vickis vision

THRIVIKRAMJI LEADS THE CLASS OF 70 ON FIELD TRIP

2012-07-02T00:58:00.001-07:00

THRIVIKRAMJI LEADS THE CLASS OF 70 ON FIELD TRIP.

The MSc class of the Dept. of geology was taken on a field show and study trip to parts of western south India. The first stop was Kozhikod, where we stopped to have a closer look at the Cheruppa hillock along the northern side of the road leading beyond the Kozhikod Government Medical College campus. The summit of the hill stands roughly at 250 ft. Magnetite-Quartzite reefs of 2.0-3.0 m wide sit atop the hill. The north facing slopes expose large chunks as well as wide bands of the magnetite quartzite rock.

This occurrence is among the smallest of all magnetite ore deposits in the Malabar region, in that the outcrop in the West Hill along the suburban Kozhikod and to the NW of the town, is located in a pretty busy area and heavily settled part. But the largest exposure of all in the Nanminda village forms a topographic ridge and is the largest of all. The ridge has a relative relief of say 100.0 m or more and extends for about 3 to 4 km., spreading through several villages abutting the foothills.

My maiden trip to these areas occurred when I was a naïve and nascent Asst. Geologist with the Geology Dept. of GOK, and while serving in the Kozhikod office of the GD. I and my good friend and fellow geologist, Mr. Iyer, had to accompany a Keralite Geologist, then working for the UN, and on a tour to the Iron ore deposits of Malabar. Being the guest of KISIDC, the GD was obliged to assist, this scientist in the field.

(As young and energetic we used to lead the pack of people-one field coolie and the other scientist along the trails in the Nanminda Hill along the trails and foot paths. Then, this senior UN specialist told us in English (which still rings in my mind) “ Look youngsters, this coolie should walk first as if at all any reptile it will only chase that fellow and hence we will be quite safe”. We agreed and then let our coolie walk first and lead us).

(To the north of Angadippuram dozens of slag patches are known to exist. The slag is a refuse from the extraction of metal iron using crude or archaic methods. The lore is that the pyroxene-magnetite-quartzite reefs exposed along the ridges or slopes of ridges are excavated and ‘fired’ using locally harvested logs for several days. This process of extraction of metal iron is incomplete, leaving behind piles and patches of slag at these sites).

Now back to the class visit to the Cheruppa deposit. The student party reached the Cheruppa site from the town around three thirty. I, the leader of the team jumped the schedule to visit the outcrop. Truly, Dr.Reddy (GSI, Kerala Circle) was to lead the party to the outcrop. This jump, according to Dr Reddy, was not in ‘good taste’.

That aside the trip was wonderful. I had also gathered more information and knowledge of the deposit from Dr.Roy Chacko, who did a Ph.D. thesis, on the same theme.

The team went around the hillock crawled on the outcrops and gazed on the current deposited euhedral magnetite grain layers. This cross-bedding did excite me as well as the class. The segment we saw was typical of a meta-sediment. The class members collected samples by knocking off fresh samples, of course with huge difficulty. I am not sure if any one had a camera in possession. Generally when I go for field inspections, Sri KVK Nair used to lend his camera.

Cross walk over the Cheruppa hill, is usually avoided by natives once they get off the bus at that point. Children and women generally followed a track or foot path along the perimeter of the hill to reach the respective villages on the far side of the hill. Yet there is trail leading the steep slope and and then down hill.

Our team took the trail on way up as well as back. The hill had several large and small fallen blocks of laterite buried partly mostly in the lateritic soil. While coming down I was hoping from one block to the other. Indeed at that age I enjoyed this hop over the stones quite excitedly. Occasionally, when there is no stone to jump on I will target the ground to land then hop back again on the next rock block. Hence, this back-to-road trip was quite faster. Some of members of the team followed my style.

On landing a boulder, I had to arrest my speed to practically nil, as I saw a cobra with open hood facing me and on my way down. Further, I could not have jumped from the stone I was on as the next stone to land was beyond the reach of my spread out leg. The only way I could proceed down was after a landing on the ground, in spite of the cobra defending itself. With any second thought I jumped over and across the deadly reptile as far away as I can, so that I can run for my life. As I was running as fast as I can to reach the road, I was shouting to warn the rest of the team about the cobra on their way down.

For a great relief, I escaped the direct encounter with the reptile as well as the members of my team. That was a memorable event in one of the field programs I had led.

---------

SIR CV RAMAN – THE DEC. 1952 MEETING OF INDIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE, TRIVANDRUM & VISIT TO THE MUSEUM OF MS&RD, TRAVANCORE UNIVERSITY.

2012-06-25T04:53:00.004-07:00

SIR CV RAMAN –

THE DEC. 1952 MEETING OF INDIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE, TRIVANDRUM & VISIT TO THE MUSEUM OF MS&RD, TRAVANCORE UNIVERSITY.

In 1952, the Indian Academy of Sciences, on the invitation of the Vice-Chancellor of Travancore University (TU), decided to hold the annual meeting in Trivandrum. Dr.C.S.Venkateswaran, was the local organizer. The Pro-Vice Chancellor, Sri Parameswara Panicker was the Chairman of the reception committee.

The Annual Meeting was held from 26th to 29th Dec., 1952, and the scientific sessions met at the V.J. Town Hall and the Physics Lecture Hall of the University College, Trivandrum. His Highness the Rajapramukh of Travancore-Cochin state inaugurated the meeting.

There was a Symposium on the 27th entitled "Methods and results of Infra-red Spectroscopy".

Besides the Presidential Address by C.V. Raman on "Iridescent Crystals", there were Public Lectures by CV Raman on the "Nature of X-Rays" and another by Homi J Bhabha on "Elementary Particles and Cosmic Rays".

During this meeting, Dr C S Venkateswaran, (a former student of Sir CV Raman, Principal, University College, Trivandrum, and Director in Charge, of Central Research Institute of TU), invited Sir CVR to go on a tour of the museum of the Mineral Survey &Research Division (MS&RD), Central Research Institute (CRI) of TU, where slabs of zircon mega crystal bearing pegmatite facies of the zircon syenite rock of Puttetti were on display. Dr C S Venkateswaran knew quite well that Sir CVR will be very much amazed especially by the unique mega-crystals of zircon and the zircon syenite rock.

Zircon syenite slabs and mega crystals of zircon in the museum were the topic of research of Sri KVK Nair, who is a now leading a peaceful life with the family on retirement from the Dept. of Geology, Kariavattom Campus. According to Sri K.V.K. Nair, Sir CVR was awed at the sight of mega crystals of zircon and zircon Syenite of Puttetti, now in the Kanyakumari Dist of TN State.

Sir CVR went around the museum of MS&RD where minerals, rocks and other geologic materials were on display. Sir CVR on viewing the slabs of zircon mega crystals commented that if some slabs of the rock were on display in his IISc laboratory, the international scientific community will have the rare opportunity to closely see and examine these unique zircon crystals and zircon syenite.

Then, Dr CSV readily agreed to forward a parcel of the rock samples. But on the contrary, Sir CVR wanted the rock slabs with crystals be packed right away under his own eyes, so that they will safely travel along with him to Bangalore. In fact, Sri KVK Nair still vividly recalls Sir CVR choosing the samples from the museum of the MS&RD for packing

A word or two about the MS&RD of the TU. In 1947, it was created as a division of the CRI of TU. And Dr.K.L. Moudgil was the founder Director of the CRI. The other divisions of the CRI are the Applied Chemistry, Pharmacognosy, Statistics etc. The MS&RD was mandated to make an inventory of the industrial/commercial mineral deposits of the state and to impart professional training to the young scientific staff. The TU offered Mr. T.R.M. Lawrie, British educated geologist, the position of Chief Geologist in the MS&RD, who readily agreed by accepting the offer.

However after independence, the National Mineral Policy of the Indian Republic identified

the Geological Survey of India as the sole agency to be in charge of exploration and inventory of the non-living natural resources (minerals, ores etc). This shift in mineral policy divested the MS&RD of its responsibility in Mineral exploration.

Consequently, in 1953, the TU (by making use of the infrastructure of MS&RD) with the professional and laboratory facilities began to offer a B.Sc., degree course in Geology in the University College, Trivandrum. Using the major chunk of the infrastructure of MS&RD of TU, in 1963 June, the Department of Geology, University of Kerala (now in the Kariavattom Campus) was inaugurated in the University of Kerala.

Hence, it is more than a pleasant coincidence that a bust of Sir CVR, a great scientist son of India, was unveiled a little earlier in the campus, wherein the museum of the Dept. of Geology (which might still reminisce Sir CVR’s tour), also stands tall with slabs of zircon syenite and samples of mega-crystals of zircon - all from Puttetti. .

-----------------

Note by Dr.Thrivikramji,K.P. in consultation with Shri KVK. Nair; part of the information is due to G. Madhavan through Dr. Kusala Rajendran and CP. Rajendran, IISc, Bangalore.

MES PONNANI COLLEGE GREEN-2012 SEMINAR

2012-03-18T09:45:00.001-07:00

PONNANI MES COLLEGE (DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY) HONOURS

DR GOPALAKRISHNA, PROFFESSOR OF GEOLGY, ON HIS RETIREMENT, MARCH, 2012.

Dr Goplakrishana, founder HOD of the Geology department and the present Post Graduate research Department of Geology, retires from active academic work, by the end of academic year, i.e., March, 2012. The alumni and students of the Department of Geology resolved to accord a fitting send off for their visionary, inspiring and beloved teacher. “GEM”, the alumni association of the Department of Geology of the college took up the task.

I was invited to participate in the two day Seminar - “GREEN-2012”- organized by the GEM, in the college campus for which I readily agreed and as directed by the organizers I e-forwarded an abstract on the role of ponds in OC sequestration, a topic in the center stage of global climate change, and especially when the national and international efforts are aimed at reducing the member nations Carbon foot print.

From, Trivandrum there was a bold presence in the Seminar. Prof. M Ramasarma, Dr. Kamalakshan Kokkal, Dr. KK Ramachandran, Dr. Jaikiran, KP and Dr Pradeepkumar, AP and a few more others participated actively in the seminar.

On the second day of seminar, Mr. Dinesh, Mr. Jayaprakash and Mr. Mohmad Shariff (all from GIS-Marine wing, Mangalore and alumni of college) and Dr. Unnikrishnan Watrier (CWRDM) participated in the seminar.

The valedictory meeting at 4:30 pm on March 17, 12 marked the conclusion of the seminar. Prof. Ramasarma, Dr Thrivikramji, Dr Ayisha of the same college spoke and Dr. Gopalakrishna recounted the long path travelled by him (as the founder professor of the department) along with his colleagues in the department in his efforts to build one of the finest Geology departments in the country tuned for research as well as for imparting both under-graduate and post-graduate education.

A tour of the department will vouch for the silent, earnest and consistent efforts of the faculty in attracting research funds. The far and wide spread of the alumni across the country and the hemisphere is yet another indicator of the commitment of faculty in the in imparting professionalism and upkeep of high academic standards. It is all because of the leadership of Dr Gopalakrishna, himself a specialist and his own team - unlike other undergraduate departments of the state. I am indeed certain that it will be nearly impossible for the teachers-team of the department not to uphold, nourish and maintain the standards, tradition and commitment set by Dr Gopalakrishna

The two-day seminar was a huge success. It offered a grand opportunity for the students enrolled in the courses offered by the Geology department to meet and listen to the presentations by specialists. (note by Thrivikramji)

-------------

Dr Gopi, R- A friend & Russian Language Expert

2012-02-18T09:47:00.000-08:00

DR. GOPI R (1943-2012)

Dr. Gopi, passed away on the Feb.13, 12 at Muthuvila, his village and in his own house “Anandavalliswaram” Gopi was one of my good friends, and Technical Assistant in Dept. of Geology, University of Kerala, University Park, Kariavattom, 695 581, India. But later on Gopi earned a Post-Graduate degree in Russian language and joined upon selection, as Lecturer in Rsusian, then completed a PhD with (Late) Dr AP Andrewskutty of Linguistics Department of the U of Kerala. This new degree gave a great opportunity to Gopi to get higher teaching positions like Reader in Russian, Professor of Russian and then finally retired as HOD of Russian in 2002.

In my undergraduate years (1960-63) in the University College, Trivandrum, I never met Gopi, as to remember this man’s face. He studied Geology with Mr. NRS Babu- my one time college mate (in Pre-University class, 1959-60) in the Intermediate College, Trivandrum,. Mr. Babu, proved to be a great enterprising chap; after graduation he founded the Universal Academy (Attingal)- a coaching centre for school as well as college going students. This academy made an indelible mark in private-paid-coaching meant for those ill-confident adolescent boys and girls.

In fact, Gopi too was associated in the coaching program.Babu later sailed through smoothly in journalism in the Kerala Kaumudi group roughly for more than three decades. Presently, Babu, runs a School of Journalism in Kochi and its Chief. My 1^st year of college in the Intermediate College, reminds me of a plump, relatively dark skinned “boy” in his white shorts and medium blue shirt. He was initially silent, stuck to his seat in the class most of the time. But soon suddenly blossomed into a “talking machine”.

Now let me revert to Gopi. After my M.Sc, when I joined as Instructor in the Geology Department of the University of Kerala (1966), Gopi was not a staffer in the Geology Department. But when I came back to the Geology Department (after a brief stint in the Mining & Geology Dept., GoK), on the offer of a Lecturer’s job (in March of 1968), there was Gopi- the Technical Assistant. He is in charge of arranging the Lab classes with the help of concerned teacher. Otherwise, Gopi maintained the equipment stock register and stock. We made close friends with each other rather quickly.

On Saturdays, when most other teacher’s were not around for one reason or other, Gopi used to sit in my guest chair and chatted off about the day to day politics – and especially tying to convince me that only way out for the ills of the country was to take the revolutionary –communist- path like the Soviets or the Chinese. My stand was always a path of peace and no revolution to attain equality among the masses in the newly independent India. Our friendship remained firm but we took sharply contradictory views on the way the country was administered by the Congress party.

The Kallar winded down through the village of Gopi’s parental home. In fact Vaidooriyam attracted news paper columns with stories on illicit or unlawful practices by the citizens who did not fine any gainful job in summer season. The river has cut a channel in Gopi’s village, across the regional strike of foliation, creating a cascade over this knick point, which with water flow over it created a fairly loud hissing sound which locals christened as erappu. Both upstream and down stream of this channel has only a very gentle gradient or down ward slope. The sand reservoir that sat in the channel was the source of Vaidooriyam – variety of Chrysoberyl in shades of yellow yellowish green and green. Cabochon cut –i.e., only a polish on the surface of the stone without faces- used to fetch sizable price in the semi-precious stone market. In the erly seventies, Gopi and I had walked the river shore keenly looking and checking fistfuls of river sand for picking up a grain or two of chrysoberyl. Sand always had some show of chrysoberyl - but not in the grade of granules or pebbles.

Couple of years after my marriage, in the Fall of 1972 I went off to the Syracuse University on a Fulbright fellowship. In 1973, “National Emergency” was declared by the Indira Gandhi administration. Several activists of communist party were picked up by Police for alleged anti-national planning or spreading antinational thoughts or even spreading such thoughts in print or by word of mouth. In fact one of the teacher’s in the Politics Department in the University Park, had a tough time to fend off of an arrest by police under the emergency rules. Once Prof. (late) KK Menon casually referred to Gopi’s problem with police and how he saved Gopi from a session of interrogation by Police.

When I returned, Gopi was a Technical Assistant but then had earned a 3^rd class MSc degree in Geology, by enrolling for the course on leave of absence for study purposes. Gopi had a strong belief that the 3^rd class was intentionally stamped on him, to block further career advancement. Since then, Gopi was unbelievably furious, behaved rudely and sharply critical of some of the teachers. In the mean time, Dr. Rajendran Nair (of Geology Department) who shared a part-time faculty position in the Department of Russian talked Gopi into enrolling for the Russian language course for an MA degree under the part-time program.

To a large extent this new educational achievements wrought a remarkable change in Gopi, who completed the PG degree in Russian Language, which paved the way for successfully earning a lecturer’s job in Russian in the University of Kerala. Gopi became a new man altogether. After completing the PhD degree Gopi successful reached the level of professor and Head of the Department, before his retirement in 2002.

The Gopi family is rather small with his wife (retiree from KSEB) and two girl children –one working for the GoK in Trivandrum and the second kid in the software area and both are married to hardworking and caring husbands and are well settled in life. Mrs. Gopi is a pensioner and lives with one of the daughter’s in Trivandrum. The only disgust to me of Gopi’s demise is the suddenness of the end. My salutes to the departed soul.

--------------------

Tribute to a Geologist - PC George (1943-2011), Director, Mining & Geology, Kerala

2011-05-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

A tribute to Mr PC George

Mr. PC George (1943-2011)

Mr George, a good friend and one time Director of Mining and Geology Department, Government of Kerala died, after short duration of breathing difficulty, in the early hours of May 15, 2011, in his apartment at Trivandrum. His wife Ms. Valsa George alone was near him as the couple was settled in Trivandrum and their only son works in Canada. The final rites and burial will take place only on Wednesday (18^th May). As a fellow geologist and friend, and class mate and his teacher for a brief while, I wish to record a narrative of our knowing and the friendship we nourished and cherished.

I met this fat, rounded (must have been around 55-60 kg,), rather short young man with dark skin and thick head of hair oiled and combed backward, that day in 1960, when we (the prospective students of Geology class of 1963) in front of Principal’s office in the University College. George always wore neatly pressed dhothy and full sleeve shirt but the sleeves rolled up halfway. I recall that he was accompanied by a man in his second decade (Mr. Tharyan, elder brother and now no more). But I had my dad to escort. Though it was all new things for dad, Mr. Velappan Nair (typist in the college and a cousin-in-law) acted between my dad and office to make things less cumbersome for my dad. The admission process was very brief. The aspiring student escorted by parent walked into Principal’s office, where the HOD of Geology Department Prof. K.K.Menon was also seated. The Principal (Prof. VR Pillai, Professor of Economics) asked for some biographic details, and advised each student to perform well in the studies so that it will be rewarding to the college as well as parents. This followed the verification of certificates. After this session, it was fee remittance for which Mr. Velappan Nair helped by jumping the que from inside of the counter. All the boys went through it and finally we parted, with the fond hope of going to the degree course.

On the day of reopening, i.e., July 1^st or the first working day of July ( it was 1^st July, 1960) we all gathered sufficiently early in the college campus and started the initial ritual like knowing each other and striking friendships and of course gazing at the good looking girls. It was a mixed college and that was part of the thrill. Our geology teachers systematically dissuaded girls from joining the course. This was the policy of the teachers in Geology. Our class was 14 strong all boy’s troop. All of us were very good in their own chosen ways. Some worked hard studied the lessons and completed the assignments on time and earned good grades and final grade at the final examination.

Ramachandran, Krishnamoorthy, Bhaskaran Nair and I went ahead for the MSc degree. George took time out to enjoy life and only later completed the M.Sc degree. Finally joined the Dept. of Mining And Geology as assistant geologist, where he held a senior place compared to me, where he continued and finally retired in May, 1999. May his soul rest in peace for ever.

thrivikramji@gmail.com

ARE WELL CAVING DEATHS AVOIDABLE?

2011-04-16T23:21:00.000-07:00

ARE WELL CAVING DEATHS AVOIDABLE?

thrivikramji@gmail.com

By about noon today –this year’s Vishu day, April 15, 11- the sad disappearance of a well digger into a well due to wall collapse happened in the Moonnam Puthen Theruvu, Fort, Thrivandrum. The TV channels brought this incident to our living rooms along with the rescue efforts to save a human life caught under the debris. Unhesitatingly I will say that this and similar accidents are a shame on us, especially in this modern world and our society that undergoes modernizing on a fast track.

The modern science and technology have endowed us with tools and knowledge that will become handy in avoiding and preventing such and other ghastly incidents costing innocent lives.

In fact what we need is a D –shallow or say 30 m.-resistivity tomogram of the land area of the highland and midland on a cadastral scale using the CARTOSAT-II data base. This program can be easily completed over a period of say 5 years. Moreover, the lihtologs of currently serving wells (both borewells and shaft wells) in the state have to go into a data base accessible to the well digger as well as the well owner, in every nook and corner of the state and either at the LSG offices/akshaya centers etc. This project can also be implemented over a period of say 5 years. The scientific ministries of GOI or the planning commission will be prepared to finance these projects.

Once the shallow subsurface lithological data base is implemented and becomes functional in the public domain through a variety of channels the data will be come tangible for the public. When almost all the blocks or villages of the state have at least a school each, I would imagine that majority of such schools have some sort of connectivity to internet. If these schools and colleges in the state as well as the village/Krishi office with internet connectivity will be equipped to offer this new knowledge on the shallow geological make up to the needy like well digger or potential owner of a new well.

This will be a much needed service especially to the day worker community and their families in the state. Such an empowerment will save dozens of lives every year and perhaps avoid life long penury of the unfortunate families.

------------------------------------

Water Insecurity, Kerala, India

2011-04-04T03:10:00.000-07:00

KERALA’S BABY STEPS TOWARD SANITATION: THE VILAPPILSALA PLANT

2011-02-12T09:37:00.000-08:00

KERALA’S BABY STEPS TOWARD SANITATION: THE VILAPPILSALA PLANT

Dr.Thrivikramji.K.P.

Senior Advisor, Center for Environment and Development

Thiruvananthapuram, 695 016

thrivikramji@gmail.com

Introduction

Sanitation is a basic human right as well as an individual’s obligation to other members of the society. Among the 8 Millennium Development Goals proposed by the UN, at least 4 are concerned with sanitation, which is one of the keys to human wellness and development and in a broader sense a component of citizen’s right to life. Further, sanitation per se is the combined outcome of a set of practices such as safe disposal of human excreta, liquid and solid municipal waste management, safe handling of drinking water, home sanitation and food hygiene, personal hygiene and community environmental sanitation.

Contrary to the earlier philosophy and practice of recycling, with the steady growth of urban population and changing lifestyles, the profile of solid waste has been constantly evolving and its volume on a fast-track of growth, placing newer and rising demands on the local governments, in respect of handling and management. Now proper disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) is huge problem for the local governments of metropolises and large and small towns around the world in that they have been upgrading and implementing newer MSW management practices by adopting or implementing new technologies and practices developed by a large number of universities in the west. According to Hill (1998) anything that is useless or unwanted is waste, i.e., anything that is out of place. Once discarded either it is no problem or a nuisance. He also examined the causes, sources and rates of environmental pollution. In the US paper, tops the list wastes at 40.4% (71.6 million tons) while food scraps is only 7.4% (13.2 million tons) - a shade higher than glass 7.0% (US EPA, 2007).

