radiocarbon ages of bulk organic matter were older by a minimum of 1500 years compared to (age depth) modeled luminescence ages after fading corrections. This is observed for the first time in the lake sediments of High Himalayan Crystalline zone. A combination of lipid n-alkane data, Raman spectra and geochemical proxies suggested that this was due to ancient organic carbon (OCancient) that is a mixture of pre-aged (OCpre-aged) and petrogenic (OCpetro) organic carbon within older glacial moraine debris that served as sediment source to the lake. Raman spectra suggest the presence of moderate to highly graphitized OCpetro in all the profile samples. The OCpetro contributed 0.064 ± 0.032% to the sediment and the lake stored 2.5 ± 0.7 Gg OCpetro at variable rates during the last 16 kyr, with the mean burial flux 160 kg OCpetro yr-1. This study implies (1) employing another independent dating method in addition to radiocarbon method using bulk sediment organic matter, if the carbon content is low, to observe any discrepancy, and (2) a need to investigate on the fate of OCpetro as many such small lakes become relict in this region. © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of University of Arizona.
Soil Erosion Susceptibility in the Gopad River Basin: An Interactive Geospatial and Statistical Approach for Effective Sub-Watershed Prioritisation
(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2025) Anjanay Kumar; Kuldeep Prakash; Prinsi Singh; S. Dasaratha Kumar; Sunil Kumar Patel
Rivers are dynamic hydro-geomorphological systems that shape landscapes, transfer energy, and sustain ecosystems. Although the Gopad River Basin (GRB) is a significant tributary of the Son River in central India, it remains largely underexplored, even as it faces growing pressures from soil erosion, land degradation, and climate variability. Addressing this gap, the present study aims to assess and prioritise erosion-prone sub-watersheds to support sustainable watershed management. An integrated methodology combining morphometric analysis, hypsometric assessment, and principal component analysis-weighted sum approach (PCA-WSA) was employed. Essential morphometric parameters, including drainage density, form factor, bifurcation ratio, and rho coefficient have been recognised as significant indicators of erosion risk. Findings reveal that sub-watersheds 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 16 are critically susceptible to erosion, necessitating urgent soil and water conservation measures. Other sub-watersheds exhibit moderate to low risk, reflecting spatial heterogeneity in erosion vulnerability. The study offers a novel, data-driven, and spatially explicit framework that integrates geomorphometric parameters with statistical optimisation, moving beyond conventional single-method approaches. This contributes significantly to regional watershed planning by enabling targeted resource allocation, evidence-based prioritisation, and improved erosion mitigation strategies, while also providing a transferable framework for comparable basins. © 2025 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Spatio-temporal drought susceptibility assessment of Ken River Basin, Central India, and its evaluation through river's morphometry
(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2023) Prinsi Singh; Ajeet Kumar Kannaujiya; Akash Deep; Saurabh Singh; Tanuja Mohanty; Kuldeep Prakash
Regular monitoring of drought events, watershed characterization, management, and development efforts is crucial for future disaster predictions and mitigation strategies. The drought susceptibility investigation has been carried out in the Ken River Basin of Bundelkhand region, one of the most drought-prone areas in India. Proxies used in the present study are long-term climatological data (rainfall, standardized precipitation index, and aridity index), satellite data (slope, drainage density [DD], distance to river, and normalized difference vegetation index), lithology, lineament density, and groundwater depth. By the analytical hierarchy process, weightage of each factor is assigned according to its importance. Study shows that nearly 48% of the area of the basin experiences moderate to severe drought conditions. In the last five decades, there have been 22 years of extreme drought, with the most extended period being 1972–1974 and the driest year being 2006–2007. Sensitivity analysis reveals that lithology, slope, and DD are the most significant parameters in the susceptibility analysis. Model validation through an artificial neural network demonstrates the model's high accuracy (0.9) and sensitivity with minor errors. An integrated study of drought susceptibility and morphometry is useful for identifying the drought risk hotspots in the basin. The investigation will be helpful in river basin management and disaster management strategies. © 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.