Indian context

India, until independence, did not have any public policy regarding sanitation in the country addressing the needs of the entire population. Scavenging (in towns and cities) and defecation in the open (in rural sectors) has been the accepted lore. Other types of MSW (chiefly originating from homes, institutions or enterprises) or rural domestic or agricultural waste were non-issues as recycling of one form or other was part of the way of life. Industrial and hospital wastes ‘never’ mattered much due to the relatively lower volumes or lack of concern of consequences or both.

In the post independent India, galloping population, rise of industrial economy, steady and growing migration of individuals and families from villages to larger cities and towns for newer opportunities etc., placed a huge demand on the local governments to raise the standard of public services like, sanitation, water supply, housing, transport and MSW management. However, the Indian situation transformed considerably with the declaration of the Millennium Development Goals by the UN. Several programs with time lines and financial assistance, ensuring improved levels of sanitation across the urban and rural sectors of the country, were launched by the government of India.

Kerala and Sanitation

In the days prior to independence, both the rural and urban scenario in the state of Travancore wasn’t alarming, as the practice of scavenging and domestic waste collection and disposal was put in place in larger towns. But in rural sector the ‘concern’ was about conserving domestic and agricultural waste for later use as green manure. But in the decade 60’s, Kerala became a model state in the country by implementing a ban on scavenging. But despite the steady growth of population, fast changing life styles and consequent newer generic content and organic growth of waste, solid waste management in many cities, small towns and villages across the state, was devoid of any new policy guidelines with doses of modern management practices or technology inputs. As a result, accumulated and putrefying piles of garbage in the open and in public land and street-dead-ends remained as a daily unsightly sight.

Tables 1 and 2 are pictures of current status of sanitation in the state, while Table 3 depicts an average profile of waste in Kerala. Interestingly majority component of MSW is of home-origin, and is dominated by bio-degradables. Though sanitation efforts have not reached the entire society, steady progress made in the past decades is certainly commendable. Then again, the Peoples Plan Program launched in Kerala a decade ago and implemented by the LGs, proved itself as an effective fuel of transformation of rural

Table: 1 Progression of household sanitary latrines, Kerala

(after Clean Kerala Mission, 2007).

Category	% @1991	% @1995	% @2001	% @2005
Rural households	44.0	73.4	81.3	94.9
Urban hose holds	73.0	90.0	92.0	98.3.0

Table:2 School sanitation status, Kerala (Clean Kerala Mission, 2007)

Category	No. of LP schools	No. of UP schools	No. of High schools	Total
Govt. schools	2665	960	986	4511
Schools with toilet	1785 (69.59%)	759 (79.06%)	790 (80.12%)	334 (73.90%)

Table:3 Solid waste types, percentages and compositions, Kerala

(Clean Kerala Mission, 2007)

Type	% content	Category	Wt.%
Household	49.0	Biodegradable	71.0-83.0
Hotels/institutions	17.0	Paper etc	3.5-5.0
Shops and markets	16.0	Plastic/rubber	5.0-9.0
Street sweepings	9.0	Hazardous etc	4.9-11.5
Construction	6.0
Slaughter house	3.0

canvas including access to better sanitation. A new impetus for urban sanitation programs in the country dawned with the recent launching of JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission) in Kerala and the mandate for implementation going to LGs like five municipal corporations (MC), fifty three municipalities (M) and nine hundred and ninety nine village panchayats (VP). Interestingly, 226 VPs have won Nirmal Gram Puraskar (NGP) and yet another 543 VPs and 7 DPs (District panchayats) are marching ahead to achieve the NGP. In fact, since November 2007, the Malinya Mukta Keralam program is in place and the sanitation programs are under various stages of implementation in the state.

Social canvass

For Kerala, in the 70’s the fuel of growth, in the sectors of social life and development, was the higher literacy and remittances by a huge chunk of expatriate wage earners working in the west Asia or Gulf states. Currently this growth is turbocharged with the new employment opportunities at home by the steadily growing Indian economy and newer opportunities thrown open globally. With the result, Keralites have been slowly transforming their attitudes quietly by diffusing themselves into a western life styles – a throw away style – generating and adding more bulk and variety to waste than ever, warranting huge attitudinal changes and new technology injections in the areas of sanitation, including MSW management.

The Clean Kerala Mission or Malinya Muktha Keralam inaugurated last year by the President of India envisages a renaissance of sense of public cleanliness in the state. Moreover, MSW management in Kerala warrants special focus because of a), large per capita production b), lack of segregation at source (but for the MCs of Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, Quilandy municipality and Chunakkara VP), c), decline in backyard composting, d), rising e-waste and plastic, and e), limited potential for storage of waste

Kerala: Physical setting

While designing sanitation programs for Kerala, one need to take into account the unique physical setting of Kerala, viz., topography, climate and natural drainage system. Chief physiographic divisions of Kerala, a crude replica of Indian tri-colour flying on its short edge, are the highland (>75.0 m), midland (7.5-75.0 m) and coastal land (<7 .5=".5" square=" 32.0">

Flow of Solid waste

Until as recently as 2000, the capital region of Thiruvananthapuram corporation (Tc) with a large population (~700,000), was producing a large volume of garbage that was collected on a 24x6 basis and was carted or trucked to a dump site near Vallakkadavu.

In the past, as the waste had a large chunk of degradable component with household and hotel garbage and other organic refuses but only small volumes of waste paper, glass bottles etc., naturally putrefied waste had a captive market in a diligent fraction of the farming community, who systematically purchased the latter as “compost” – applied as soil conditioner in the coconut farms in parts the district.

Generally, waste of domestic, market and commercial origins used to be discretely dumped in the street side to be gathered later by a two-some-team (a sweeper and one cart-man) to load in a truck (or larger cart) headed to dump sites (like in the compounds of Connemera market, Palayam or Manacad market, Manacad or in the southern edge of Chalai market, or Vallakadavu) .In 1985 government ordered closure of the dump

Table 4: Structure of MSW-T, 2001 (after Panicker, 2001)

Type	Chala, gm; %	Manakad, gm; %	Palayam; gm; %	Average: gm; %
Paper	76.0 ; 0.70	400.0; 10.8	300.0; 5.00	258.6; 5.5
Dry leaves	116.0;1.1	2100.0; 56.8	3700.0; 61.4	1972.0;39.76
Green leaves	445.0; 4.3	Nil	Nil	148.3; 1.4
Rotten vegetable	9700.0;92.8	Nil	87.0; 1.4	3262.3; 31.4
Cotton+clothes	27.0; 0.3	32.0; 0.9	17.0; 0.3	25.3; 0.5
Coir stuff	33.0; 0.3	Nil	Nil	11.0; 0.1
Husk, shell	n.d	560.0; 15.2	1300.0; 21.6	620.0; 12.26
Wood	30.0; 0.3	Nil	Nil	10.0; 0.1
Meatstall waste	Nil	200.0; 5.4	350.0; 5.8	183.33; 3.73
Total	10427.0; 99.8	3292.0; 89.1	5754.0; 95.5	6490.89; 94.78

site at Vallakkadavu, following a request by the AAI for in order to avoid flight delays, damages and losses warranted by the rising bird hits on aircraft engines while flying low during landing or takeoff. However, with the introduction and proliferation of plastic (chiefly as packaging fabric and carry bags), to a certain extent rubber (in the form of footwear) etc. the profile of the city waste transformed quickly to the dislike of the farmers –the one time captive clientele.

With the change of profile of the city waste, consequent rejection by farming community and jump in the volumes and quantities of waste, the need for newer interventions like a centralized and scientific waste processing program, became acutely inescapable and compelling. As a result, an aerobic composting technology or ‘Excel Technology’ based waste processing plant was commissioned in July, 2000 in the Chovallur ward of Vilappilasala Grama Panchayath.

Prasad (2007) used the GIS tool kit to isolate suitable landfill sites adjacent to the VPP, using several criteria. Ambat (2002) examined the societal attitude towards solid waste management especially in respect of Thiruvananthapuram. Maya et al, (2000) reported on the quanta and structure of MSW in the districts of Kottayam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam. The MSW of Thiruvananthapuram corporation area was inquired into by Sreebha et al. (2005) while Krishnakumar et al (2005) attempted a portrayal of MSW of the state.

Vilappilsala Processing Plant (VPP)

The VPP built on a BOT basis at Chovallur ward of Vilappil VP, is one of the early initiatives in Kerala in area of MSW management by aerobic composting process. As originally conceived, the citizen takes un-segregated household waste to a street side dump site to be trucked away to one of the transfer stations (viz., Palayam, Chala or Manacad, en route to the VPP) without a real time transport to the processing plant due to reasons like truck repairs or breakdowns, want of a full load of waste or special holidays and Sundays, resulting in a degree of putrefaction of waste. When such waste reaches the windrows of VPP for composting, it releases a leachate (especially in the wet seasons due to an over dose of rain water spray) that escapes into a tributary of Karaman Ar. and foul smelling gases, resulted in stiff objections and resistance by local residents in the neighborhood of the VPP and occasionally en route to the plant.

Setting

The VPP erected in the Chovallur ward (ref. SOI topo-sheet 58H/11),of Vilappil Grama Panchayath (VGP) and in a left-bank sub-basin of Karamana Ar. in the Trivandrum Dist., is approximatrely 15.0 km to the NE of Trivandrum city and has the distinction of being the home of first domestic solid waste treatment plant in the state. This tract has typical midland (7.5-75.0 m amsl.) configuration of Kerala, viz., set of NW-SE trending narrow-valley-wide-ridge mosaic and lower relative relief. Narrow valley floor has a relatively thick fill of alluvium, drained by a lower order stream (say 4^th of order or lower), while the ridges have steeper northerly slopes than south facing ones and are of short to medium length and tend to have a thick cover of laterite with occasional outcrops of the crystalline basement rocks on the ridge-tops or on slopes. This tract enjoys a tropical to sub-tropical climate with temperatures in the range of 22 – 30 deg.C., and an average annual rain fall of 250 cm.- a combined contribution by the SW and NE monsoons. Land-use-wise coconut trees are planted commonly along the toe of the slopes and/or floor of the valleys, while rubber plantations sprawl across the slopes as well as the ridge tops.

The Treatment Plant

The treatment-plant, housed in a large polygonal shed with a roof of very gentle slope (like an open-upright- umbrella) and attached factory sheds at lower elevations to the south, built on the landscaped south facing slope of a 4^th order sub-basin, went on stream in August, 2000. Total floor area is ~1.25 lakh ft2, with a waste processing capacity of 300 t.p.d. The main shed shelters the machinery and waste windrows enabling aerobic composting. But the relatively large freeboard, about 8.0 m between the concrete floor and guttered roof, allows free draft of “essential” air and rain-water-spray over the windrows causing a spurt in yield of leachate which overflows gutters and collection sumps to the open air, apparently to join the waters of the adjacent stream channel.

Process of Treatment

MSW reaching the plant (in ‘Expel’-fly-proofed covered trucks and retrofitted leachate sumps), only after nightfall (as a courtesy to the citizenry) is arranged in windrows and treated with a inoculum -a bacterial mix- at the rate of 1.0 kg/ton to hasten the aerobic decomposition of degradable waste. Water, at times, is sprayed over the windrows to keep optimal moisture level. Leachate coming off the windrows drains into collection sumps. Waste is turned over by a bulldozer once a week to accelerate the process of aerobic bacterial action. In about 5 weeks, the degradable components entirely break down. By a two stage screening in 35 mm and 16 mm trommels and handpicking of non-degradable in the +35 mm and +16 mm rejects and an air classification, MSW is transformed into a composted manure in two grades, viz., a pure finer grade -1 and coarser grade -II with inorganic, non- degradable and gritty matter and is transferred to the packing section for delivery. The rejects are diverted to landfills.

Chemical profile

In order to determine the exact nature of MSW, universally, the chemical attributes of MSW are determined by a two step procedure - a proximate analysis (to determine the content of moistutre, volatile matter, fixed carbon and non-combustible matter) and an ultimate analysis (to estimate C, H, O, N, S and ash). In this report, chemical profile of raw waste and the marketed-manure are reported.

Open-air-ashed samples of 300 gm. each of the degradable waste (Wd) were created at the sampling sites (i.e.,storage-transfer-centers), and sub-samples of 5.0 gm each of ash, were delivered to the Laboratories of the Geological Survey of India, Trivandrum for estimating the abundance of elements, like Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Cd and Cr (Table 4 ).

Table 5. Chemical element content of Trivandrum city waste, in ppm

Site	Ash,gm,,%	Fe	Cu	Pb	Zn	Mn	Cr	Cd
Chalai	29 (0.096)	4450	47	28	76	118	21	1.4
Manakad	72 (0.24)	7870	202	53	471	225	53	1.6
Palayam	57 (0.19)	6105	31	19	109	558	36	1.2
Leachate	n.d	558	427	126	542	625	28	3.83
Manure	100 (0.33)	8060	257	123	352	502	85	1.56

Among the trace elements listed in Table 4 above, Fe, dominates all samples of the mother waste, followed by Mn (largely similar to Fe chemically). Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd, though present are of very low concentrations. As there are no known natural sources of heavy elelments like Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd in the rocks and hence soils of Thiruvananthapuram Dist., these entered the waste stream from anthropogenic sources. Stout (1961) reports an average content of 100 ppm of Fe in plants. Pb, Zn, Cr and Cd are relatively very low where as Mn largely similar to Fe is second abundant element. Large Fe content is not unusual as MSW-T is dominated by degradable constituents.

Elemental data reveals that with the exception Fe in leachate, due to MSW processing, chemical elements in the manure and leachate are amplified. Though the response of crops and soil to such levels of metal element content against long term use of the manure needs careful assessment, the casting of fertilizer over wide areas is a potential damper. Nonetheless, no data is available as to the annual yield of leachate from the VPP. Logically, to avoid build up of these elements in the soil or surface water systems (and in the aquifer) in areas adjacent to the VPP, pre-treatment of leachate, prior to release is recommended.

Using a simple linearity algorithm, along with the elemental abundance data in table 4, an estimate of the annual turn over of chemical elements (say about 9.0 metric tons) through the MSW-T has been arrived at (Table 6).

Table 6 Annual turn over or chemical elements, Thiruvananthapuram MSW (in Tons)

Site	Fe	Cu	Pb	Zn	Mn	Cr	Cd	Total
Chalai	1.0981	0.0116	0.0036	0.0188	0.0291	0.0051	0.0003	1.1666
Manakad	4.2973	0.1103	0.0289	0.2572	0.1229	0.0289	0.0008	4.8493
Palayam	2.8299	0.0143	0.0088	0.0505	0.2586	0.0166	0.0005	3.1812
Leachate	0.5841	0.4469	0.1318	0.5673	0.6542	0.0293	0.0040	0.0040
Manure	8.4373	0.2692	0.1287	0.3684	0.5255	0.0889	0.0016	0.0016
Grand Total								9.1961

Summary

1. The state of Kerala under the Clean Kerala Mission is forging ahead to achieve full sanitation in both urban and rural sectors. The VPP commissioned in august 2000, though had to face a large degree of initial resistance from the citizenry in the neighbourhood of VPP, sensitizing and awareness had helped in the acceptance and need for several such processing plants in the state.

2. As a result of setting up of the ‘Excel Technology’ based waste processing plant at Vilappilsala, the issue of wise handling of waste of Tc area culminated into an earth friendly process.

3. In spite of the treatment plant, several questions like collection, sorting, transport, plant-site processing of waste, land-filling, leachate containment (especially during the wet seasons) handling etc. continue to remain moot.

4. Geochemical determinations of abundances of heavy metals, like Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd in the waste, leachate and salable manure, brought to light the fact that relatively higher loading of these in the leachate and manure call for implementation of measures to lower the levels in leachate before it is released to the environment.

5. The amplification of heavy metals in the salable manure may not pose an immediate risk as the manure is broadcast over a wide area and hence potential of loading in the soil and consequently in water are bound to be lower.

6. Among the metals Fe and Mn are supplied by the soil and water, where as Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd are possibly of anthropogenic introduction into the natural system.

7. Based on the analysis of samples and determined loadings, estimate on the annual flux of such elements stands at nearly 9.0 metric tons against an annual input of 17555 tons of MSW-T.

Acknowledgements

Indeed it is a pleasure for me (TKP) to accept an invitation to actively participate in the 5^th Kerala Environment Congress at Thrissur. Mrs. Panicker wishes to place on record the financial assistance by the GoK without which this MSW research project would have remained an elusive dream.

-----------

References

Ambat, B, Study of the attitude and perception of community towards SWM – a case study of Thiruvananthapuram city – Phase II, Submitted to Kerala Research Program on Local Level Development.

Anonymous (2001) Clean Kerala Mission, GoK, Thiruvananthapuram.

Hill, MK, 1998, Understanding environmental pollution, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 278p.

Krishnakumar, A, Sobha, V, and Padmalal, D, 2005, Urban solid waste generation and management with special reference to environmental degradation: 1-21, in Sreekumar, K (ed.) Solid waste management: Challenges and Prospects: CUU, Kochi

Maya, K, Padmalal, D and Ramachandran, KK, 2000, Quantification, characterization and management of municipal solid waste of central Kerala: 583-87, in Das, MR, (ed.), Proceedings of 12^th Kerala Science Congress, Kumily.

Panicker, AV, 2001, Geo-environmental impact of solid waste treatment plant at Vilappilsala,Thiruvananthapuram Dist., Kerala, 74p (Unpublished M.Phil thesis submitted to University of Kerala).

Prasad, G, 2007, Site suitability analysis of Vilappilsala for landfilling using GIS: Project report submitted for partial fulfillment of requirements of Diploma in Geoinformatics, CED, Thiruvananthapuram, 57p.

Sreebha, S, Sobha, V, and Maya, K, 2005, Municipal solid waste: composition, its physico-chemical analysis and management options for Thiruvananthapuram corporation area: 196-198, in Muthunayagam, AE, (ed.), Proceedings of 17^th Kerala Science Congress, Peechi.

Stout, PR, 1961, Elements in most higher plants: Proc. 9^th Annual California Fertilizer Conference, 21-23.

US EPA, 2007, What is in your trash? Consumer’s handbook for reducing solid waste: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/reduce

---

COARSE & FINE AGGREAGTES DEAD END: A WAY FORWARD

2011-02-12T09:35:00.000-08:00

COARSE AND FINE AGGREAGTES DEAD END: A WAY FORWARD

With Dr. Nandakumar, V

Abstract

Although the state of Kerala is not endowed with vast reserves of major ore or industrial mineral deposits, right from the days of British Raj, mineral sands of Chavara-Kayamkulam belt was a world renowned natural resource native to India. But for nearly a century, the country was selling the mineral separates without any value addition. Ilmenite sand, the chief among the placer minerals, was partly exported and partly consumed by the indigenous paint industry. The sponge Titanium plant under construction in Chavara is certainly a departure from the tradition. Moreover, Kerala’s Kaolinite clay with a high international rating also attracted many international buyers as well as indigenous paper and paint makers.

But of late, other minor minerals like construction rock, coarse and fine aggregates (C&FA) have assumed stupendous importance as a result of new construction boom, in education, housing and commercial blocks. Traditional source of sand was the channels of 41 west flowing rivers. To the dismay of the aam aadmi the removed sand was only disproportionately replaced by the natural processes in the channels, pushing the society and the system into a double disadvantage. Firstly, lack replenishment on a one to one basis ruined the river ecology as well as the natural system. As the members of the society had to continue with the construction of basic necessities like houses, fine aggregate had to be imported from the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu at a large cost and unexpectedly long delays, and hence an overall cost escalation. Thus the construction sand and coarse aggregate are a vexing problem to the administration as well as the society at large.

Only glimmer of hope in the current situation is the introduction of crusher sand as a substitute for natural sand and introduction of hollow cement blocks in a massive scale. Though the obvious lapse is the PWD code or government policy not endorsing both of these new inputs spontaneously entering the construction sector on the principle of demand and supply of acceptable substitute.

With the annual GDP growth at the rate of 9-9%, and the GOIs new policy regarding, new air ports, sea ports, high-speed railroads and net work of four lane highways, new schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, large and small modern playgrounds and parks, and other recreational facilities, the demand for coarse and fine aggregates will climb steeply defying the ability of any average mind’s imagination. Undoubtedly, Kerala also will have its own share of the infrastructure construction/modernization boom, sourcing the fine/coarse aggregate will no longer be possible from the traditional sources like stream channels and internally. Instead import from the neighboring states, viz., Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and southern AP may become a reality.

When massive demands are in place, naturally to guarantee fair price, quality and equity new institutional mechanisms, sources, mode of transport, distribution etc need to be identified, designed and put in place by the states legislature. A large team of managers, geologists, hydrogelogists, engineers, GIS specialists, legal advisors should be put in place, i.e., a structure like or even better than the current public distribution system, in order to acquire leases for exploration, evaluation, quantification, exploitation processing and grading and final transport to the destination either by special tanker trucks for loading and transport of granular solids, or rail road cars and tractor trailers.

New super quarries or quarry clusters or even subsurface mines will have to be sited in the various districts of the state to cater the local needs. The new regulations for operating a earth and environment friendly modern quarry needs to be designed and tested for implementing. Mine plan and annual rate of mining, impact on t he ground water and physical, biological and human systems in the area around the quarries need advance planning and design. Scientific plans for quarry/mine exit and rehabilitation of the site and immediate environs are equally important and needs inclusion and mandating at the pre-exploitation permit stage.

Outsourcing of C&FA from the neighboring states will become a reality in the state. Properties can be acquired under lease from the concerned states. Yet another area needing careful study and technology development is separation of FA grade material from the mine over burden that are stored and stacked currently. The overburden stacks in NLC and Gold Workings (in Mysore) and the rock and rubble stored in the overburden stacks of many limestone quarries associated with cement factories in the neighboring states.

---------------

(Dr Nandakumar,V presented the paper in the Kerala Vikasana Congress by KPCC On13, 11, Trivandrum

Coastal Hazards: Are we doing enough?

2011-02-12T09:32:00.000-08:00

Coastal Hazards: Are we doing enough?

Dr Thrivikramji KP,

thrivikramji@gmail.com

Emeritus Fellow, Dept of Geology,

University of Kerala, Kariavattom Campus 695 581

All across the world, the coastal land is home to mega population centers and scores of smaller cities and towns, which are wide open to and practically defenseless against the most destructive forces of nature like, severe-storm-related hazards, hydrologic floods, beach erosion and tsunamis. Added to this, several coastal communities face massive threats to livability and property primarily contributed by anthropogenic actions, like green house warming induced sea level rise, land subsidence due to mining or withdrawal of fluids from subsurface, pollution of coastal waters, oil spills and sea water ingress into coastal aquifers.

That eleven of the fifteen largest cities of the world are located near the coasts of seas or estuaries is an indicator of the vulnerabilities. In India, state capitals of some littoral states (for e.g., Mumbai of Maharshtra, Panaji of Goa, Trivandrum of Kerala, Chennai of Tamil Nadu and Bhubaneswar of Orissa) are in the coastal land. Conterminous India, with its pretty long shoreline of 5700 km, (Kerala sharing roughly 10%) and being closer to the equator, has its own share of worries arising out of natural hazards. Vulnerability of the population in the coastal land to hazards is directly linked to the morphology of the coastal land (elevation), population density and proximity of population pockets to the shoreline (proximity), or in other words to placing property and lives inappropriate areas.

Human populations, cities, ports, and wetlands in low-lying coastal areas, will be affected by inundation, erosion and salination as a result of a climate change induced sea level rise between 0.3 and 0.9 m say by the end of this century, due to rising greenhouse gas emissions. A chief consequence of SLR is coastal erosion and loss of land and contamination of coastal fresh water aquifers. Consequences of a global sea level rise would be spatially non-uniform because of local or regional vertical crustal “movements”, differential resistance of shoreline to erosion, varying wave climates, and changing long shore currents. Intensive development and investment in the coastal land make them vulnerable at the time of erosion, hydrologic storms, storm surges or tsunamis. `

Vulnerabilities due to Coastal hazards are preventable either by structural interventions or simply by staying away or relocating in the backshore of zones potential threats. While the structures reflect the wave energy, the natural vegetation helps to absorb the same. Options are two sided, like, do nothing and get out of the area or adapt and accommodate. One of the management responses is retreat from the affected area and move toward the backshore. Secondly by building elevated houses on stilts, the affected communities could be saved. Third option is basically preparedness like education and creating awareness and placing early detection, warning and communication and emergency evacuation systems. Preparedness on the part of local and state or national governments in warding off the damages of hazards is fundamental to it.

The recently launched program by the MoEF, GoI for mapping the vulnerable coastal areas of the Indian littoral states and creation of an institute in Chennai for research on coastal hazards are right initiatives. But the state’s contribution in this regard is not yet crystallized fully.

--------------------

(Abstract of a paper presented in MG University, March, 2011)

Coastal Hazards: Are we doing enough?

2011-02-11T02:46:00.000-08:00

Coastal Hazards: Are we doing enough?

Dr Thrivikramji KP,

thrivikramji@gmail.com

Emeritus Fellow, Dept of Geology,

University of Kerala, Kariavattom Campus 695 581

--------------------

Disaster Management Plan

2011-01-05T03:00:00.001-08:00

Note on Thrivikramji Disaster Management Plan

Disaster strikes without any warning, any time of the day or night or without any heed to the season of the year in general. In general disasters are grouped as below in table.1.

Table 1. Classifiction of Disasters.

Disaster Type	Manifestation
Natural	Floods (River flood and storm surge coastal flooding); Landslides (sudden downward and outward slippage of large volumes of soil or rock or mixture of both under the pull of gravity and lubricated by water; Beach erosion during monsoons Rarely Tsunamis and Earthquakes
Technological	Factory fire or explosion (releasing large volumes of fluids causing damage to water, vegetation, animal and humans}: Road and Rail road Tanker (gases and industrial chemicals) accidents releasing poisonous fluids threatening environment by pollution and damage to organic world in the immediate neighbourhood.
Mechanical	Explosion or fire accidents in small workshops/worksheds; Bus/Truck mishaps involving loss of life..
Other	Pyrotechnics and tamed elephant going rowdy during festivals. Factions in riot etc. Dengu fever and other vector borne diseases

In the GP territories one or another type of disasters listed in table -1 might strike, occasionally or frequently. Disastrous floods are due to river floods, rare floods due to dam breaks and coastal flooding due to storm surges. Monsoon beach erosion of Kerala beaches occasionally reaches disastrous proportions affecting several coastal villages. Many of the natural disasters are site or region specific events and so some knowledge of the Physiography is imperative as the GPs are located in one or another category of the following divisions of the physiography (Table 2).

Table 2 Physiographic divisions of Kerala

Category	Elevation	Description
Highland	>75.0 m	Most of the rugged high rocky ridges of Western Ghats on the east, followed by midranges to the west, bordered by rocky hills and ridges merging with lateritic foothills of midland. Prone to risks of landslides in monsoon season. Tracts of higher elevation planted under coffee, cardamom and tea. Rubber planted in tracts of lower elevation. Steeper westerly slopes are in some degree of disequilibrium and are prone to land slips or land slides during wet monsoon season.
Midland	7.5-75.0 m	Mostly laterite covered hills with cores of crystalline rocks- gentle lateral profiles with smooth slopes especially in districts south of Thrissur – near flat tableland like hill tops - steeply sloping profiles with steep free faces or waning slopes and waxing foot slopes. River shores infrequently with steep and eroding (landslips) outer banks.
Coastal land	<7.5>	Two types: high coastal land with cliff line like at Kovalam, Varkala and Kannur and low coastal land like for e.g., between Chavara and Chavakkad – Low coastal land is prone to beach erosion and coastal flooding annually.

Truly based on their geographic site, GPs are affected variously. Yet it should be the general policy of the GPs to have a disaster management plan (DMP), so that loss to life and property are minimized or even eliminated. Information, communication, awareness and action are essential ingredients of any DMP.

Essentially, what is required is the creation of a striking force of trained volunteers including members of the community like social and political activists, officials of GP and district administration readied with awareness, action plans for requirements in respect of facing and minimizing the consequences of a disaster. Preparing a force of volunteers under a leadership of two or more individuals and training and coaching the members in various emergency measures and plans of action are very crucial in the event of a disaster striking a GP.

Training scheme

The program should be imparted to the volunteer force based on a syllabus that shall cover the various possible types of disasters, cause/s of origin and immediate triggering mechanism, possible vulnerable groups of population and their geographical location/s, strategy/ies of rendering assistance like providing first aid, medical assistance, providing shelter, drinking water and food, rehabilitation etc. should find a place in the course content.

Table 3 Disaster preparedness and management- General Training Program

Disaster	Content
Natural	Brief description of common natural disasters- magnitudes and frequencies – striking seasons - origin: ultimate and immediate causes, anthropogenic triggers- prone areas of occurrence. General picture of manifest consequences- type of loss of property, humans and domestic animals.
Technological	Gaseous and liquid chemical cargos – types of harms to humans and animals and immediate environment both aquatic and pedologic-basics of daily weather – channels of collection of weather forecast- first response-precautions-evacuation-types and strategies-connectivity to outside world-
Other	Costal erosion-causes, rates and intensities – types of threats to life and property- first responses- precautions and evacuation strategies- basic infrastructure in the relief camps- vector borne diseases, preventive measures, trauma care and rehabilitation.

A rapid action force trained, informed and ready to strike force be trained and kept in readiness so that inn the event of a strike of disaster, deployment will be complete, and rewards will be good and trauma will be minimal.

{thrivikramji@gmail.com}

ON URBAN WASTE MANAGEMENMT & RELATED ISSUES: A VISION STATEMENT

2011-01-05T02:56:00.000-08:00

INTRODUCTION

IN ANY ATTEMPT TO DEVELOP A BLUE PRINT FOR IMRPOVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND ENVIRONMENT OF THE CITY OF TRIVANDRUM THE QUESTION OF URBAN WASTE MANAGEMENT MUST BE GIVEN THE SAME STATUS AS TRANSPORT, WATER SUPPLY, HOUSING, RECREATION AND HELTHCARE.

THE WASTE MANAGEMENT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED WITH EXTREME CARE AND SITING OF THE DISPOSAL FACILITIES CALLS FOR CAREFUL SCRUTINY OF THE GEOLOGICALAND HYDROGEOLOGICAL SETTINGS.

NATURE OF URBAN WASTE

THE CITY WASTE IS DOMINANTLY COMPOSED OF BIODEGRADABLE MATERIAL (SAY 94%) ORIGINATING FROM DOMESTIC AND COMMERCIAL SOURCES.

PLASTICS, GLASS, TIN CANS ETC. CONSTITUTE THE REMAINDER. SORTING AT THE SOURCE MUST BE THE SECOND STEP IN THE MANAGEMENT PLAN. THE FIRST STEP UNDOUBTEDLY IS THE REDUCTION OF THE QUANTITY. THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED ONLY BY EDUCATING THE CITIZENS AND OTHERS WHO LINK THEMSELVES WITH THE WASTE FROM THE POINT OF RIGIN TO FINAL DISPOSAL.

FURTHER THE WASTE IS A POINT SOURCE OF CONTAMINANT CHEMICAL ELEMENTS WHICH ARE SILENTLY AND SLOWLY RELEASED TO THE SUBSOIL, SURFACE AND SUBSURFACE WATER. EXCEEDENCE OF CERTAIN BACKGROUND LEVELS OF THESE ELEMENTS WILL LEAD TO THE “DEATH” OF THE ALREADY “STRESSED” ECOSYSTEM OF THE AQUATIC ENVIRONEMNTS (EXAMPLE STREAMS AND KAYALS).

PROPOSAL

WE IN GOSAN BELIVE THAT THE LEAST HARMFUL METHOD OF DISPOSAL OF CITY WASTE IS HIGH TEMPERATURE INCINERATION; WHERE BY MOST OF THE BULK IS BURNED OFF LEAVING BEHIND A RELATIVELY TINY FRACTION OF ASH WHICH CAN BE SAFELY KEPT AWAY.

SECONDLY, HEAT COMING OFF AS A BYPRODUCT FROM THE INCINERATORS CAN BE UTILISED FOR GENERATING ELECRICITY IN A CAPTIVE POWER PLANT.

ALTERNATIVELY, THE CLASSIFIED BIODEGRADABLE WASTE (SANS GLASS, TIN CANS RUBBER AND PLASTIC) CAN BE SAFELY DISPOSED OF IN A SANITARY LANDFILL.

THE ABANDONED ROCK AND SUCH OTHER QUARRIES ARE THE BEST CANDIDATES FOR DEVELOPING SANITARY LANDFILL. NEARLY ALL SUCH QUARRIES, IN THE MONSOON SEASON GETS FILLED WITH RAIN (AND GROUND) WATER AND POSE A THREAT LOCALLY. MANY SUCH SITES HAVE STOLEN SEVERAL PRECIOUS LIVES BY ACCIDENTAL FALL AND DEATH BY DROWNING.

IF SUCH QUARRY FLOORS ARE GIVEN AN IMPERVIOUS SEAL BY A COAT OF BITUMEN THE LEACHATE ACCUMULATING INSIDE THE LANDFILL CAN BE INSULATED FROM THE LOCAL GROUND WATER REGIME AND CAN BE PUMPED OUT AS AND WHEN NECESSARY.

ULTIMATELY THE SITES OF SANITARY LANDDFILLS CAN BE EASILY CONVERETED INTO RECREATIONAL SITES LIKE PLAY GROUNDS AND PARKS. GOSAN CAN ASSIST THE AUTHORITIES IN MAKING AN INVENTORY OF SUCH QUARRIES (WHICH QUALIFY AS POTENTIAL SITES FOR SITING SANITARY LANDFILLS)

TRANSPORT OF CITY WASTE

INSTEAD OF THE CURRENT PRACTICE OF USING COVERED TRUCKS, COMPACTOR TRUCKS SHOULD BE USED IN A PHASED MANNER TO SAVE FUNDS AND IMPROVING EFFICIENCY ON MANY FRONTS LIKE FUEL, WEAR AND TEAR OF THE FLEET AS WELL AS THE SIZE OF WORKFORCE NEEDED.

THE WASTE REMOVAL FROM STREET CORNERS MUST BE CARRIED OUT ONLY DURING THE THIRD SHIFT – BETWEEN 10PM AND 6 AM. THIS WILL ELIMINATE ROADBLOCKS AND TRAFFIC HOLD UPS DURING THE SCHOOL RUSH HOUR. FURTHER, CHANCES FOR BAD EXPOSURE OF THE WORK FORCE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC GETS REDUCED.

CONTRARY TO THE CURRENT PRACTICE, THE COLLECTION AND LOADING CREW SHOULD BE PROVIDED WITH APPROPRIATE ATTIRE AND OTHER PARAPHERNALIA LIKE GLOVES AND SHOES TO DO AWAY WITH DIRECT SKIN CONTACT WITH THE GARBAGE AND WASTE.

LASTLY, THE PUBLIC IN AND AROUND THE POTENTIAL LANDFILL SITES MUST BE EDUCATED ON ALL ASPECTS OF THE SANITARY LANDFILLS LIKE THEIR CONSTRUCTION, NATURE OF THE MATERIAL GOING INTO AND COMING OFF AS LECHATE. A WHOLE LOT OF TRANSPARENCY NEEDS TO BE BUILT INTO THE VARIOUS STAGES OF THIS OPERATION.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

THE POINTS RAISED IN THE FOREGOING IS THE OUT COME OF A COLECTIVE EFFORT BY THE MEMBERS OF THE GOSAN.

GEOSCIENCE MCQS

2010-12-25T03:39:00.001-08:00

MCQ in Geology

1.Extrusive rock of granitic composition is called

a. andesite b. rhyolite

c. trachyte d. diorite

2. During deposition, inter-granular space between particles trap water. This water is designated as

a. meteoric water b. connate water

c. juvenile water d. sediment water

3. A sillimanite bearing metamorphic rock common in the granulite terrains is called

a. charnockite b. khondalite

c. aplite d. eclogite

4.Streak of some minerals is often diagnostic. Cherry red streak is characteristic of

a. azurte b. malachite

c. hematite d. magnetite

5. Refractory bricks are very important material used in furnaces. Many refractory source materials are of geologic origin. One such is

a. magnesite b. Gypsum

c. anhydrite d. barite

6. Bauxite, an ore of aluminum, is formed by a geological process. It is called

a. beach placer b. supergene enrichment

c, magmatic differentiation d. residual concentration

7. Pleochroism is a property of minerals in thin sections and some are diagnostic. From the list pick a non-pleochroic mineral.

a. muscovite b. biotite

c. phlogopite d. hornblende

8. In minerals forming in orthorhombic system, the vibration directions X, Y and Z

a. coincide with the crystallographic axes b. only X coincides with a crystallographic axis

c. only Z coincides with one of the axes d. Y always coincides with the b axis

9. In biogenous deposits, radiolarian and diatomaceous oozes are always

a. calcareous b. chitinous

c. siliceous d. phosphatic

10. Style of extinction of quartz has been handy in identifying the nature of provenance rocks.

For example wavy extinction is indicative of

a. sedimentary source rocks b. igneous source rocks

c. metamorphic source rocks d. volcanic source rocks

11.From the following list select an un-stratified sedimentary deposit.

a. Shale b. Glacial varve

c. Glacial till d. Turbidite

12.The Indian shoreline is quite long and it measures about

a. 3100 km b. 4100 km

c. 5100 km d. 6100 km

13.Limestone caves are characterized by carbonate deposits formed by solution and re-precipitation process. One such deposit growing on the floor upwards is called

a.Stalactite b. stalagmite

c. cave pearl d. malachite

14. The Quilon formation of Kerala has a geologic age of

a. mid-miocene b. Mio-pliocene

c. Paleocene d. Pleistocene

15. From the following list of minerals pick the one most resistant to weathering process

a. muscovite b. biotite

c. quartz d. olivine

16.Pick a carbonate mineral from the list below

a. cat-toothspar b. satinspar

c. Iceland spar d. dogtoothspar

17.Basic unit In the lithostratigraphic classification is

a. group b. formation

c. member d. bed

18.Choose the correctly ordered list of varieties of coal in terms of increasing heat content

a. peat-lignite-anthracite b.. lignite-antracite-peat

c. anthracite-peat-lignite d. peat-anthracite-lignite

19.A generic term used to describe a gravelly sediment is

a. arenaceous sediment b. rudaceous sediment

c. argillaceous sediment c. lutaceous sediment

20. Among a host of methods used in exploration, oil industry prefers:

a. Seismic refraction b. seismic reflection

b. Electrical sounding d. gravity methods

21.In a geologic map, truncation of a set of beds by another set denotes

a. an unconformity b. plunging anticline

c. recumbent fold d. normal fault

22.Roughly annular distribution of outcrops of strata in a geologic map is suggestive of a

a. dome b. syncline

c. anticline d. volcanic cone

23.In the list of minerals below choose the mineral commercially referred as

Heavy spar

a. calcite b. dolomite

c. barites d. aragonite

24.Thin section of tourmaline cut parallel to c-axis, under cross polars shows

a. isotropism b. parallel extinction

c. cross like arrangement of inclusions

d. linear arrangement of inclusions

25.Mineral rhodochrosite is

a. oxide of Mn b. silicate of Mn

c. carbonate of Mn d. sulphide of Mn

26.Chromite, a mineral of element Cr, is

a. a sulphide b. a sulphate

c. an oxide d. a silicate

27.The gondite of India are uniquely associated with

a. Mn deposits b. Cr deposits

c. Fe deposits d. Zn deposits

28.The geological age of lignite bearing sedimentary deposits of Neyveli is

a. Eoccene b. Paleocene

c. Mio-Pliocene d. Oligocene

29.The formation occurring at the base of cretaceous rocks of Trichnapally is

a. Uttathur b. Ninyur

c. Trichnapally d. Ariyalur

30.Nine planes, 13 axes and a centre of symmetry characterizes

a.normal class of hexagonal system b.normal class of trigonal system

c.normal class of cubic system d.normal class of orthorhombic system.

31.Mineral almandine crystallizes in the

a. cubic system b. tetragonal system

c. triclinic system d. orthorhombic system

32..Marble is a product of

a. thermal metamorphism b. dynamic metamorphism

c. dynamo-thermal metamorphism d. ctaclastic metamorphism

33. In respect of earthquakes, the point of origin in the lithosphere is called

a. epicenter b. epocentre

c. focus d. hypocentre.

34. Iceland, in north Atlantic is very special geologically as it is

a. on an island arc b. on midoceanic ridge

c. an extinct volcano d. a locus of a huge Mn deposit

35. Mohorovicic discontinuity separates

a. crust from the mantle b. mantle and core

c. oceanic crust from inner core d. asthenosphere and mesosphere

36. Among the many geologic structures, topographic expression is most striking in respect of

a. folds b. faults

c. joints d. domes.

37. While calculating axial ratios of a crystal, one of the axis in the following list is taken as unity

a., a axis b. b axis

c. c axis d. a1 axis

38. Trapezohedron is a form that occurs in following crystal system

a. hexagonal system b. trigonal system

c. tetragonal system d. all of the above

39. In triclinic system all forms have only

a. 2 faces b. 4 faces

c. 3 faces d. six faces

40. Among the seven crystal systems, all classes do have a centre of symmetry anyway. But how many are they?

a.32 b.24

c.21 d.15

41.Highest level of substitution of Al for Si occurs in

a. orthoclase b. microcline

c. albite d. anorthite

42.Play of colours, a mineral property is caused by

a. low dispersion b. high dispersion

c. low interference d. high interference

43. From the minerals in the list below choose the one with does not show needle like habit.

a. wavellite b. sillimanite

c. tourmaline d. rutile

44. Given appropriate conditions mineral anhydrite can change to gypsum by

a. chemical by acquiring elements b. by loosing chemical elements

c. by exchanging chemical elements d. none of the above processes

45. Some minerals show a variation of physical properties along crystallographic axes. Say for e.g., high hardness is exhibited by mineral kyanite parallel to

a. c axis b. b axis

c. a axis d. b and c axes

46. Principal difference between graphite and diamond is

a. composition b. hardness

c. density d. structure

47. One of the minerals in the following list contains Fe and Ti

a. Rutile b. anatase

c. brookite d. ilmenite

48. Birefringence is a property of anisotropic minerals. Calcite is mineral showing very high birefringence. Under the microscope this manifests as

a. twinning b. pleochroism

c. twinkling d. glittering

49. Many anisotropic minerals under the microscope show parallel extinction if section is cut parallel to,

a. crystallographic axes.

b. crystallographic axes in monoclinic or triclinic systems

c. crystallographic axes in hexagonal, and orthorhombic systems

d. crystallographic axes in tetragonal, hexagonal and orthorhombic systems

50. Minerals show dichroism if they crystallized in

a. cubic system b. tetragonal system

c. monoclinic system d. orthorhombic system

51. Under cross polars, sections of minerals crystallizing in hexagonal system appear to be isotropic if

a. section lies on the c-axis b. section is at angle to c-axis

c. c-axis intersects section at right angles d. if section is cut perpendicular to a1-axis

52. In the list of minerals indicated below which one has the least dispersion?

a. fluorite b. diamond

c. calcite d. quartz

53. Cross hatched appearance of microcline under cross polars is caused by

a. polysynthetic twinning on albite law b. twinning on pericline law

c. 2 way twinning on albite law d. two-way twinning on albite and pericline laws

54. Basal sections of hornblende shows two sets of intersecting clevages making angles of

a. 56 and 124 deg b. 58 and 122 deg

c. 92 and 88 deg d. 110 and 70 deg

55. Among all the elements appearing in the periodic chart, natural elements are only

a. 92 b. 96

c.. 102 d.106

56. The most abundant silicate mineral in the crustal rocks is

a. quartz b. orthoclase

c. plagioclase d. kaolinite

57.. The earth derives most of its heat from the decay of

a. uranium 238 b. uranium 236

c. uranium 232 d. uranium235

58. Crustal abundance of oxygen by volume is about

a.. 94% b. 63%

c.. 57% d. 80%

59.. The texture of rocks formed by eutectic crystallization is called

a. graphic texture b. corona texture

c. annular texture d. overgrowth texture

60. In a binary phase diagram, liquidous, an down-curving line, indicates

a. crystallizing composition of solid from melt

b. composition of the liquid corresponding to crystals that form

c.. changing temperature of the melt d. continuously changing pressure of the melt

61. In a hill, a series of horizontal beds, are exposed. The bed that occurs at the summit of the hill is

a. oldest in age b. intermediate in age

c. youngest in age d. need fossil evidence to fix age.

62. A contour map showing thickness of beds is

a. isopach map b. isohyetal map

c. isovel map d. isogyric map

63. In some faults the stratigraphic throw is measured in miles. Pick such a fault from the attached list

a. step fault b. gravity fault

c. overthrust d. underthrust

64. Low amplitude minor folds seen in folded sequences are reliable signatures of major structure. Then such minor folds are described as

a. drag folds b. small folds

c. pucker folds d. crease folds

65. A synclinal hill is an example of

a. outlier b.inlier

c. ooflap c. onlap

66. In a geologic map the key bed – volcanic ash deposit- shows a zig-zag outcrop. This pattern of outcrop is caused by

a. a synclinal fold b. a symmetric fold

c. a plunging fold d. isoclinal fold

67. If the contact of a sedimentary bed rigorously follows the contours of a geologic map, the outcrop pattern suggests

a. horizontal bed b. low angle thrust fault

c. near vertical synclinal axis. d. near vertical anticlinal axis

68. Outcrop of a dolerite dike, in a geologic map, cuts through contours and river valleys along a straight line.

a. dike is vertically dipping b. intrusive dolerite dikes always do so

c. it is a growing intrusive d. all of the above

69. In a geologic map, beds are repeated like 1-2-3-2-1, which suggests

a. folded sequence b. faulted sequence

c. cyclic deposition d. all of the above

70. Porphyritic texture in igneous rocks suggest

a. two rates of cooling of magma b. abundance of one phase over the rest

c. phenocrysts formed at site of emplacement

d. ground mass formed in the chamber

71. Relative motion of blocks, across a fault plane can be recognized by smoothness of the fault plane

a. while moving palm of hand in the direction of motion.

b. while moving palm of hand against direction of motion

c. while moving the palm along the strike of fault plane

d. all of the above

72. A property of rocks whereby they break along parallel surfaces is called

a. bedding fissility b. rock cleavage

c. lineation d. foliation

73. Clevage and bedding relationship is used to decipher major folds. If the cleavage dips more gently than bedding it indicates

a. symmetrical folds b. asymmetrical folds

c. overturned folds d. isoclinal folds

74. Variability of elevation of a terrain are pictured by contour lines. In a map closely spaced contours are preceeded and followed by wider spacing, it indicates

a. monocline b. gentler surface

c.. anticline d. syncline.

75. In a geological map, if a key bed shows an ellipsoidal outcrop, it may be indicative of

a. doubly plunging fold b. an asymmetrical fold

c. salt dome d. laccolith

76. By the process Petrifaction, an organism is preserved

a. with its internal structure and morphological features

b. only with the morphological features

c. only the internal structures are preserved

d. only part of the internal structures are preserved.

77. Most suitable environment for preservation of fossils is

a. lacustrine b. marine

c. fluvial d. paludal

78. From the following list pick the person who is considered to be the father of paleontology

a. Lamarck b. James Hutton

c. William Smith d. Charles Lyell

79. Study of trace fossils is known as

a. paleo-ecology b.Synecology

c. Icthyology d. Ichnology

80. Fauna composed of active swimmers are known as

a. Plankton b. nekton

c. benthos d. pelagic

81. Foraminifers belong to the class

a. sarcodina b. astorhiza

c. flagellate d. mastigophora

82. Nummulites were chief rock builders during

a. Silurian b. Devonian

c. Eocene d. cretaceous

83. Reef building coral prefer

a. warmer waters b. cooler waters

c. high salinity d. terrestrial detritus

84. What is the scientific name of sea urchins?

a. diatoms b. echinoids

c. conodonts d. brachiopods

85. Synonym of lamellibranches is

a. pelecypod b.alcyonaria

c. zooantharia d. rugosa

86 Earliest pelecypod appeared in

a. lower Ordovician b. Upper Devonian

c. early Carboniferous d. lower Devonian

87. Changes in shape of the shell as well as coiling are the result of

a. free swimming nature b. .crawling nature

c. sessile habit d. burrowing habit

88. The age of the brachiopod syringothyris is

a. Ordovician b. Silurian

c. Devonian d. carboniferous

89 Which one of the following shows sinistral coiling?

a. murex b. conous

c. physa d. bellerophon

90. Ammonoids became extinct during

a. upper carboniferous b. late cretaceous

c. upper cretaceous d. Eocene

91. In ammonoids, goniatites suture reached its peak during

a. lower carboniferous b. .Permian

c. middle carboniferous d. upper carboniferous

92. In India most evolved dinosaur remains are associated with

a. bagh beds b. Lameta beds

c. Umaria marine beds d. Bap beds

93. Vertebraria, a plant fossil,

a. belongs to conifers b. belongs to cycads

c. is stem of glossopteris d. is stem of gangamopteris

94. First dinosaurs appeared during

a. early triassic b. late Triassic

c. early Jurassic d. early cretaceous

95. Which era is called age of mammals?

a. Azoic b. Paleozoic

c. Cenozoic d. Mesozoic

96 Jawed fishes appeared first during

a. Cambrian b. Ordovician

c. Silurian d. Devonian

97. Neogene period includes

a. Paleocene and Eocene b. Eocene and Oligocene

c. Oligocene, Miocene and Pliocene d. Miocene and Pliocene

98. From the list pick the name which later was equated with father of stratigraphy

a. Charles Leyell b. John Lehman

c. Werner d. James Hutton

99. In the following list which term stands for basic unit of geologic time

a. Period b. eon

c. era d. epoch

100. Zone represents

a. lithostratigraphic unit b. biostratigraphic unit

c. Chronostratigraphic unit d. all of the above

101. First land plants appeared during

a. Silurian b. Ordovician

c. Devonian d. carboniferous

102 Type area of Sausar group is in

a. Western Rajasthan b. Nagpur, Ma

c. Sighbhum, Bihar d. Chindwara, MP

103. Plan view of Cuddapah basin is

a. Cresentic b. linear

c. curved d. curvelinear

104. Dalma traps of volcanic rocks are found to occur on top of

a. Sausar-sakoli series b. iron ore series

c. Railo series d. Kolhan series

105. In the list given below, which group of rocks is intensely folded?

a. Semri group b. Kaimur group

c. Rewa group d. Bhander group

106. Commonest lithology in the Vindhyan super group is

a. Limestone b. sandstone

c. shale d. Basalt flows

107. Majority of rock formations of Gondwana have formed under

a. fluviatile conditions b. glacial conditions

c. lacustrine conditions d. nearshore marine conditions

108. The great cenomanian transgression occurred during

a. cretaceous b. Triassic

c. Jurassic d. Paleocene

109. The main boundary fault separates

a. upper Vindhyans and Aravallis b.Siwaliks and Aravallis

c. Siwaliks and Tertiaries d. Siwaliks and Budelkhad granites

110. Affinity of inter-trappeans are

a. marine b. lacustrine

c. transitional d. volcanic

111. Folded strata show characteristic joints. Those that are perpendicular to the fold axis are called

a. Tension joints b. shear joints

c. extension joints d. release joints

112.Pahoehoe is a type of

a. meteorite b. stratovocano

c. ropy lava d. blocky lava

113.Gneissic rocks common in the shield areas. A gneiss formed out of igneous rocks is designated as:

a. orthogneiss b. metagneiss

c. paragneiss d. polygneiss

114. In the ore deposits formed of supergene enrichment in a tropical climate in the vadose zone is characterized by

a. sulphide minerals b. Sulphate mineral

c. oxide minerals d. carbonates

115. China clay deposits of Singhbhum dist. Of Bihar, one of the most mineralized terrains in the nation, is formed by

a. residual concentration b. mechanical concentration

c. gravity concentration d. hydrodynamic concentration

116.Evidence of volcanic activity in the Cuddapah time is evinced by lava associated with

a. cumbum formation b. Tadapatri formation

c. Nagari formation d. Vempalli formation

117.Rocks of syenite group are characterized by the presence of

a. quartz b. nepheline

c. alkali feldspar d. k-felspar

118.Mineral composition of gabbro is approximately

a. hornblende and andesine b. labradorite and clinopyroxene

c. orthpyroxene and labrodorite d. olivine and calcic plagioclase

119.Igneous rocks do occur in glassy state too. From the list pick out the glass equivalent of an acid magma.

a. obsidian b. tektite

c. tachylite d. rhyolite

120.CIPW classification of igneous rocks is essentially one based on

a. natural mineral assemblage b. proxy minerals

c. rock texture d. texture and fabric

121. Igneous rocks showing aphanitic texture suggest

a. quick and fast cooling of magma, b. two stage cooling of magma

c, slow cooling of the magma d. all of the above

122.From the following list of rocks pick a mono-mineralic rock.

a. dacite b.dunite

c. trachyte d. andesite

123.Most abundant mineral in anorthosite is

a. orthoclase b. plagioclase

c. pyroxene d. amphibole

124.From the list of rocks given below pick the one with lowest silica content.

a. rhyolite b. trachyte

c. phonolite d. nepheline syenite

125. Characteristic feature of a turbidite is the association of

a. couplet of lutaceous and arenaceous layers b. graded bed resting on an erosional surface

c. sole marks and tool marks d. all of the above

126. Texturally the chief end members are

a. gravel, sand and mud b. granule, pebble and cobble

c. silt, clay and sand d. granule, sand and mud

127. Modern stromatolites uniquely occur in

a. subtidal zone b. intertidal zone

c. supratidal zone d. all of the above

128. Sediments are converted to rocks by

a. compaction b. cementation

c. recrystallisation d. all of the above

129. Out of the list of arenites listed below choose the one with framework and cement

a. orthoquartzite b. greywacke

c. arkose d. lithic arenite

130. Provenance rock of arkose is composed of

a. granite b. gabbro

c. dolerite d. syenite

131. Reservoir rock of world’s largest oil fields is

a. limestone b. impure limestone

c. calcareous sandstone d. arkose

132. Oolite is equivalent of

a. silt b. sand

c. granule d. pebble

133. Travancore beach placers are a world renowned occurrence. It shows unique association of several heavy minerals. In the order of abundance they are

a. ilmenite, magnetite, sillimanite, garnet, zircon and monazite

b. magnetite, sillimanite, garnet, zircon, monazite and ilmenite

c. sillimanite, garnet, zircon, monazite, ilmenite and magnetite

d. garnet, zircon, monazite ilmenite, magnetite and sillimanite

134. A characteristic fossil of Quilon limestone is

a.globigerina b. conodont

c.operculina malabarica d. nummulite

135. A classic example of tide dominated delta is

a. Nile delta b. Sundarban delta

cc. Missippi delta d. Niger delta

136. The type of metamorphism in which large scale addition or removal of minerals take place is

a. contact metamorphism b. metasomatism

b. dynamic metamorphism d. cataclastic metamorphism

137. In the following list which one is a stress mineral?

a. sillimanite b. kyanite

c. chiastolite d. cordierite

138. The phrase metamorphic zone was proposed by

a. Grubenmann & Becke b. Barrow

c. Tilley d. Eskola

139. Metamorphic facies denotes

a. conditions of temperature and pressure b. a unique rock type

c. unique micro-textures d. unique mineral assemblage

140. Khondalite, widespread in the Eastern ghats region, belongs to

a. granulite facies b. eclogite facies

c. amphibolite facies d. blue schist facies

141. Typical stratification in an oil pool is

a. oil, gas and water b. gas, oil and water

c. gas, water and oil d. all of the above

142. Karewas of Kashmir valley has economic deposit of

a. lignite b. barites

c. gypsum d. gas

143. Manganese deposits of Andhra Pradesh is associated with

a. gondites b. kodurites

c. bauxite d. bauxite and gibbsite

144. Kudremukh in Karnataka is known for

a. gold-quartz veins b. copper mineralization

c. iron ore deposits d. Pb-Zn deposits

145. From the list given below pick an ore of tungsten

a. scheelite b.Hubernite

c. wolframite d. franklinite

146. Workable graphite deposits are associated with

a. khondalites b. kodurites

c. kimberlite d. cummingtonite

147. Chief input in the ceramic industry is

a. china clay b. glass sand

b. magnesite d. bentonite

148 Gossan is a weathered upper part of a

a. sulphide orebody b. oxide ore body

c. carbonate ore body c. all of the above

149. One of the minerals in the list is used in making drilling mud

a. satinspar b. barites

c. magnesite d. flourspar

150. Which of the following method is unsuitable for dating the earth

a. K-Ar b. U-Th

c. K-Ar d. 14C

----------------

Extra question

. Classification of detrital sedimentary rocks are based on mineral composition

a. frame work grains b. matrix and cement

c. cement and frame work grains d. cement and porosity

MCQ in Geology

1.Extrusive rock of granitic composition is called

a. andesite b. rhyolite

c. trachyte d. diorite

2. During deposition, inter-granular space between particles trap water. This water is designated as

a. meteoric water b. connate water

c. juvenile water d. sediment water

3. A sillimanite bearing metamorphic rock common in the granulite terrains is called

a. charnockite b. khondalite

c. aplite d. eclogite

4.Streak of some minerals is often diagnostic. Cherry red streak is characteristic of

a. azurte b. malachite

c. hematite d. magnetite

5. Refractory bricks are very important material used in furnaces. Many refractory source materials are of geologic origin. One such is

a. magnesite b. Gypsum

c. anhydrite d. barite

6. Bauxite, an ore of aluminum, is formed by a geological process. It is called

a. beach placer b. supergene enrichment

c, magmatic differentiation d. residual concentration

7. Pleochroism is a property of minerals in thin sections and some are diagnostic. From the list pick a non-pleochroic mineral.

a. muscovite b. biotite

c. phlogopite d. hornblende

8. In minerals forming in orthorhombic system, the vibration directions X, Y and Z

a. coincide with the crystallographic axes b. only X coincides with a crystallographic axis

c. only Z coincides with one of the axes d. Y always coincides with the b axis

9. In biogenous deposits, radiolarian and diatomaceous oozes are always

a. calcareous b. chitinous

c. siliceous d. phosphatic

10. Style of extinction of quartz has been handy in identifying the nature of provenance rocks.

For example wavy extinction is indicative of

a. sedimentary source rocks b. igneous source rocks

c. metamorphic source rocks d. volcanic source rocks

11.From the following list select an un-stratified sedimentary deposit.

a. Shale b. Glacial varve

c. Glacial till d. Turbidite

12.The Indian shoreline is quite long and it measures about

a. 3100 km b. 4100 km

c. 5100 km d. 6100 km

13.Limestone caves are characterized by carbonate deposits formed by solution and re-precipitation process. One such deposit growing on the floor upwards is called

a.Stalactite b. stalagmite

c. cave pearl d. malachite

14. The Quilon formation of Kerala has a geologic age of

a. mid-miocene b. Mio-pliocene

c. Paleocene d. Pleistocene

15. From the following list of minerals pick the one most resistant to weathering process

a. muscovite b. biotite

c. quartz d. olivine

16.Pick a carbonate mineral from the list below

a. cat-toothspar b. satinspar

c. Iceland spar d. dogtoothspar

17.Basic unit In the lithostratigraphic classification is

a. group b. formation

c. member d. bed

18.Choose the correctly ordered list of varieties of coal in terms of increasing heat content

a. peat-lignite-anthracite b.. lignite-antracite-peat

c. anthracite-peat-lignite d. peat-anthracite-lignite

19.A generic term used to describe a gravelly sediment is

a. arenaceous sediment b. rudaceous sediment

c. argillaceous sediment c. lutaceous sediment

20. Among a host of methods used in exploration, oil industry prefers:

a. Seismic refraction b. seismic reflection

b. Electrical sounding d. gravity methods

21.In a geologic map, truncation of a set of beds by another set denotes

a. an unconformity b. plunging anticline

c. recumbent fold d. normal fault

22.Roughly annular distribution of outcrops of strata in a geologic map is suggestive of a

a. dome b. syncline

c. anticline d. volcanic cone

23.In the list of minerals below choose the mineral commercially referred as

Heavy spar

a. calcite b. dolomite

c. barites d. aragonite

24.Thin section of tourmaline cut parallel to c-axis, under cross polars shows

a. isotropism b. parallel extinction

c. cross like arrangement of inclusions

d. linear arrangement of inclusions

25.Mineral rhodochrosite is

a. oxide of Mn b. silicate of Mn

c. carbonate of Mn d. sulphide of Mn

26.Chromite, a mineral of element Cr, is

a. a sulphide b. a sulphate

c. an oxide d. a silicate

27.The gondite of India are uniquely associated with

a. Mn deposits b. Cr deposits

c. Fe deposits d. Zn deposits

28.The geological age of lignite bearing sedimentary deposits of Neyveli is

a. Eoccene b. Paleocene

c. Mio-Pliocene d. Oligocene

29.The formation occurring at the base of cretaceous rocks of Trichnapally is

a. Uttathur b. Ninyur

c. Trichnapally d. Ariyalur

30.Nine planes, 13 axes and a centre of symmetry characterizes

a.normal class of hexagonal system b.normal class of trigonal system

c.normal class of cubic system d.normal class of orthorhombic system.

31.Mineral almandine crystallizes in the

a. cubic system b. tetragonal system

c. triclinic system d. orthorhombic system

32..Marble is a product of

a. thermal metamorphism b. dynamic metamorphism

c. dynamo-thermal metamorphism d. ctaclastic metamorphism

33. In respect of earthquakes, the point of origin in the lithosphere is called

a. epicenter b. epocentre

c. focus d. hypocentre.

34. Iceland, in north Atlantic is very special geologically as it is

a. on an island arc b. on midoceanic ridge

c. an extinct volcano d. a locus of a huge Mn deposit

35. Mohorovicic discontinuity separates

a. crust from the mantle b. mantle and core

c. oceanic crust from inner core d. asthenosphere and mesosphere

36. Among the many geologic structures, topographic expression is most striking in respect of

a. folds b. faults

c. joints d. domes.

37. While calculating axial ratios of a crystal, one of the axis in the following list is taken as unity

a., a axis b. b axis

c. c axis d. a1 axis

38. Trapezohedron is a form that occurs in following crystal system

a. hexagonal system b. trigonal system

c. tetragonal system d. all of the above

39. In triclinic system all forms have only

a. 2 faces b. 4 faces

c. 3 faces d. six faces

40. Among the seven crystal systems, all classes do have a centre of symmetry anyway. But how many are they?

a.32 b.24

c.21 d.15

41.Highest level of substitution of Al for Si occurs in

a. orthoclase b. microcline

c. albite d. anorthite

42.Play of colours, a mineral property is caused by

a. low dispersion b. high dispersion

c. low interference d. high interference

43. From the minerals in the list below choose the one with does not show needle like habit.

a. wavellite b. sillimanite

c. tourmaline d. rutile

44. Given appropriate conditions mineral anhydrite can change to gypsum by

a. chemical by acquiring elements b. by loosing chemical elements

c. by exchanging chemical elements d. none of the above processes

45. Some minerals show a variation of physical properties along crystallographic axes. Say for e.g., high hardness is exhibited by mineral kyanite parallel to

a. c axis b. b axis

c. a axis d. b and c axes

46. Principal difference between graphite and diamond is

a. composition b. hardness

c. density d. structure

47. One of the minerals in the following list contains Fe and Ti

a. Rutile b. anatase

c. brookite d. ilmenite

48. Birefringence is a property of anisotropic minerals. Calcite is mineral showing very high birefringence. Under the microscope this manifests as

a. twinning b. pleochroism

c. twinkling d. glittering

49. Many anisotropic minerals under the microscope show parallel extinction if section is cut parallel to,

a. crystallographic axes.

b. crystallographic axes in monoclinic or triclinic systems

c. crystallographic axes in hexagonal, and orthorhombic systems

d. crystallographic axes in tetragonal, hexagonal and orthorhombic systems

50. Minerals show dichroism if they crystallized in

a. cubic system b. tetragonal system

c. monoclinic system d. orthorhombic system

51. Under cross polars, sections of minerals crystallizing in hexagonal system appear to be isotropic if

a. section lies on the c-axis b. section is at angle to c-axis

c. c-axis intersects section at right angles d. if section is cut perpendicular to a1-axis

52. In the list of minerals indicated below which one has the least dispersion?

a. fluorite b. diamond

c. calcite d. quartz

53. Cross hatched appearance of microcline under cross polars is caused by

a. polysynthetic twinning on albite law b. twinning on pericline law

c. 2 way twinning on albite law d. two-way twinning on albite and pericline laws

54. Basal sections of hornblende shows two sets of intersecting clevages making angles of

a. 56 and 124 deg b. 58 and 122 deg

c. 92 and 88 deg d. 110 and 70 deg

55. Among all the elements appearing in the periodic chart, natural elements are only

a. 92 b. 96

c.. 102 d.106

56. The most abundant silicate mineral in the crustal rocks is

a. quartz b. orthoclase

c. plagioclase d. kaolinite

57.. The earth derives most of its heat from the decay of

a. uranium 238 b. uranium 236

c. uranium 232 d. uranium235

58. Crustal abundance of oxygen by volume is about

a.. 94% b. 63%

c.. 57% d. 80%

59.. The texture of rocks formed by eutectic crystallization is called

a. graphic texture b. corona texture

c. annular texture d. overgrowth texture

60. In a binary phase diagram, liquidous, an down-curving line, indicates

a. crystallizing composition of solid from melt

b. composition of the liquid corresponding to crystals that form

c.. changing temperature of the melt d. continuously changing pressure of the melt

61. In a hill, a series of horizontal beds, are exposed. The bed that occurs at the summit of the hill is

a. oldest in age b. intermediate in age

c. youngest in age d. need fossil evidence to fix age.

62. A contour map showing thickness of beds is

a. isopach map b. isohyetal map

c. isovel map d. isogyric map

63. In some faults the stratigraphic throw is measured in miles. Pick such a fault from the attached list

a. step fault b. gravity fault

c. overthrust d. underthrust

64. Low amplitude minor folds seen in folded sequences are reliable signatures of major structure. Then such minor folds are described as

a. drag folds b. small folds

c. pucker folds d. crease folds

65. A synclinal hill is an example of

a. outlier b.inlier

c. ooflap c. onlap

66. In a geologic map the key bed – volcanic ash deposit- shows a zig-zag outcrop. This pattern of outcrop is caused by

a. a synclinal fold b. a symmetric fold

c. a plunging fold d. isoclinal fold

67. If the contact of a sedimentary bed rigorously follows the contours of a geologic map, the outcrop pattern suggests

a. horizontal bed b. low angle thrust fault

c. near vertical synclinal axis. d. near vertical anticlinal axis

68. Outcrop of a dolerite dike, in a geologic map, cuts through contours and river valleys along a straight line.

a. dike is vertically dipping b. intrusive dolerite dikes always do so

c. it is a growing intrusive d. all of the above

69. In a geologic map, beds are repeated like 1-2-3-2-1, which suggests

a. folded sequence b. faulted sequence

c. cyclic deposition d. all of the above

70. Porphyritic texture in igneous rocks suggest

a. two rates of cooling of magma b. abundance of one phase over the rest

c. phenocrysts formed at site of emplacement

d. ground mass formed in the chamber

71. Relative motion of blocks, across a fault plane can be recognized by smoothness of the fault plane

a. while moving palm of hand in the direction of motion.

b. while moving palm of hand against direction of motion

c. while moving the palm along the strike of fault plane

d. all of the above

72. A property of rocks whereby they break along parallel surfaces is called

a. bedding fissility b. rock cleavage

c. lineation d. foliation

73. Clevage and bedding relationship is used to decipher major folds. If the cleavage dips more gently than bedding it indicates

a. symmetrical folds b. asymmetrical folds

c. overturned folds d. isoclinal folds

74. Variability of elevation of a terrain are pictured by contour lines. In a map closely spaced contours are preceeded and followed by wider spacing, it indicates

a. monocline b. gentler surface

c.. anticline d. syncline.

75. In a geological map, if a key bed shows an ellipsoidal outcrop, it may be indicative of

a. doubly plunging fold b. an asymmetrical fold

c. salt dome d. laccolith

76. By the process Petrifaction, an organism is preserved

a. with its internal structure and morphological features

b. only with the morphological features

c. only the internal structures are preserved

d. only part of the internal structures are preserved.

77. Most suitable environment for preservation of fossils is

a. lacustrine b. marine

c. fluvial d. paludal

78. From the following list pick the person who is considered to be the father of paleontology

a. Lamarck b. James Hutton

c. William Smith d. Charles Lyell

79. Study of trace fossils is known as

a. paleo-ecology b.Synecology

c. Icthyology d. Ichnology

80. Fauna composed of active swimmers are known as

a. Plankton b. nekton

c. benthos d. pelagic

81. Foraminifers belong to the class

a. sarcodina b. astorhiza

c. flagellate d. mastigophora

82. Nummulites were chief rock builders during

a. Silurian b. Devonian

c. Eocene d. cretaceous

83. Reef building coral prefer

a. warmer waters b. cooler waters

c. high salinity d. terrestrial detritus

84. What is the scientific name of sea urchins?

a. diatoms b. echinoids

c. conodonts d. brachiopods

85. Synonym of lamellibranches is

a. pelecypod b.alcyonaria

c. zooantharia d. rugosa

86 Earliest pelecypod appeared in

a. lower Ordovician b. Upper Devonian

c. early Carboniferous d. lower Devonian

87. Changes in shape of the shell as well as coiling are the result of

a. free swimming nature b. .crawling nature

c. sessile habit d. burrowing habit

88. The age of the brachiopod syringothyris is

a. Ordovician b. Silurian

c. Devonian d. carboniferous

89 Which one of the following shows sinistral coiling?

a. murex b. conous

c. physa d. bellerophon

90. Ammonoids became extinct during

a. upper carboniferous b. late cretaceous

c. upper cretaceous d. Eocene

91. In ammonoids, goniatites suture reached its peak during

a. lower carboniferous b. .Permian

c. middle carboniferous d. upper carboniferous

92. In India most evolved dinosaur remains are associated with

a. bagh beds b. Lameta beds

c. Umaria marine beds d. Bap beds

93. Vertebraria, a plant fossil,

a. belongs to conifers b. belongs to cycads

c. is stem of glossopteris d. is stem of gangamopteris

94. First dinosaurs appeared during

a. early triassic b. late Triassic

c. early Jurassic d. early cretaceous

95. Which era is called age of mammals?

a. Azoic b. Paleozoic

c. Cenozoic d. Mesozoic

96 Jawed fishes appeared first during

a. Cambrian b. Ordovician

c. Silurian d. Devonian

97. Neogene period includes

a. Paleocene and Eocene b. Eocene and Oligocene

c. Oligocene, Miocene and Pliocene d. Miocene and Pliocene

98. From the list pick the name which later was equated with father of stratigraphy

a. Charles Leyell b. John Lehman

c. Werner d. James Hutton

99. In the following list which term stands for basic unit of geologic time

a. Period b. eon

c. era d. epoch

100. Zone represents

a. lithostratigraphic unit b. biostratigraphic unit

c. Chronostratigraphic unit d. all of the above

101. First land plants appeared during

a. Silurian b. Ordovician

c. Devonian d. carboniferous

102 Type area of Sausar group is in

a. Western Rajasthan b. Nagpur, Ma

c. Sighbhum, Bihar d. Chindwara, MP

103. Plan view of Cuddapah basin is

a. Cresentic b. linear

c. curved d. curvelinear

104. Dalma traps of volcanic rocks are found to occur on top of

a. Sausar-sakoli series b. iron ore series

c. Railo series d. Kolhan series

105. In the list given below, which group of rocks is intensely folded?

a. Semri group b. Kaimur group

c. Rewa group d. Bhander group

106. Commonest lithology in the Vindhyan super group is

a. Limestone b. sandstone

c. shale d. Basalt flows

107. Majority of rock formations of Gondwana have formed under

a. fluviatile conditions b. glacial conditions

c. lacustrine conditions d. nearshore marine conditions

108. The great cenomanian transgression occurred during

a. cretaceous b. Triassic

c. Jurassic d. Paleocene

109. The main boundary fault separates

a. upper Vindhyans and Aravallis b.Siwaliks and Aravallis

c. Siwaliks and Tertiaries d. Siwaliks and Budelkhad granites

110. Affinity of inter-trappeans are

a. marine b. lacustrine

c. transitional d. volcanic

111. Folded strata show characteristic joints. Those that are perpendicular to the fold axis are called

a. Tension joints b. shear joints

c. extension joints d. release joints

112.Pahoehoe is a type of

a. meteorite b. stratovocano

c. ropy lava d. blocky lava

113.Gneissic rocks common in the shield areas. A gneiss formed out of igneous rocks is designated as:

a. orthogneiss b. metagneiss

c. paragneiss d. polygneiss

114. In the ore deposits formed of supergene enrichment in a tropical climate in the vadose zone is characterized by

a. sulphide minerals b. Sulphate mineral

c. oxide minerals d. carbonates

115. China clay deposits of Singhbhum dist. Of Bihar, one of the most mineralized terrains in the nation, is formed by

a. residual concentration b. mechanical concentration

c. gravity concentration d. hydrodynamic concentration

116.Evidence of volcanic activity in the Cuddapah time is evinced by lava associated with

a. cumbum formation b. Tadapatri formation

c. Nagari formation d. Vempalli formation

117.Rocks of syenite group are characterized by the presence of

a. quartz b. nepheline

c. alkali feldspar d. k-felspar

118.Mineral composition of gabbro is approximately

a. hornblende and andesine b. labradorite and clinopyroxene

c. orthpyroxene and labrodorite d. olivine and calcic plagioclase

119.Igneous rocks do occur in glassy state too. From the list pick out the glass equivalent of an acid magma.

a. obsidian b. tektite

c. tachylite d. rhyolite

120.CIPW classification of igneous rocks is essentially one based on

a. natural mineral assemblage b. proxy minerals

c. rock texture d. texture and fabric

121. Igneous rocks showing aphanitic texture suggest

a. quick and fast cooling of magma, b. two stage cooling of magma

c, slow cooling of the magma d. all of the above

122.From the following list of rocks pick a mono-mineralic rock.

a. dacite b.dunite

c. trachyte d. andesite

123.Most abundant mineral in anorthosite is

a. orthoclase b. plagioclase

c. pyroxene d. amphibole

124.From the list of rocks given below pick the one with lowest silica content.

a. rhyolite b. trachyte

c. phonolite d. nepheline syenite

125. Characteristic feature of a turbidite is the association of

a. couplet of lutaceous and arenaceous layers b. graded bed resting on an erosional surface

c. sole marks and tool marks d. all of the above

126. Texturally the chief end members are

a. gravel, sand and mud b. granule, pebble and cobble

c. silt, clay and sand d. granule, sand and mud

127. Modern stromatolites uniquely occur in

a. subtidal zone b. intertidal zone

c. supratidal zone d. all of the above

128. Sediments are converted to rocks by

a. compaction b. cementation

c. recrystallisation d. all of the above

129. Out of the list of arenites listed below choose the one with framework and cement

a. orthoquartzite b. greywacke

c. arkose d. lithic arenite

130. Provenance rock of arkose is composed of

a. granite b. gabbro

c. dolerite d. syenite

131. Reservoir rock of world’s largest oil fields is

a. limestone b. impure limestone

c. calcareous sandstone d. arkose

132. Oolite is equivalent of

a. silt b. sand

c. granule d. pebble

133. Travancore beach placers are a world renowned occurrence. It shows unique association of several heavy minerals. In the order of abundance they are

a. ilmenite, magnetite, sillimanite, garnet, zircon and monazite

b. magnetite, sillimanite, garnet, zircon, monazite and ilmenite

c. sillimanite, garnet, zircon, monazite, ilmenite and magnetite

d. garnet, zircon, monazite ilmenite, magnetite and sillimanite

134. A characteristic fossil of Quilon limestone is

a.globigerina b. conodont

c.operculina malabarica d. nummulite

135. A classic example of tide dominated delta is

a. Nile delta b. Sundarban delta

cc. Missippi delta d. Niger delta

136. The type of metamorphism in which large scale addition or removal of minerals take place is

a. contact metamorphism b. metasomatism

b. dynamic metamorphism d. cataclastic metamorphism

137. In the following list which one is a stress mineral?

a. sillimanite b. kyanite

c. chiastolite d. cordierite

138. The phrase metamorphic zone was proposed by

a. Grubenmann & Becke b. Barrow

c. Tilley d. Eskola

139. Metamorphic facies denotes

a. conditions of temperature and pressure b. a unique rock type

c. unique micro-textures d. unique mineral assemblage

140. Khondalite, widespread in the Eastern ghats region, belongs to

a. granulite facies b. eclogite facies

c. amphibolite facies d. blue schist facies

141. Typical stratification in an oil pool is

a. oil, gas and water b. gas, oil and water

c. gas, water and oil d. all of the above

142. Karewas of Kashmir valley has economic deposit of

a. lignite b. barites

c. gypsum d. gas

143. Manganese deposits of Andhra Pradesh is associated with

a. gondites b. kodurites

c. bauxite d. bauxite and gibbsite

144. Kudremukh in Karnataka is known for

a. gold-quartz veins b. copper mineralization

c. iron ore deposits d. Pb-Zn deposits

145. From the list given below pick an ore of tungsten

a. scheelite b.Hubernite

c. wolframite d. franklinite

146. Workable graphite deposits are associated with

a. khondalites b. kodurites

c. kimberlite d. cummingtonite

147. Chief input in the ceramic industry is

a. china clay b. glass sand

b. magnesite d. bentonite

148 Gossan is a weathered upper part of a

a. sulphide orebody b. oxide ore body

c. carbonate ore body c. all of the above

149. One of the minerals in the list is used in making drilling mud

a. satinspar b. barites

c. magnesite d. flourspar

150. Which of the following method is unsuitable for dating the earth

a. K-Ar b. U-Th

c. K-Ar d. 14C

----------------

Extra question

. Classification of detrital sedimentary rocks are based on mineral composition

a. frame work grains b. matrix and cement

c. cement and frame work grains d. cement and porosity

GEOSCIENCE MCQS

2010-12-25T03:39:00.000-08:00

MCQ in Geology

1.Extrusive rock of granitic composition is called

a. andesite b. rhyolite

c. trachyte d. diorite

2. During deposition, inter-granular space between particles trap water. This water is designated as

a. meteoric water b. connate water

c. juvenile water d. sediment water

3. A sillimanite bearing metamorphic rock common in the granulite terrains is called

a. charnockite b. khondalite

c. aplite d. eclogite

4.Streak of some minerals is often diagnostic. Cherry red streak is characteristic of

a. azurte b. malachite

c. hematite d. magnetite

5. Refractory bricks are very important material used in furnaces. Many refractory source materials are of geologic origin. One such is

a. magnesite b. Gypsum

c. anhydrite d. barite

6. Bauxite, an ore of aluminum, is formed by a geological process. It is called

a. beach placer b. supergene enrichment

c, magmatic differentiation d. residual concentration

7. Pleochroism is a property of minerals in thin sections and some are diagnostic. From the list pick a non-pleochroic mineral.

a. muscovite b. biotite

c. phlogopite d. hornblende

8. In minerals forming in orthorhombic system, the vibration directions X, Y and Z

a. coincide with the crystallographic axes b. only X coincides with a crystallographic axis

c. only Z coincides with one of the axes d. Y always coincides with the b axis

9. In biogenous deposits, radiolarian and diatomaceous oozes are always

a. calcareous b. chitinous

c. siliceous d. phosphatic

10. Style of extinction of quartz has been handy in identifying the nature of provenance rocks.

For example wavy extinction is indicative of

a. sedimentary source rocks b. igneous source rocks

c. metamorphic source rocks d. volcanic source rocks

11.From the following list select an un-stratified sedimentary deposit.

a. Shale b. Glacial varve

c. Glacial till d. Turbidite

12.The Indian shoreline is quite long and it measures about

a. 3100 km b. 4100 km

c. 5100 km d. 6100 km

13.Limestone caves are characterized by carbonate deposits formed by solution and re-precipitation process. One such deposit growing on the floor upwards is called

a.Stalactite b. stalagmite

c. cave pearl d. malachite

14. The Quilon formation of Kerala has a geologic age of

a. mid-miocene b. Mio-pliocene

c. Paleocene d. Pleistocene

15. From the following list of minerals pick the one most resistant to weathering process

a. muscovite b. biotite

c. quartz d. olivine

16.Pick a carbonate mineral from the list below

a. cat-toothspar b. satinspar

c. Iceland spar d. dogtoothspar

17.Basic unit In the lithostratigraphic classification is

a. group b. formation

c. member d. bed

18.Choose the correctly ordered list of varieties of coal in terms of increasing heat content

a. peat-lignite-anthracite b.. lignite-antracite-peat

c. anthracite-peat-lignite d. peat-anthracite-lignite

19.A generic term used to describe a gravelly sediment is

a. arenaceous sediment b. rudaceous sediment

c. argillaceous sediment c. lutaceous sediment

20. Among a host of methods used in exploration, oil industry prefers:

a. Seismic refraction b. seismic reflection

b. Electrical sounding d. gravity methods

21.In a geologic map, truncation of a set of beds by another set denotes

a. an unconformity b. plunging anticline

c. recumbent fold d. normal fault

22.Roughly annular distribution of outcrops of strata in a geologic map is suggestive of a

a. dome b. syncline

c. anticline d. volcanic cone

23.In the list of minerals below choose the mineral commercially referred as

Heavy spar

a. calcite b. dolomite

c. barites d. aragonite

24.Thin section of tourmaline cut parallel to c-axis, under cross polars shows

a. isotropism b. parallel extinction

c. cross like arrangement of inclusions

d. linear arrangement of inclusions

25.Mineral rhodochrosite is

a. oxide of Mn b. silicate of Mn

c. carbonate of Mn d. sulphide of Mn

26.Chromite, a mineral of element Cr, is

a. a sulphide b. a sulphate

c. an oxide d. a silicate

27.The gondite of India are uniquely associated with

a. Mn deposits b. Cr deposits

c. Fe deposits d. Zn deposits

28.The geological age of lignite bearing sedimentary deposits of Neyveli is

a. Eoccene b. Paleocene

c. Mio-Pliocene d. Oligocene

29.The formation occurring at the base of cretaceous rocks of Trichnapally is

a. Uttathur b. Ninyur

c. Trichnapally d. Ariyalur

30.Nine planes, 13 axes and a centre of symmetry characterizes

a.normal class of hexagonal system b.normal class of trigonal system

c.normal class of cubic system d.normal class of orthorhombic system.

31.Mineral almandine crystallizes in the

a. cubic system b. tetragonal system

c. triclinic system d. orthorhombic system

32..Marble is a product of

a. thermal metamorphism b. dynamic metamorphism

c. dynamo-thermal metamorphism d. ctaclastic metamorphism

33. In respect of earthquakes, the point of origin in the lithosphere is called

a. epicenter b. epocentre

c. focus d. hypocentre.

34. Iceland, in north Atlantic is very special geologically as it is

a. on an island arc b. on midoceanic ridge

c. an extinct volcano d. a locus of a huge Mn deposit

35. Mohorovicic discontinuity separates

a. crust from the mantle b. mantle and core

c. oceanic crust from inner core d. asthenosphere and mesosphere

36. Among the many geologic structures, topographic expression is most striking in respect of

a. folds b. faults

c. joints d. domes.

37. While calculating axial ratios of a crystal, one of the axis in the following list is taken as unity

a., a axis b. b axis

c. c axis d. a1 axis

38. Trapezohedron is a form that occurs in following crystal system

a. hexagonal system b. trigonal system

c. tetragonal system d. all of the above

39. In triclinic system all forms have only

a. 2 faces b. 4 faces

c. 3 faces d. six faces

40. Among the seven crystal systems, all classes do have a centre of symmetry anyway. But how many are they?

a.32 b.24

c.21 d.15

41.Highest level of substitution of Al for Si occurs in

a. orthoclase b. microcline

c. albite d. anorthite

42.Play of colours, a mineral property is caused by

a. low dispersion b. high dispersion

c. low interference d. high interference

43. From the minerals in the list below choose the one with does not show needle like habit.

a. wavellite b. sillimanite

c. tourmaline d. rutile

44. Given appropriate conditions mineral anhydrite can change to gypsum by

a. chemical by acquiring elements b. by loosing chemical elements

c. by exchanging chemical elements d. none of the above processes

45. Some minerals show a variation of physical properties along crystallographic axes. Say for e.g., high hardness is exhibited by mineral kyanite parallel to

a. c axis b. b axis

c. a axis d. b and c axes

46. Principal difference between graphite and diamond is

a. composition b. hardness

c. density d. structure

47. One of the minerals in the following list contains Fe and Ti

a. Rutile b. anatase

c. brookite d. ilmenite

48. Birefringence is a property of anisotropic minerals. Calcite is mineral showing very high birefringence. Under the microscope this manifests as

a. twinning b. pleochroism

c. twinkling d. glittering

49. Many anisotropic minerals under the microscope show parallel extinction if section is cut parallel to,

a. crystallographic axes.

b. crystallographic axes in monoclinic or triclinic systems

c. crystallographic axes in hexagonal, and orthorhombic systems

d. crystallographic axes in tetragonal, hexagonal and orthorhombic systems

50. Minerals show dichroism if they crystallized in

a. cubic system b. tetragonal system

c. monoclinic system d. orthorhombic system

51. Under cross polars, sections of minerals crystallizing in hexagonal system appear to be isotropic if

a. section lies on the c-axis b. section is at angle to c-axis

c. c-axis intersects section at right angles d. if section is cut perpendicular to a1-axis

52. In the list of minerals indicated below which one has the least dispersion?

a. fluorite b. diamond

c. calcite d. quartz

53. Cross hatched appearance of microcline under cross polars is caused by

a. polysynthetic twinning on albite law b. twinning on pericline law

c. 2 way twinning on albite law d. two-way twinning on albite and pericline laws

54. Basal sections of hornblende shows two sets of intersecting clevages making angles of

a. 56 and 124 deg b. 58 and 122 deg

c. 92 and 88 deg d. 110 and 70 deg

55. Among all the elements appearing in the periodic chart, natural elements are only

a. 92 b. 96

c.. 102 d.106

56. The most abundant silicate mineral in the crustal rocks is

a. quartz b. orthoclase

c. plagioclase d. kaolinite

57.. The earth derives most of its heat from the decay of

a. uranium 238 b. uranium 236

c. uranium 232 d. uranium235

58. Crustal abundance of oxygen by volume is about

a.. 94% b. 63%

c.. 57% d. 80%

59.. The texture of rocks formed by eutectic crystallization is called

a. graphic texture b. corona texture

c. annular texture d. overgrowth texture

60. In a binary phase diagram, liquidous, an down-curving line, indicates

a. crystallizing composition of solid from melt

b. composition of the liquid corresponding to crystals that form

c.. changing temperature of the melt d. continuously changing pressure of the melt

61. In a hill, a series of horizontal beds, are exposed. The bed that occurs at the summit of the hill is

a. oldest in age b. intermediate in age

c. youngest in age d. need fossil evidence to fix age.

62. A contour map showing thickness of beds is

a. isopach map b. isohyetal map

c. isovel map d. isogyric map

63. In some faults the stratigraphic throw is measured in miles. Pick such a fault from the attached list

a. step fault b. gravity fault

c. overthrust d. underthrust

64. Low amplitude minor folds seen in folded sequences are reliable signatures of major structure. Then such minor folds are described as

a. drag folds b. small folds

c. pucker folds d. crease folds

65. A synclinal hill is an example of

a. outlier b.inlier

c. ooflap c. onlap

66. In a geologic map the key bed – volcanic ash deposit- shows a zig-zag outcrop. This pattern of outcrop is caused by

a. a synclinal fold b. a symmetric fold

c. a plunging fold d. isoclinal fold

67. If the contact of a sedimentary bed rigorously follows the contours of a geologic map, the outcrop pattern suggests

a. horizontal bed b. low angle thrust fault

c. near vertical synclinal axis. d. near vertical anticlinal axis

68. Outcrop of a dolerite dike, in a geologic map, cuts through contours and river valleys along a straight line.

a. dike is vertically dipping b. intrusive dolerite dikes always do so

c. it is a growing intrusive d. all of the above

69. In a geologic map, beds are repeated like 1-2-3-2-1, which suggests

a. folded sequence b. faulted sequence

c. cyclic deposition d. all of the above

70. Porphyritic texture in igneous rocks suggest

a. two rates of cooling of magma b. abundance of one phase over the rest

c. phenocrysts formed at site of emplacement

d. ground mass formed in the chamber

71. Relative motion of blocks, across a fault plane can be recognized by smoothness of the fault plane

a. while moving palm of hand in the direction of motion.

b. while moving palm of hand against direction of motion

c. while moving the palm along the strike of fault plane

d. all of the above

72. A property of rocks whereby they break along parallel surfaces is called

a. bedding fissility b. rock cleavage

c. lineation d. foliation

73. Clevage and bedding relationship is used to decipher major folds. If the cleavage dips more gently than bedding it indicates

a. symmetrical folds b. asymmetrical folds

c. overturned folds d. isoclinal folds

74. Variability of elevation of a terrain are pictured by contour lines. In a map closely spaced contours are preceeded and followed by wider spacing, it indicates

a. monocline b. gentler surface

c.. anticline d. syncline.

75. In a geological map, if a key bed shows an ellipsoidal outcrop, it may be indicative of

a. doubly plunging fold b. an asymmetrical fold

c. salt dome d. laccolith

76. By the process Petrifaction, an organism is preserved

a. with its internal structure and morphological features

b. only with the morphological features

c. only the internal structures are preserved

d. only part of the internal structures are preserved.

77. Most suitable environment for preservation of fossils is

a. lacustrine b. marine

c. fluvial d. paludal

78. From the following list pick the person who is considered to be the father of paleontology

a. Lamarck b. James Hutton

c. William Smith d. Charles Lyell

79. Study of trace fossils is known as

a. paleo-ecology b.Synecology

c. Icthyology d. Ichnology

80. Fauna composed of active swimmers are known as

a. Plankton b. nekton

c. benthos d. pelagic

81. Foraminifers belong to the class

a. sarcodina b. astorhiza

c. flagellate d. mastigophora

82. Nummulites were chief rock builders during

a. Silurian b. Devonian

c. Eocene d. cretaceous

83. Reef building coral prefer

a. warmer waters b. cooler waters

c. high salinity d. terrestrial detritus

84. What is the scientific name of sea urchins?

a. diatoms b. echinoids

c. conodonts d. brachiopods

85. Synonym of lamellibranches is

a. pelecypod b.alcyonaria

c. zooantharia d. rugosa

86 Earliest pelecypod appeared in

a. lower Ordovician b. Upper Devonian

c. early Carboniferous d. lower Devonian

87. Changes in shape of the shell as well as coiling are the result of

a. free swimming nature b. .crawling nature

c. sessile habit d. burrowing habit

88. The age of the brachiopod syringothyris is

a. Ordovician b. Silurian

c. Devonian d. carboniferous

89 Which one of the following shows sinistral coiling?

a. murex b. conous

c. physa d. bellerophon

90. Ammonoids became extinct during

a. upper carboniferous b. late cretaceous

c. upper cretaceous d. Eocene

91. In ammonoids, goniatites suture reached its peak during

a. lower carboniferous b. .Permian

c. middle carboniferous d. upper carboniferous

92. In India most evolved dinosaur remains are associated with

a. bagh beds b. Lameta beds

c. Umaria marine beds d. Bap beds

93. Vertebraria, a plant fossil,

a. belongs to conifers b. belongs to cycads

c. is stem of glossopteris d. is stem of gangamopteris

94. First dinosaurs appeared during

a. early triassic b. late Triassic

c. early Jurassic d. early cretaceous

95. Which era is called age of mammals?

a. Azoic b. Paleozoic

c. Cenozoic d. Mesozoic

96 Jawed fishes appeared first during

a. Cambrian b. Ordovician

c. Silurian d. Devonian

97. Neogene period includes

a. Paleocene and Eocene b. Eocene and Oligocene

c. Oligocene, Miocene and Pliocene d. Miocene and Pliocene

98. From the list pick the name which later was equated with father of stratigraphy

a. Charles Leyell b. John Lehman

c. Werner d. James Hutton

99. In the following list which term stands for basic unit of geologic time

a. Period b. eon

c. era d. epoch

100. Zone represents

a. lithostratigraphic unit b. biostratigraphic unit

c. Chronostratigraphic unit d. all of the above

101. First land plants appeared during

a. Silurian b. Ordovician

c. Devonian d. carboniferous

102 Type area of Sausar group is in

a. Western Rajasthan b. Nagpur, Ma

c. Sighbhum, Bihar d. Chindwara, MP

103. Plan view of Cuddapah basin is

a. Cresentic b. linear

c. curved d. curvelinear

104. Dalma traps of volcanic rocks are found to occur on top of

a. Sausar-sakoli series b. iron ore series

c. Railo series d. Kolhan series

105. In the list given below, which group of rocks is intensely folded?

a. Semri group b. Kaimur group

c. Rewa group d. Bhander group

106. Commonest lithology in the Vindhyan super group is

a. Limestone b. sandstone

c. shale d. Basalt flows

107. Majority of rock formations of Gondwana have formed under

a. fluviatile conditions b. glacial conditions

c. lacustrine conditions d. nearshore marine conditions

108. The great cenomanian transgression occurred during

a. cretaceous b. Triassic

c. Jurassic d. Paleocene

109. The main boundary fault separates

a. upper Vindhyans and Aravallis b.Siwaliks and Aravallis

c. Siwaliks and Tertiaries d. Siwaliks and Budelkhad granites

110. Affinity of inter-trappeans are

a. marine b. lacustrine

c. transitional d. volcanic

111. Folded strata show characteristic joints. Those that are perpendicular to the fold axis are called

a. Tension joints b. shear joints

c. extension joints d. release joints

112.Pahoehoe is a type of

a. meteorite b. stratovocano

c. ropy lava d. blocky lava

113.Gneissic rocks common in the shield areas. A gneiss formed out of igneous rocks is designated as:

a. orthogneiss b. metagneiss

c. paragneiss d. polygneiss

114. In the ore deposits formed of supergene enrichment in a tropical climate in the vadose zone is characterized by

a. sulphide minerals b. Sulphate mineral

c. oxide minerals d. carbonates

115. China clay deposits of Singhbhum dist. Of Bihar, one of the most mineralized terrains in the nation, is formed by

a. residual concentration b. mechanical concentration

c. gravity concentration d. hydrodynamic concentration

116.Evidence of volcanic activity in the Cuddapah time is evinced by lava associated with

a. cumbum formation b. Tadapatri formation

c. Nagari formation d. Vempalli formation

117.Rocks of syenite group are characterized by the presence of

a. quartz b. nepheline

c. alkali feldspar d. k-felspar

118.Mineral composition of gabbro is approximately

a. hornblende and andesine b. labradorite and clinopyroxene

c. orthpyroxene and labrodorite d. olivine and calcic plagioclase

119.Igneous rocks do occur in glassy state too. From the list pick out the glass equivalent of an acid magma.

a. obsidian b. tektite

c. tachylite d. rhyolite

120.CIPW classification of igneous rocks is essentially one based on

a. natural mineral assemblage b. proxy minerals

c. rock texture d. texture and fabric

121. Igneous rocks showing aphanitic texture suggest

a. quick and fast cooling of magma, b. two stage cooling of magma

c, slow cooling of the magma d. all of the above

122.From the following list of rocks pick a mono-mineralic rock.

a. dacite b.dunite

c. trachyte d. andesite

123.Most abundant mineral in anorthosite is

a. orthoclase b. plagioclase

c. pyroxene d. amphibole

124.From the list of rocks given below pick the one with lowest silica content.

a. rhyolite b. trachyte

c. phonolite d. nepheline syenite

125. Characteristic feature of a turbidite is the association of

a. couplet of lutaceous and arenaceous layers b. graded bed resting on an erosional surface

c. sole marks and tool marks d. all of the above

126. Texturally the chief end members are

a. gravel, sand and mud b. granule, pebble and cobble

c. silt, clay and sand d. granule, sand and mud

127. Modern stromatolites uniquely occur in

a. subtidal zone b. intertidal zone

c. supratidal zone d. all of the above

128. Sediments are converted to rocks by

a. compaction b. cementation

c. recrystallisation d. all of the above

129. Out of the list of arenites listed below choose the one with framework and cement

a. orthoquartzite b. greywacke

c. arkose d. lithic arenite

130. Provenance rock of arkose is composed of

a. granite b. gabbro

c. dolerite d. syenite

131. Reservoir rock of world’s largest oil fields is

a. limestone b. impure limestone

c. calcareous sandstone d. arkose

132. Oolite is equivalent of

a. silt b. sand

c. granule d. pebble

133. Travancore beach placers are a world renowned occurrence. It shows unique association of several heavy minerals. In the order of abundance they are

a. ilmenite, magnetite, sillimanite, garnet, zircon and monazite

b. magnetite, sillimanite, garnet, zircon, monazite and ilmenite

c. sillimanite, garnet, zircon, monazite, ilmenite and magnetite

d. garnet, zircon, monazite ilmenite, magnetite and sillimanite

134. A characteristic fossil of Quilon limestone is

a.globigerina b. conodont

c.operculina malabarica d. nummulite

135. A classic example of tide dominated delta is

a. Nile delta b. Sundarban delta

cc. Missippi delta d. Niger delta

136. The type of metamorphism in which large scale addition or removal of minerals take place is

a. contact metamorphism b. metasomatism

b. dynamic metamorphism d. cataclastic metamorphism

137. In the following list which one is a stress mineral?

a. sillimanite b. kyanite

c. chiastolite d. cordierite

138. The phrase metamorphic zone was proposed by

a. Grubenmann & Becke b. Barrow

c. Tilley d. Eskola

139. Metamorphic facies denotes

a. conditions of temperature and pressure b. a unique rock type

c. unique micro-textures d. unique mineral assemblage

140. Khondalite, widespread in the Eastern ghats region, belongs to

a. granulite facies b. eclogite facies

c. amphibolite facies d. blue schist facies

141. Typical stratification in an oil pool is

a. oil, gas and water b. gas, oil and water

c. gas, water and oil d. all of the above

142. Karewas of Kashmir valley has economic deposit of

a. lignite b. barites

c. gypsum d. gas

143. Manganese deposits of Andhra Pradesh is associated with

a. gondites b. kodurites

c. bauxite d. bauxite and gibbsite

144. Kudremukh in Karnataka is known for

a. gold-quartz veins b. copper mineralization

c. iron ore deposits d. Pb-Zn deposits

145. From the list given below pick an ore of tungsten

a. scheelite b.Hubernite

c. wolframite d. franklinite

146. Workable graphite deposits are associated with

a. khondalites b. kodurites

c. kimberlite d. cummingtonite

147. Chief input in the ceramic industry is

a. china clay b. glass sand

b. magnesite d. bentonite

148 Gossan is a weathered upper part of a

a. sulphide orebody b. oxide ore body

c. carbonate ore body c. all of the above

149. One of the minerals in the list is used in making drilling mud

a. satinspar b. barites

c. magnesite d. flourspar

150. Which of the following method is unsuitable for dating the earth

a. K-Ar b. U-Th

c. K-Ar d. 14C

----------------

Extra question

. Classification of detrital sedimentary rocks are based on mineral composition

a. frame work grains b. matrix and cement

c. cement and frame work grains d. cement and porosity

MCQ in Geology

1.Extrusive rock of granitic composition is called

a. andesite b. rhyolite

c. trachyte d. diorite

2. During deposition, inter-granular space between particles trap water. This water is designated as

a. meteoric water b. connate water

c. juvenile water d. sediment water

3. A sillimanite bearing metamorphic rock common in the granulite terrains is called

a. charnockite b. khondalite

c. aplite d. eclogite

4.Streak of some minerals is often diagnostic. Cherry red streak is characteristic of

a. azurte b. malachite

c. hematite d. magnetite

5. Refractory bricks are very important material used in furnaces. Many refractory source materials are of geologic origin. One such is

a. magnesite b. Gypsum

c. anhydrite d. barite

6. Bauxite, an ore of aluminum, is formed by a geological process. It is called

a. beach placer b. supergene enrichment

c, magmatic differentiation d. residual concentration

7. Pleochroism is a property of minerals in thin sections and some are diagnostic. From the list pick a non-pleochroic mineral.

a. muscovite b. biotite

c. phlogopite d. hornblende

8. In minerals forming in orthorhombic system, the vibration directions X, Y and Z

a. coincide with the crystallographic axes b. only X coincides with a crystallographic axis

c. only Z coincides with one of the axes d. Y always coincides with the b axis

9. In biogenous deposits, radiolarian and diatomaceous oozes are always

a. calcareous b. chitinous

c. siliceous d. phosphatic

10. Style of extinction of quartz has been handy in identifying the nature of provenance rocks.

For example wavy extinction is indicative of

a. sedimentary source rocks b. igneous source rocks

c. metamorphic source rocks d. volcanic source rocks

11.From the following list select an un-stratified sedimentary deposit.

a. Shale b. Glacial varve

c. Glacial till d. Turbidite

12.The Indian shoreline is quite long and it measures about

a. 3100 km b. 4100 km

c. 5100 km d. 6100 km

13.Limestone caves are characterized by carbonate deposits formed by solution and re-precipitation process. One such deposit growing on the floor upwards is called

a.Stalactite b. stalagmite

c. cave pearl d. malachite

14. The Quilon formation of Kerala has a geologic age of

a. mid-miocene b. Mio-pliocene

c. Paleocene d. Pleistocene

15. From the following list of minerals pick the one most resistant to weathering process

a. muscovite b. biotite

c. quartz d. olivine

16.Pick a carbonate mineral from the list below

a. cat-toothspar b. satinspar

c. Iceland spar d. dogtoothspar

17.Basic unit In the lithostratigraphic classification is

a. group b. formation

c. member d. bed

18.Choose the correctly ordered list of varieties of coal in terms of increasing heat content

a. peat-lignite-anthracite b.. lignite-antracite-peat

c. anthracite-peat-lignite d. peat-anthracite-lignite

19.A generic term used to describe a gravelly sediment is

a. arenaceous sediment b. rudaceous sediment

c. argillaceous sediment c. lutaceous sediment

20. Among a host of methods used in exploration, oil industry prefers:

a. Seismic refraction b. seismic reflection

b. Electrical sounding d. gravity methods

21.In a geologic map, truncation of a set of beds by another set denotes

a. an unconformity b. plunging anticline

c. recumbent fold d. normal fault

22.Roughly annular distribution of outcrops of strata in a geologic map is suggestive of a

a. dome b. syncline

c. anticline d. volcanic cone

23.In the list of minerals below choose the mineral commercially referred as

Heavy spar

a. calcite b. dolomite

c. barites d. aragonite

24.Thin section of tourmaline cut parallel to c-axis, under cross polars shows

a. isotropism b. parallel extinction

c. cross like arrangement of inclusions

d. linear arrangement of inclusions

25.Mineral rhodochrosite is

a. oxide of Mn b. silicate of Mn

c. carbonate of Mn d. sulphide of Mn

26.Chromite, a mineral of element Cr, is

a. a sulphide b. a sulphate

c. an oxide d. a silicate

27.The gondite of India are uniquely associated with

a. Mn deposits b. Cr deposits

c. Fe deposits d. Zn deposits

28.The geological age of lignite bearing sedimentary deposits of Neyveli is

a. Eoccene b. Paleocene

c. Mio-Pliocene d. Oligocene

29.The formation occurring at the base of cretaceous rocks of Trichnapally is

a. Uttathur b. Ninyur

c. Trichnapally d. Ariyalur

30.Nine planes, 13 axes and a centre of symmetry characterizes

a.normal class of hexagonal system b.normal class of trigonal system

c.normal class of cubic system d.normal class of orthorhombic system.

31.Mineral almandine crystallizes in the

a. cubic system b. tetragonal system

c. triclinic system d. orthorhombic system

32..Marble is a product of

a. thermal metamorphism b. dynamic metamorphism

c. dynamo-thermal metamorphism d. ctaclastic metamorphism

33. In respect of earthquakes, the point of origin in the lithosphere is called

a. epicenter b. epocentre

c. focus d. hypocentre.

34. Iceland, in north Atlantic is very special geologically as it is

a. on an island arc b. on midoceanic ridge

c. an extinct volcano d. a locus of a huge Mn deposit

35. Mohorovicic discontinuity separates

a. crust from the mantle b. mantle and core

c. oceanic crust from inner core d. asthenosphere and mesosphere

36. Among the many geologic structures, topographic expression is most striking in respect of

a. folds b. faults

c. joints d. domes.

37. While calculating axial ratios of a crystal, one of the axis in the following list is taken as unity

a., a axis b. b axis

c. c axis d. a1 axis

38. Trapezohedron is a form that occurs in following crystal system

a. hexagonal system b. trigonal system

c. tetragonal system d. all of the above

39. In triclinic system all forms have only

a. 2 faces b. 4 faces

c. 3 faces d. six faces

40. Among the seven crystal systems, all classes do have a centre of symmetry anyway. But how many are they?

a.32 b.24

c.21 d.15

41.Highest level of substitution of Al for Si occurs in

a. orthoclase b. microcline

c. albite d. anorthite

42.Play of colours, a mineral property is caused by

a. low dispersion b. high dispersion

c. low interference d. high interference

43. From the minerals in the list below choose the one with does not show needle like habit.

a. wavellite b. sillimanite

c. tourmaline d. rutile

44. Given appropriate conditions mineral anhydrite can change to gypsum by

a. chemical by acquiring elements b. by loosing chemical elements

c. by exchanging chemical elements d. none of the above processes

45. Some minerals show a variation of physical properties along crystallographic axes. Say for e.g., high hardness is exhibited by mineral kyanite parallel to

a. c axis b. b axis

c. a axis d. b and c axes

46. Principal difference between graphite and diamond is

a. composition b. hardness

c. density d. structure

47. One of the minerals in the following list contains Fe and Ti

a. Rutile b. anatase

c. brookite d. ilmenite

48. Birefringence is a property of anisotropic minerals. Calcite is mineral showing very high birefringence. Under the microscope this manifests as

a. twinning b. pleochroism

c. twinkling d. glittering

49. Many anisotropic minerals under the microscope show parallel extinction if section is cut parallel to,

a. crystallographic axes.

b. crystallographic axes in monoclinic or triclinic systems

c. crystallographic axes in hexagonal, and orthorhombic systems

d. crystallographic axes in tetragonal, hexagonal and orthorhombic systems

50. Minerals show dichroism if they crystallized in

a. cubic system b. tetragonal system

c. monoclinic system d. orthorhombic system

51. Under cross polars, sections of minerals crystallizing in hexagonal system appear to be isotropic if

a. section lies on the c-axis b. section is at angle to c-axis

c. c-axis intersects section at right angles d. if section is cut perpendicular to a1-axis

52. In the list of minerals indicated below which one has the least dispersion?

a. fluorite b. diamond

c. calcite d. quartz

53. Cross hatched appearance of microcline under cross polars is caused by

a. polysynthetic twinning on albite law b. twinning on pericline law

c. 2 way twinning on albite law d. two-way twinning on albite and pericline laws

54. Basal sections of hornblende shows two sets of intersecting clevages making angles of

a. 56 and 124 deg b. 58 and 122 deg

c. 92 and 88 deg d. 110 and 70 deg

55. Among all the elements appearing in the periodic chart, natural elements are only

a. 92 b. 96

c.. 102 d.106

56. The most abundant silicate mineral in the crustal rocks is

a. quartz b. orthoclase

c. plagioclase d. kaolinite

57.. The earth derives most of its heat from the decay of

a. uranium 238 b. uranium 236

c. uranium 232 d. uranium235

58. Crustal abundance of oxygen by volume is about

a.. 94% b. 63%

c.. 57% d. 80%

59.. The texture of rocks formed by eutectic crystallization is called

a. graphic texture b. corona texture

c. annular texture d. overgrowth texture

60. In a binary phase diagram, liquidous, an down-curving line, indicates

a. crystallizing composition of solid from melt

b. composition of the liquid corresponding to crystals that form

c.. changing temperature of the melt d. continuously changing pressure of the melt

61. In a hill, a series of horizontal beds, are exposed. The bed that occurs at the summit of the hill is

a. oldest in age b. intermediate in age

c. youngest in age d. need fossil evidence to fix age.

62. A contour map showing thickness of beds is

a. isopach map b. isohyetal map

c. isovel map d. isogyric map

63. In some faults the stratigraphic throw is measured in miles. Pick such a fault from the attached list

a. step fault b. gravity fault

c. overthrust d. underthrust

64. Low amplitude minor folds seen in folded sequences are reliable signatures of major structure. Then such minor folds are described as

a. drag folds b. small folds

c. pucker folds d. crease folds

65. A synclinal hill is an example of

a. outlier b.inlier

c. ooflap c. onlap

66. In a geologic map the key bed – volcanic ash deposit- shows a zig-zag outcrop. This pattern of outcrop is caused by

a. a synclinal fold b. a symmetric fold

c. a plunging fold d. isoclinal fold

67. If the contact of a sedimentary bed rigorously follows the contours of a geologic map, the outcrop pattern suggests

a. horizontal bed b. low angle thrust fault

c. near vertical synclinal axis. d. near vertical anticlinal axis

68. Outcrop of a dolerite dike, in a geologic map, cuts through contours and river valleys along a straight line.

a. dike is vertically dipping b. intrusive dolerite dikes always do so

c. it is a growing intrusive d. all of the above

69. In a geologic map, beds are repeated like 1-2-3-2-1, which suggests

a. folded sequence b. faulted sequence

c. cyclic deposition d. all of the above

70. Porphyritic texture in igneous rocks suggest

a. two rates of cooling of magma b. abundance of one phase over the rest

c. phenocrysts formed at site of emplacement

d. ground mass formed in the chamber

71. Relative motion of blocks, across a fault plane can be recognized by smoothness of the fault plane

a. while moving palm of hand in the direction of motion.

b. while moving palm of hand against direction of motion

c. while moving the palm along the strike of fault plane

d. all of the above

72. A property of rocks whereby they break along parallel surfaces is called

a. bedding fissility b. rock cleavage

c. lineation d. foliation

73. Clevage and bedding relationship is used to decipher major folds. If the cleavage dips more gently than bedding it indicates

a. symmetrical folds b. asymmetrical folds

c. overturned folds d. isoclinal folds

74. Variability of elevation of a terrain are pictured by contour lines. In a map closely spaced contours are preceeded and followed by wider spacing, it indicates

a. monocline b. gentler surface

c.. anticline d. syncline.

75. In a geological map, if a key bed shows an ellipsoidal outcrop, it may be indicative of

a. doubly plunging fold b. an asymmetrical fold

c. salt dome d. laccolith

76. By the process Petrifaction, an organism is preserved

a. with its internal structure and morphological features

b. only with the morphological features

c. only the internal structures are preserved

d. only part of the internal structures are preserved.

77. Most suitable environment for preservation of fossils is

a. lacustrine b. marine

c. fluvial d. paludal

78. From the following list pick the person who is considered to be the father of paleontology

a. Lamarck b. James Hutton

c. William Smith d. Charles Lyell

79. Study of trace fossils is known as

a. paleo-ecology b.Synecology

c. Icthyology d. Ichnology

80. Fauna composed of active swimmers are known as

a. Plankton b. nekton

c. benthos d. pelagic

81. Foraminifers belong to the class

a. sarcodina b. astorhiza

c. flagellate d. mastigophora

82. Nummulites were chief rock builders during

a. Silurian b. Devonian

c. Eocene d. cretaceous

83. Reef building coral prefer

a. warmer waters b. cooler waters

c. high salinity d. terrestrial detritus

84. What is the scientific name of sea urchins?

a. diatoms b. echinoids

c. conodonts d. brachiopods

85. Synonym of lamellibranches is

a. pelecypod b.alcyonaria

c. zooantharia d. rugosa

86 Earliest pelecypod appeared in

a. lower Ordovician b. Upper Devonian

c. early Carboniferous d. lower Devonian

87. Changes in shape of the shell as well as coiling are the result of

a. free swimming nature b. .crawling nature

c. sessile habit d. burrowing habit

88. The age of the brachiopod syringothyris is

a. Ordovician b. Silurian

c. Devonian d. carboniferous

89 Which one of the following shows sinistral coiling?

a. murex b. conous

c. physa d. bellerophon

90. Ammonoids became extinct during

a. upper carboniferous b. late cretaceous

c. upper cretaceous d. Eocene

91. In ammonoids, goniatites suture reached its peak during

a. lower carboniferous b. .Permian

c. middle carboniferous d. upper carboniferous

92. In India most evolved dinosaur remains are associated with

a. bagh beds b. Lameta beds

c. Umaria marine beds d. Bap beds

93. Vertebraria, a plant fossil,

a. belongs to conifers b. belongs to cycads

c. is stem of glossopteris d. is stem of gangamopteris

94. First dinosaurs appeared during

a. early triassic b. late Triassic

c. early Jurassic d. early cretaceous

95. Which era is called age of mammals?

a. Azoic b. Paleozoic

c. Cenozoic d. Mesozoic

96 Jawed fishes appeared first during

a. Cambrian b. Ordovician

c. Silurian d. Devonian

97. Neogene period includes

a. Paleocene and Eocene b. Eocene and Oligocene

c. Oligocene, Miocene and Pliocene d. Miocene and Pliocene

98. From the list pick the name which later was equated with father of stratigraphy

a. Charles Leyell b. John Lehman

c. Werner d. James Hutton

99. In the following list which term stands for basic unit of geologic time

a. Period b. eon

c. era d. epoch

100. Zone represents

a. lithostratigraphic unit b. biostratigraphic unit

c. Chronostratigraphic unit d. all of the above

101. First land plants appeared during

a. Silurian b. Ordovician

c. Devonian d. carboniferous

102 Type area of Sausar group is in

a. Western Rajasthan b. Nagpur, Ma

c. Sighbhum, Bihar d. Chindwara, MP

103. Plan view of Cuddapah basin is

a. Cresentic b. linear

c. curved d. curvelinear

104. Dalma traps of volcanic rocks are found to occur on top of

a. Sausar-sakoli series b. iron ore series

c. Railo series d. Kolhan series

105. In the list given below, which group of rocks is intensely folded?

a. Semri group b. Kaimur group

c. Rewa group d. Bhander group

106. Commonest lithology in the Vindhyan super group is

a. Limestone b. sandstone

c. shale d. Basalt flows

107. Majority of rock formations of Gondwana have formed under

a. fluviatile conditions b. glacial conditions

c. lacustrine conditions d. nearshore marine conditions

108. The great cenomanian transgression occurred during

a. cretaceous b. Triassic

c. Jurassic d. Paleocene

109. The main boundary fault separates

a. upper Vindhyans and Aravallis b.Siwaliks and Aravallis

c. Siwaliks and Tertiaries d. Siwaliks and Budelkhad granites

110. Affinity of inter-trappeans are

a. marine b. lacustrine

c. transitional d. volcanic

111. Folded strata show characteristic joints. Those that are perpendicular to the fold axis are called

a. Tension joints b. shear joints

c. extension joints d. release joints

112.Pahoehoe is a type of

a. meteorite b. stratovocano

c. ropy lava d. blocky lava

113.Gneissic rocks common in the shield areas. A gneiss formed out of igneous rocks is designated as:

a. orthogneiss b. metagneiss

c. paragneiss d. polygneiss

114. In the ore deposits formed of supergene enrichment in a tropical climate in the vadose zone is characterized by

a. sulphide minerals b. Sulphate mineral

c. oxide minerals d. carbonates

115. China clay deposits of Singhbhum dist. Of Bihar, one of the most mineralized terrains in the nation, is formed by

a. residual concentration b. mechanical concentration

c. gravity concentration d. hydrodynamic concentration

116.Evidence of volcanic activity in the Cuddapah time is evinced by lava associated with

a. cumbum formation b. Tadapatri formation

c. Nagari formation d. Vempalli formation

117.Rocks of syenite group are characterized by the presence of

a. quartz b. nepheline

c. alkali feldspar d. k-felspar

118.Mineral composition of gabbro is approximately

a. hornblende and andesine b. labradorite and clinopyroxene

c. orthpyroxene and labrodorite d. olivine and calcic plagioclase

119.Igneous rocks do occur in glassy state too. From the list pick out the glass equivalent of an acid magma.

a. obsidian b. tektite

c. tachylite d. rhyolite

120.CIPW classification of igneous rocks is essentially one based on

a. natural mineral assemblage b. proxy minerals

c. rock texture d. texture and fabric

121. Igneous rocks showing aphanitic texture suggest

a. quick and fast cooling of magma, b. two stage cooling of magma

c, slow cooling of the magma d. all of the above

122.From the following list of rocks pick a mono-mineralic rock.

a. dacite b.dunite

c. trachyte d. andesite

123.Most abundant mineral in anorthosite is

a. orthoclase b. plagioclase

c. pyroxene d. amphibole

124.From the list of rocks given below pick the one with lowest silica content.

a. rhyolite b. trachyte

c. phonolite d. nepheline syenite

125. Characteristic feature of a turbidite is the association of

a. couplet of lutaceous and arenaceous layers b. graded bed resting on an erosional surface

c. sole marks and tool marks d. all of the above

126. Texturally the chief end members are

a. gravel, sand and mud b. granule, pebble and cobble

c. silt, clay and sand d. granule, sand and mud

127. Modern stromatolites uniquely occur in

a. subtidal zone b. intertidal zone

c. supratidal zone d. all of the above

128. Sediments are converted to rocks by

a. compaction b. cementation

c. recrystallisation d. all of the above

129. Out of the list of arenites listed below choose the one with framework and cement

a. orthoquartzite b. greywacke

c. arkose d. lithic arenite

130. Provenance rock of arkose is composed of

a. granite b. gabbro

c. dolerite d. syenite

131. Reservoir rock of world’s largest oil fields is

a. limestone b. impure limestone

c. calcareous sandstone d. arkose

132. Oolite is equivalent of

a. silt b. sand

c. granule d. pebble

133. Travancore beach placers are a world renowned occurrence. It shows unique association of several heavy minerals. In the order of abundance they are

a. ilmenite, magnetite, sillimanite, garnet, zircon and monazite

b. magnetite, sillimanite, garnet, zircon, monazite and ilmenite

c. sillimanite, garnet, zircon, monazite, ilmenite and magnetite

d. garnet, zircon, monazite ilmenite, magnetite and sillimanite

134. A characteristic fossil of Quilon limestone is

a.globigerina b. conodont

c.operculina malabarica d. nummulite

135. A classic example of tide dominated delta is

a. Nile delta b. Sundarban delta

cc. Missippi delta d. Niger delta

136. The type of metamorphism in which large scale addition or removal of minerals take place is

a. contact metamorphism b. metasomatism

b. dynamic metamorphism d. cataclastic metamorphism

137. In the following list which one is a stress mineral?

a. sillimanite b. kyanite

c. chiastolite d. cordierite

138. The phrase metamorphic zone was proposed by

a. Grubenmann & Becke b. Barrow

c. Tilley d. Eskola

139. Metamorphic facies denotes

a. conditions of temperature and pressure b. a unique rock type

c. unique micro-textures d. unique mineral assemblage

140. Khondalite, widespread in the Eastern ghats region, belongs to

a. granulite facies b. eclogite facies

c. amphibolite facies d. blue schist facies

141. Typical stratification in an oil pool is

a. oil, gas and water b. gas, oil and water

c. gas, water and oil d. all of the above

142. Karewas of Kashmir valley has economic deposit of

a. lignite b. barites

c. gypsum d. gas

143. Manganese deposits of Andhra Pradesh is associated with

a. gondites b. kodurites

c. bauxite d. bauxite and gibbsite

144. Kudremukh in Karnataka is known for

a. gold-quartz veins b. copper mineralization

c. iron ore deposits d. Pb-Zn deposits

145. From the list given below pick an ore of tungsten

a. scheelite b.Hubernite

c. wolframite d. franklinite

146. Workable graphite deposits are associated with

a. khondalites b. kodurites

c. kimberlite d. cummingtonite

147. Chief input in the ceramic industry is

a. china clay b. glass sand

b. magnesite d. bentonite

148 Gossan is a weathered upper part of a

a. sulphide orebody b. oxide ore body

c. carbonate ore body c. all of the above

149. One of the minerals in the list is used in making drilling mud

a. satinspar b. barites

c. magnesite d. flourspar

150. Which of the following method is unsuitable for dating the earth

a. K-Ar b. U-Th

c. K-Ar d. 14C

----------------

Extra question

. Classification of detrital sedimentary rocks are based on mineral composition

a. frame work grains b. matrix and cement

c. cement and frame work grains d. cement and porosity

Thrivikramji Bag’s a Fulbright Predoctoral award

2010-12-25T02:52:00.000-08:00

Thrivikramji Bag’s a Fulbright Predoctoral award

In Oct, 1971, USEFI announced the award of Fulbright Pre-doctoral Fellowship to me (but conditionally) with a possibility to undergo MS studies in Syracuse University, NY. However, the award was anything but firm and will possibly be firmed only if there is a no-show by an awardee or if the IIE had an extra fund coming from the Federal Govt.

In fact, the face to face for selection of young college/university lecturers for the award took place in Madras, say during Aug, 1971, in the USEFI office and one of the selector’s was Prof Saravanan (Presidency College, Madras). I was the only Keralite among the 10 or so candidates from the southern region taking part in the group discussion under the watchful eyes of the experts and Mrs. Nalini Shetty (Education officer, USEFI, Madras).

This GD session was over in 30 minutes and was followed by a session of interview where I satisfactorily answered the questions by the experts. But was unsure if I will be in the shortlisted group for the express reason that I was the only Keralite and the rest came from different parts of TN, Karnataka and AP. I took the selection process rather lightly and yet came back home happily knowing that I had a good chance of being selected.

In the month of Oct 1971, I had a letter from USEFI, New Delhi, signed by one KS Nair, asking me to get ready to go to US by June of 1972, and the offer was subject to the conditions I noted above. Obviously, it was not an exciting piece of news and I was quite unsure of the ultimate outcome. However, a friend of mine, KP Sreedhar (University of Kerala, Dept. of Psychology) had a firm offer of a fellowship and hence he was in a different track regarding the preparations to go to US in the Fall of 1972. But like him I too applied for the issue of a Passport well in advance.

Another interesting incident connected with the interview, also happened in May, 1972, when the MSc lab examinations took place in the Dept. of Geology, University of Kerala. One of the two external examiners was a stocky middle aged man in a slack shirt and trouser adorning a forehead dusted with dry-cow-dung ash, which we, Indians, call vibhuthi. I was one of the two skilled assistants appointed to assist in the examination and as the name suggests our duty was assisting the examiners like water boys in the conduct of examination.

Usually the skilled assistants do not appear in front of the examiners unless there is a direction from the Chairman of the team of examiners. I was kind of idiotic in not recognizing the one with ashed forehead, i.e., the very same Dr Saravanan, who screened me orally and selected for the award, albeit tentative.

In fact, my disposition perhaps surprised Dr Saravanan, and he wanted Prof. Menon (Chairman) to call me in and put me through a sort of identification parade to find out if I recollected the face of Dr Saravanan. On a prompt, I walked into the Chairman’s office to face questioning as to whether I ever had seen one of the two examiners anytime in the past. To their dismay I answered in the negative. The team broke into a loud laugh in my answer, while I stood there with a small face facing them. Then, Dr Saravanan wanted me to take a closer look at his face which I did and then said apologetically “Yes sir, you interviewed me in the USEFI office, Madras for the fellowship”

He then unveiled the secret and told me that I will be going to US for higher studies in the fall of 1972.. He also added that he had exercised special affection and loyalty to his specialization which made my name figure in the list of awardee’s.

Beyond that point the process was on the fast track. Firstly, I had the firm offer and I was required to get the visa stamped in Madras Consulate and go to New Delhi by the June 10, 1972 so that I will depart to USA on my way to the Orientation session arranged for the students under the Fulbright Program in the University of Kansas, Lawrence.

I went to Madras in the first week of June 1972 first to the Passport Office (for me then it is the one closest to my home in Trivandrum), to expedite the issue of Passport and then for the US visa. The Passport was with me in 48 hours of my personally meeting the Officer concerned. Then I went over to the consulate for the visa. Without any hassle visa was approved and then I collected the health screening report from a doctor in the town. In fact earlier I had met this doctor so that he will put me through a routine check before preparing the medical report on my health. The health report given to me will have to be hand carried along to USA, to be given at the port of entry.

Once I had the visa I intended to reach home the fastest manner possible. Obviously it is flying from Madras via Trichi and Madurai to Trivandrum at a cost of say 90 or 100 rupees. The flight usually leaves Madras – Meenambakkam in the early morning reaching Trivandrum around 8:30 am. In fact all that I had was like Rs. 50 only. The train ticket in 3^rd class was bout 30 or so rupee only.

The idea that I can fly to Trivandrum occurred to me when I noticed, Mr Anthraper coming out of the Kerala Travels Office in Madras-Egmore on an earlier occasion during my stay in Madras Egmore. From the doctors office I rushed to Kerala Travels, and crashed into the office of Mr. Anthraper, the Manager. I identified myself and told that I was a friend of Baby, his own kid brother who then used to work for the Dept. of Geology and Mining, Govt of Kerala, Trivandrum. Mr Anthraper wanted to know if he could help me in some way possible. I answered in the affirmative and wondered if he could issue me a ticket to Trivandrum by the next day’s Trivandrum flight by Indian Airlines. I also made an advance promise that I will clear the credit to the Kerala Travels in Trivandrum the very next day.

A ticket was written out for me. The next morning I promptly reported to the airport and passenger office. I had the boarding pass issued quickly. I waited in the lounge along with the small crowd bound to Trivandrum. Finally in about 20 min we were put in a bus and driven to the boarding step ladder. The aircraft was a tiny (HS748) passenger aircraft, powered by a pair of propellers. I had a window seat and remember it was the first ever flight I took in my life.

I was seated in the second row on the right side of the isle. Mr Madhu a cine star was given the first row seat. I am not sure if he had the pleasure a window. But there was plenty of legroom though. After the routine counting, checking and announcements the aircraft taxied and then took off. The cabin was noisy, and the engine on my side was rather shaking on the flight. May be some thing not unusual. It was doing around 225 mph. It stopped at Trichy and the in Madurai. The route from Madurai to Trivandrum is over the Western Ghats and may be over Nedeumangad. The plane touched down around 8:30 am in the Trivandrum airport. I hopped into a Taxi to reach home by nine or so in the morning, That flight was indeed an experience to me. As agreed I paid back the money to the Travels Office in Trivandrum.

------------------------

Mother in laws are absolutely greedy

2010-12-24T05:35:00.000-08:00

GREED CANNOT TAKE YOU FAR

I have a story of a greedy middle aged woman to share with. This woman, lets us call her Sita lived in Mangad, near Kanyakumari gave her rustic daughter, Lakshmi of about 21 yr age in marriage to Chelan, an able bodied and hard working and goodi looking young man slightly older than the girl. This Chelan always hung around the house looking for some vacant and calm slots of minutes during the day to engage with his newly wedded wife. Interestingly, like all mother in laws Sita sensed the intentions precisely, and well in advance and tried her level best to prevent or avoid such encounters during daylight between the newlyweds.

The clever Sita, used to order the girl to complete some extra chores in and around the house or in the kitchen or even in the family prayer room. Both Chellan and Lakshmi grasped the moyive, and on several instances Chelan overheard, Sita advising his young wife about harms due to frequent encounters and the consequences there off which might tell up on the longterm health of the man and hence the welfare of the new family.

While eating dinner, the mother in law always narrated anecdotal stories and examples of neighbors and relatives who made it rich by good and hard work and praying to god to help out. As days and months passed by the fed up Chelan asked the mother-in law for advice as to how to get rich.

The over gladdened Sita, told chelan that he will have to go to a remote forest lead the life of a celibate, and lead an absolutely pious and prayerful life to please Lord Shiva for blessing so that with health, wealth and fame will be his own. Initially, it appeared to be a new life and unthinkable one as this man was only in his early thirtees. Finally the girl and the man decided that at least to make the life of Sita and consequently theirs too happy and joyous. Lakshmi was ready to go for any sacrifice as long as Chelan happily went through the sacrifice and the life of a saint so that ultimately everyone will be happier. She and he will sacrifice the worldly pleasures and biological pleasures briefly say for three or four years in order to achieve this goal..

The great day was fixed by Sita, the mother in law as soon as she knew that the young couple is ready to part temporarily and the man was ready to sacrifice for the sake of family. Chellan after a series of sessions of pooja and prayers donned in saffron clothes walked away from his home to east toward the foot hills of the Sahyadri to live and pray like a hermit until Lord shiva will appear before him to answer his requests and grant them.

The prayerful days and months continued through several summers and winters. His beard grew longer and thicker; his body became lean and thin and his head of hair too grew longer and even started looking matted. Chelan had only wild fruits, leaves and nuts to feed with and the crystal clear waters of the mountain stream for ablution and drinking.

All of a sudden Lord shiva appeared before him to inquire and find out why this man at the young age was praying to Lord. In fact Devi Parvathy saw this man’s penance from Kailash and asked her hubby Lord Shiva, why he had not taken note of this young man’s prayers and sacrifice.

Lord answered to Devi that he is a fool and living among greedy people and therefore whatsoever is granted to him ultimately will not yield any benefit or useful result. Devi in fact got upset by the remark and insisted that Lord may descend down to the earth and grant him his wishes so that Devi will not see this young hermit in her radar anymore.

Lord Shiva descended down to the foot hills of the Shyadri in Kanyakumari Dist and appeared before this Hermit Chellan. Lord asked Chelan "Son what is your problem that I can address" for which the answer was that he wanted to go back home to be with his wife.

Very pleased at this answer, the Lord gave three de-husked coconuts and told Chelan to break one each to realize what he wished in his mind to achieve. Then Lord disappeared.

Chellan walked back to home, walking with three coconuts which are the most precious pieces on the earth because of the godly powers and the new things it will bring back to Chellan when the nut is broken open by throwing it against a piece of rock or stone.

He reached his old family after three days of travel by foot, with and occasionally without any food. As the Sita saw this hermit like son in law she was tremendously pleased and with due respects received him back to his house. The wife was asked not to treat Chellan as the husband anymore because he is a hermit now.

Mother in law showered him with praise when he narrated how Lord appeared before him at the end of three long years pf prayer and what lord gave him. The coconut however did not impress the older woman. She complained to the daughter that this fellow was really a fool and got only three coconuts from the Lord instead of gold and worldly wealth.

At night the girl sneaked into the bed of her husband and asked what to do with coconuts. Chellan said to her that whatever he wishes in his mind and then breaks the coconut in the granite steps leading to the house that will materialize and stay with them for two generations.

Girl revealed this to her mother and immediately after day break, the mother in law asked Chellan to get 10 sovereigns for herself by sacrificing one coconut given to him by the Lord. The angry Chelan did not shout at her and broke one coconut praying in his mind that the lord take away her perineum.

In a few minutes the older woman discovered that she morphed into an angel and lost her vaginal canal, which is unwomanly. The enraged woman cursed Chellan ran around the home crying and screaming like a mad person.

At this his wife Sita too got terribly upset and prayed Chellan to give back the perineum to her mother so that she will die like a full woman. Chellan got more upset and in rage he wished that the woman is ornamented with perineum all over her body. This created a commotion in the family and even among the neighbors who all earnestly plead to restore the mother in law to a normal woman. Chellan calmed himself and prayed the lord to restore the original anatomy on the body of the mother in law and broke the remaining coconut.

Thus all the coconuts given by Lord Shiva were utilized without any tangible benefit or wealth or anything of that sort. The greed found the final result.Watching all these from the Kailash, Devi told a world of apology to the Lord as Devi forced the Lord to appear before this foolish man praying for benefit for his family.

What is the moral? The moral: greedy souls never make it good in life.

Should we add more GH gases by biomass burning

2010-12-06T00:06:00.000-08:00

Many researchers are concerned about Keralas carbon foot print .and are devising means and processes to reduce it. One group proposed the popularization of Hot Boxes in the kitchens of Kerala. A hot box (for the novice) is a box with with an opening large enough to support a cooking pot. The box needs precooking preparation. First step is collecting the suitably dry biomas from own the backyard or others. Then chopping it to some sort of uniform size. This is ready for stuffing the HB now. Fill the HB tightly with biomass. Now the HB is ready for starting a cooking process. Light the biomass, and it will burn without any open flame. Place the pot with the half or partly cooked food stuff over the hot box. Further cooking will take place with out much of assistance of attending. The expectation is that such a HB will reduce the carbon foot print

A claim is made that the “Parishath Aduppu” is a great success. However, the design reduces the spread of smoke inside the kitchen by adding an exhaust stand pipe (generally recommended is a readymade AC pipe- opening over the roof. The success claimed in the proposal is not supported by a life cycle study of this “aduppu” anyway.

A similar claim is made for the “hotbox”, HB, of IRTC. As I understand, it warrants a two stage cooking of rice (as explained during the presentation by Dr RVG Menon). First stage is boiling the pot of water in the three stone stove or aduppu, then pouring the readied rice into the pot and taking it to boiling. In the stage two, the boiling pot of rice and water is shifted to HB.

5. As explained in the meeting the HB is a device or a box stuffed tight with dry biomass. After firing the biomass, the pot in stage two is kept over the or in the HB, so that further cooking to the finality takes place in the second stage.

Yet the biomass is still burned and the effluent GH gases are escaping to the lr troposphere. There is no documented evidence or results of a pilot study to demonstrate that the unit discharge or release of GH gases in HB is considerably less than from the conventional cooking practiced in our Kerala kitchens.

The HB seems (not demonstrated by a video presentation nor by a demo) to be a device to consume the biomass, but the downstream analysis of the gaseous effluent for its component gases are not presented along with the proposal. Consequently, the role of HB in GH gases reduction remains to be demonstrated. Science has it that instead of biomass burning, burying the biomass under the soil is a mechanism of sequestering GH , (i.e., CO2.) released by the biomass

The acceptability of HB by the Kerala society is not proved or supported even by a telephonic survey or similar

The Public sector oil companies of India have proposed a scheme for “free” LPG connections with gas-table and gas cylinder to all the BPL families in during the next five years (2010 onwards). This proposal is pending approval of the core committee and the Union Cabinet. Hence I am unsure of the need and acceptance of the proposed HB in the state. .

The new player in the cooker market is a game changer - the Induction cooker. It is a smoke-free, burn proof and overall cheap device (in a price band Rs.2000-4000) that keeps the pots stain-free and perhaps keen attention free. All said and done it is a great boon to the Keralite women whose houses are connected to the state electrical grid.

Even in the BPL families, the kitchen always welcomes some new tool rather than the variants of classical three stone wood stove or tools like Parishath aduppu and HB..

Biomass may exist in large volumes in the state. But with the modern mindset, I wonder how many of the folks will go around fetching biomass needed to energise the HB.

(I did buy a parishath aduppu and discovered the “advantages” myself in the mid 80s)

Dr. Thrivikramji.K.P.

Sri Bhuvanendran:AN EXPERIENCE OF MINE

2010-05-01T23:24:00.000-07:00

AN EXPERIENCE OF MINE
(By Sreekandath Gopala Menon, M.A)

[The author of this article is a physics professor of Travancore University College. We are publishing this only because it is a narrative of the experience of a respected person possessing very deep knowledge and extraordinary research talents in physics.-Editor. Kerala Kaumudi.](This piece appeared in the Keralakaumudi daily of Dec.20, 1951)

Careful examination or scrutiny of what they see and hear is a habitual behaviour of scientists. There are numerous evidences for the operation of certain miraculous powers, beyond the realm of human mind, around us. One of my experiences is an example for this truth.

One can reach the Nair house of Cherukal Puthern Veedu (by foot), half a mile northward from the road junction of Eruthurkada, just beyond 27th mile stone in Thiruvananthapuram-Nagarcoil road. I had gone to that house on Tuesday and Friday of the last week. The intention of my visit was to put, the miracles taking place in that house day after day, under scientific observation. I was accompanied by Sri.Govinda Kaimal, a traffic inspector, who is one of my relatives.

We reached Cherukal Puthen Veedu by 9 P.M on Tuesday night. Items for the ceremonial offering ( puja) were found arranged inside a temporary thatched shed in front of that old house with a roof of plaited coconut leaves. A number of persons including Sri. Varinjam Raghavan Pillai who accepted Sanyas, were chanting reciting hymns. There were also a large number of visitors. After some time, the chief puja performer brought a boy wearing a blue shirt and knickers of silk and laid him on his back upon a bed placed in the center of the temporary thatched shed constructed for performing ceremonial offerings. The boy was deep asleep. The eyes and eyebrows of this eye-catching boy of about six years old were highlighted with collyrium; along with a decorative dot adorning his forehead.

They beautified and decorated the boy’s body with garlands of flowers in a manner very much similar to ritual of worship of any deity. Along with the chanting of hymns, the crowd began the worship of the boy like rotating or waving lighted lamps following the traditional worship conducted in a temple. At the conclusion of the ritual of waving of flames of camphor, the people assembled there reverentially saluted by touching the camphor flame.

The boy was still in slumber without showing any movement of his body throughout the entire duration of the period of ceremonial worship that extended over one and half hours. I could witness the devotees of this boy who considered him as a divine boy, including his grandmother, prostrating themselves in adoration. After the completion of the ritual worship the flowers that adorned the child and vibhuti were distributed among the devotees present there, as ‘prasadam ’.

Soon afterwards the body was taken into a small bedroom of about 12 feet by 8 feet, but without a ceiling and laid him there. This is his bed room. This room has two doors, one at its western wall and another at its eastern wall and a small window on the western wall. At the southeastern corner of the room there is a stone symbol – ‘Atma Lingam ’ installed by the boy himself. The worship related rituals of this idol is done by the boy himself.

Throughout every night, apart from the mother and the grandmother of the child, two or three visiting women choose to remain in this bedroom. After closing of the both doors (fitted with locks of wooden bolts), the lighted stand-lamp (nilavilakku) is put off. During night, the visiting women devotees occupy the quadrangle or yard or patio on the western side of the boy’s bedroom and in the ‘Thaiveedu’, while the male devotees slept in the shed on its western side. I and Kaimal remained awake throughout the night expecting many things. I was told that either at midnight or just before the day break the sound of “ Om Ghara” can be heard emanating from the bedroom followed by the sound of recitation of hymns while both doors open on their own accord. I was also informed that the sounds come from an invisible person – a maharshi, named ‘Jatadhari’

Until the midnight of Tuesday there were no voices from any incorporeal or invisible beings. As we have to start our return trip before 4 A.M in the early morning we could not spend any more time there. However, I received a message before Friday noon noting that at about 5 A.M in the morning voice of an invisible being could be heard which started with an “om ghara” and followed by recitation of two lines of a hymn and disappeared after the informing that it would be visiting the place the following night. The message also noted that as it was a very unusual to announce in advance of its arrival, it is definite that voice of incorporeal being could be heard there on Friday night.

As some others were also notified the contents of the message we, together with Sri. Pala Gopalan Nair, Lecturer in Intermediate College, Trivandrum, his mother-in-law and some other persons, reached there before 8 P.M. The ritual of worship has started well before the routine time on that evening, I was told that the visitors present there witnessed, incidents of anointing or consecration by pouring water over the stone symbol or idol installed inside the bed room by an invisible being and appearance of spontaneous flames in the camphor lamp.

Like other days, the boy was taken inside the bedroom and the doors were locked. The mother-in-law of Pala Narayanan Nair was one among the women who choose to remain inside the room. After some time, we were taken near the window of that room. Inside that pitch darkness in the room we could notice a white brilliant shine resembling that emanating from gems of diamond of about the size of one rupee coin – very similar to that from a mercury arc light. The brilliance increased and decreased in its intensity periodically. I could also see the people who were present outside the house entering the bedroom one by one, after opening the closed door, to witness the strange incident. I carefully observed whether it was the rays of the moon shine that penetrated through the holes in thatched roof and reflecting from the forehead of the boy. My assumption was proved incorrect. Later the radiance transformed itself and attained the shape of a flame of a wick-stand-lamp (nilavilakku), intermittently radiating white bright flash light. Afterwards, the brightness changed to deep red colour having the size of a one rupee coin. Both Gopalan Nair and Kaimal were observing all these.

Later there was an authoritative assertion to light the lamp. No one knew from whom that command came. . With the lighting of the lamp, people came into that room and reverentially prostrated before the child sleeping on his belly. Thereafter the doors were closed and the women went back to their seats around the bed of child. After some moments the heavy sound of “Om Ghara’ could be heard. Various hymns containing words of Tamil, Malayalam and some other unknown language- recitation originating inside the room- began to be heard. I could hear the words Bhuvanendra Deva and Prabhakara in melodious and loud appellations.

The door opened itself while the recital of the hymns was going on and while everyone out side was watching it was again closed without any outside agent. No one could observe any one there with material or in corporeal form. As per the ethereal announcement that there would be yet other incorporeal voices, we could hear the sound of “Om Ghara” and recitation of hymns by about 5.30 A.M in the morning. When we enquired (about the events) with the women who were present in that room in the night they noted that they were unable to trace the person from whom the voices came out during the incidents and also that they could not feel or see anyone with tangible physical body entering the room from outside. We who were remaining outside could neither see anyone leaving that room. I did not make any attempt to carefully scrutinize the interior of the room with the aid of a torch light.

The boy woke up in the morning and came outside. I could not see any weariness on his nice/gentle face. Infrequently a smile magnetically attracting the heart towards him radiated from his face with serious expression and with eyes looking aimlessly. He never looked fixedly or intently at anyone. Any one will be desirous of gazing indefinitely at the splendour and expressions of emotional fluctuations of his face.

Devotees consider the boy as ‘Kalki’ or incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Bhagavan Jatadhari has noted this fact. There are several people who have witnessed the inexplicable incidents of showering of flowers over the body of the boy, in addition to the kalabham and bhasmam , while visiting and touring temples.

The splendour we have experienced and voices we have heard there are subjects of wonder. For photographing of that splendour of the child .and recording of those incorporeal voices, if the consent of the ethereal being is obtained we could make a request to do so and would have received an answer .My friends are ready to make such an attempt. Numerous miracles associated with this boy are described in the book entitled”Bhuvanendra Khadgi” authored by Sri Varinjam Raghavan Pillai.

What we have witnessed there is manifestation of some unknown and inexplicable power.

[This is a very much a word by word translation of the original Malayalam article which appeared in one of the leading Malayalam newspapers- The Kerala Kaumudi dated 20th December, 1951, Translators: Thrivikramji and Mohanakumar]

Thiruvattar Balan Pillai and the Neovillupattu

2010-04-11T09:26:00.000-07:00

Thiruvattar Balan Pillai and the Neovillupattu.

Thiruvattar Balan Pillai (1910-1992), the originator of Malayalam villupattu- more aptly called Neovillupattu, and its lead artist, worked for the Special Armed Police (SAP) force of erstwhile Travancore state and later Kerala. He joined the Police force, when the Travancore State’s army to which he belonged, was disbanded after Indian Independence.

Balan Pillai’s Neo-villupattu performance in scores of venues in the early decades of second half of the last century, still lingers in the minds of at least a small group of connoisseurs. In fact, many of the fans vanished from the earthly scene. On account of the glittering-stage-performance of the team and the story lines or themes that they chose to deal with, the Neovillupattu attained the status of a legend and heritage in the scene of Malayalam art and culture.

Balan Pillai created this stage show of the neovillupattu by refining or redefining the villupattu which is truly a group act or team show, native to the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu. Villupattu as practiced Tamil Nadu, is a dramatized performance by a team of say six or seven artists all of whom are seated on the stage and in two rows. The leader narrates a story of a king or Hindu god as answers to questions/comments made by one or other member of the team. The rendering both in verse as well as poetic prose, is very loud and lively. A turban and dhoti is the only outfit. Facial makeup basically was application of sandal wood paste on the forehead, upper arms and the chest.

The name villupattu originated from the lead instrument, the villu which is not shaped like a bow. Structurally, it is a long wooden pole of say 7-8 ft length, with a uniform cross section of 2.0-2.5” except at the ends, where firmly fitted decorative brass caps are drawn into eye holes facing each other. The rod is adorned with a set of tight fitting brass rings (placed at uniform spacing), and drawn into eye holes to which are hung bunches of jingling bells and chilankas.

A word about Chilanka. It is a hollow sphere shaped casting in bell metal, partly filled with half a dozen or so metallic balls, larger in size than the narrow slit at one end and like in a bell, an eye hole at the opposite end to enable secure fastening.

During the concert, team members sit in two rows - one behind the other, wearing only a costly head scarve and equally expensive costly mundu. In the front row are seated the leader at the right hand end, and the three other artists who literally support the Villu, which sort of rests partly on the neck of a large-fired-mud-pot (about 18” in dia. and whose mouth faces the artist) placed roughly at the middle and at the firm grip of hands of one or two artists seated to the left. The leader readies the villu by tying a fine rope to the villu and the other end to one of the big toes. The artist at the center and seated behind the large red pot, uses a fan cut out of leaf-petiole-sheath of arecanut palm, to rhythmically beat on the mouth of the pot to make a deep bass sound..

Villlu is readied for concert, by tying-taut a rope between the ornamental-brass-ends. The leader also has a pair of special wooden-needle-like-drumsticks of about 15” long and crafted and decorated fashionably with clasps, highlights and trims of brass. Each stick is fashioned by turning in a lathe like machine and the finished needles are driven more than half way through the center of split-hollow-spheres of brass before attaching clasps for the firm grip and trims at the tips.

The team leader holds the drumsticks by the clasps, and rhythmically hits the taut sting and the villu, to make the bells and chilankas jingle loudly. Maestros like Thiruvattar Balan Pillai, will juggle the sticks skillfully and artistically keeping the audience spell bound. In fact, the audience in the dim light will not miss the reflective brass in the bright stage lights or the costume adorning artists of the team or their facial expressions.

Pillai assembled a team of (both civilians as well as SAP service men) artists for the villupattu stage show. Some of the distinguished members were, stage actor Thoppil Ramachandran Nair (Nedumangad), Sankarankutty Nair (Sreekanteswaram, Trivandrum), Thankappan Nair (Ambalammukku, Trivandrum) and Achuthan (Oolampara, Trivanrum),

The theme of the first neovillupattu was the development agenda of the first five year plan. As the trio of Mannathu Padmanabhan, makkappuzha Vsudevan Pillai and MP Manmathan, was depicted in the story, naturally, Pillai received special the accolades.

The story of “Velu Thampi Dalava” took Pillai’s team to the peak of honour and popularity in the state. Yet another equally powerful crowd catcher was “Kochu Seetha” Though, M/s KG Sethunath and KV Thikkurisi created the prose and verses of the story, it was Pillai’s tuning and narration style that took the neovillupattu to greater heights.

Biographic sketch of Thiruvattar Balan Pillai
Pillai was born to the couple Sri Chitharal Sankara Pillai and Eswari amma, in the village of Chitharal, on the right bank of Kuzithura ar and 4 km south of Arumana and about 4 km westerly of Thiruvattar. Thikkurissi Sukumaran Nair, a famous cine artist of last century and a lad from the neighbouring village of Thikkurissi was a contemporary of Balan Pillai and contributed immensely in the neovillupattu venture.

(compiled by thrivikramji@gmail.com)

Do not expect much

2010-01-16T03:08:00.000-08:00

Do not expect much from a wrongly collected water sample?.
thrivikramji@gmail.com

This reaction is to correct some wrongs we saw this late afternoon in the TV screen, about a ministerial inauguration of water sampling for laboratory analysis and covering all the rivers of Kerala.

We, the public saw Mr. PJ Joseph, minister for PWD, inaugurating water sample collection (happened in the shores of Karamana Ar.) as part of a project to monitor water quality of the Kerala Rivers. The program inaugurated deals with the physical, chemical and microbiological monitoring of samples of water from all the 41 west flowing and 3 east flowing rivers. My contentious point is regarding the 1st step in the program, i.e., the collection of water sample. The basic assumption of sampling process is that the sample shall be representative of the whole.

On the contrary the visuals showed, the minister bending down and dipping a near white polyester cup from the river shore, to gather enough water to be a sample of the whole at the sampled transect in the Karamana Ar.

As a student of science - river science if you wish to call me that way- I had umpteen number of opportunities for collection of water samples from streams/rivers of Kerala, strictly following the principles of sampling of river water.

The name of the game is collecting a sample at a point where the water is well mixed, so that the sample collected will be a sample by definition. If the flow depth is larger three samples –one from the surface, one from the near bottom and third from a depth in between the first two- are collected. The storage and transport of the samples are yet another story. The ambient temp of the water in the site is to be maintained the sample container during transport and storage.

The samples of water collected from the river shore are undoubtedly far from satisfactory for water quality monitoring. Unfortunately all these basic norms of water sample collection are violated in the inauguration of the project, giving the wrong idea to the informed public regarding the collection of water samples from rivers. Unfortunately, the CWRDM (Kozhikod) also follows a procedure in water sampling, very much similar to what we saw in the TV screen this evening.

I am sure that the minister is not to be blamed for the erroneous procedure. Instead, the blame squarely rests on the scientists/technologists who advised the minister about water sampling from streams/rivers. In fact, tomorrow onwards several water samples will be collected without any worth and so I suggest if your “Hindu” can correct the wrong please do not hesitate.
-----------

Science wins always

2010-01-16T03:06:00.000-08:00

Science wins always

Sasthram jayikkunnu; manushyan tholkunnu enna slogan came to my mind when I saw a report in today,’ on the sand mining at Aruvikkara recently launched by the government as a solution for a host of problems, viz. raising the capacity of the reservoir, providing jobs under the JNREGS and to supply sand to the sand starved construction sector through the “Kalavara” stores. Indeed a noble idea. What morer one would expect from a democratic government?

Only trouble was that it went against the basics of geological sciences viz., the chemical weathering which is governed by the second law of thermodynamics. The objections raised were not addressed by the government anyway. The govt instead went along with its own instinct ignoring the science of sand formation in nature. Surprisingly to day in a camera straight Mr. Premachandran quoted the 30:70 rule of quartz to other minerals in the rocks, pretending to be following the science of sand. I would correct the number by 27:73 instead. The govt. by being what it is, can always ignore and blackout the aspects of science; whether it is Athirapally or Sand mining from reservoirs.

The campaign was launched as a solution to remedy at least partly the scarcity of construction sand locally, to enlarge the reservoir capacity and to provide jobs to the local BPL citizenry under the JNREGS .In fact a similar program was launched couple of days ago by Mr. Premachandran the water resources minister in Chulliar in Plakkad Dist.

From the day one of this new campaign of recovering sand from the reservoirs in Kerala, based on science, I was warning that there is no “gold mine” of sand hidden under the placid wares of the reservoirs of Kerala.

It is much more so in respect of the hydel reservoirs as the rate of catchment erosion is far less than that of the reservoirs built down below say at elevations in the range of 80- 160 m. ( above msl),. for irrigation purposes. I am sure that some one will soon sing the requiem for the reservoir sand mining in Kerala.

thrivikramji@gmail.com

Yoga and benefits

2009-12-27T08:38:00.001-08:00

Yoga has been practiced for more than 5,000 years, and currently, close to 11 million Americans are enjoying its health benefits. Yoga can hardly be called a trend.
Most Westernized yoga classes focus on learning physical poses, which are called asanas. They also usually include some form of breathing technique and possibly ameditation technique as well. Some yoga classes are designed purely for relaxation. But there are styles of yoga that teach you how to move your body in new ways. Choosing one of these styles offers the greatest health benefits by enabling you to develop your flexibility, strength, and balance.
Yoga benefits: Flexibility
When some people think of yoga, they imagine having to stretch like a gymnast. That makes them worry that they're too old, unfit, or "tight" to do yoga. The truth is you're never too old to improve flexibility.
The series of yoga poses called asanas work by safely stretching your muscles. This releases the lactic acid that builds up with muscle use and causes stiffness, tension, pain, and fatigue. In addition, yoga increases the range of motion in joints. It may also increase lubrication in the joints. The outcome is a sense of ease and fluidity throughout your body.
Yoga stretches not only your muscles but all of the soft tissues of your body. That includes ligaments, tendons, and the fascia sheath that surrounds your muscles. And no matter your level of yoga, you most likely will see benefits in a very short period of time. In one study, participants had up to 35% improvement in flexibility after only eight weeks of yoga. The greatest gains were in shoulder and trunk flexibility.
Yoga benefits: Strength
Some styles of yoga, such as ashtanga and power yoga, are more vigorous than others. Practicing one of these styles will help you improve muscle tone.
But even less vigorous styles of yoga, such as Iyengar yoga, which focuses on less movement and more precise alignment in poses, can provide strength and endurance benefits.
Many of the poses, such as Downward Dog, Upward Dog, and Plank pose, build upper-body strength. This becomes crucial as people age. The standing poses, especially if you hold them for several long breaths, build strength in your hamstrings, quadriceps, and abdominal muscles. Poses that strengthen the lower back include Upward Dog and Chair pose. When practiced correctly, nearly all poses build core strength in the deep abdominal muscles.
Yoga benefits: Posture
With increased flexibility and strength comes better posture. Most standing and sitting poses develop core strength. That's because you're counting on your deep abdominals to support and maintain each pose. With a stronger core, you're more likely to sit and stand "tall." Another benefit of yoga is the increased body awareness. This heightened awareness tells you more quickly when you're slouching or slumping so you can adjust your posture.
Breathing
Because of the deep, mindful breathing that yoga involves, lung capacity often improves. This in turn can improve sports performance and endurance. But yoga typically isn't focused on aerobic fitness the way running or cycling are. Taking an intense power yoga class that gets you breathing hard in a heated room, however, can provide an aerobic benefit.
Most forms of yoga emphasize deepening and lengthening your breath. This stimulates the relaxation response -- the opposite of the fight-or-flight adrenaline boost of the stress response.
Yoga benefits: Less stress, more calm
Even beginners tend to feel less stressed and more relaxed after their first class. Some yoga styles use specific meditation techniques to quiet the constant "mind chatter" that often underlies stress. Other yoga styles depend on deep breathing techniques to focus your mind on the breath. When this happens, your mind becomes calm.
Among yoga's anti-stress benefits are a host of biochemical responses. For example, there is a decrease in catecholamines, the hormones produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress. Lowering levels of hormone neurotransmitters -- dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine -- creates a feeling of calm. Some research points to a boost in the hormone oxytocin. This is the so-called "trust" and "bonding" hormone that's associated with feeling relaxed and connected to others. That may be why so many romances start in the yoga studio.
Yoga benefits: Concentration and mood
Harder to pin down and research scientifically, concentration and the ability to focus mentally are common benefits you'll hear yoga students talk about. The same is true with mood. Nearly every yoga student will tell you they feel happier and more contented after class. Recently, researchers have begun exploring the effects of yoga on depression, a benefit that may result from yoga's boosting oxygen levels to the brain. Yoga is even being studied as an adjunct therapy to relieve symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Yoga benefits: Heart benefits
Perhaps one of the most studied areas of the health benefits of yoga is its effect onheart disease. Yoga has long been known to lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate. A slower heart rate can benefit people with hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. Yoga was a key component to the heart disease program designed by Dean Ornish, MD. This was the first program to partly reverse heart disease through lifestyle and diet rather than surgery. On a biochemical level, studies point to a possible anti-oxidant effect of yoga. And yoga has been associated with decreasedcholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as a boost in immune system function.
Yoga benefits: Effects on other medical conditions
As yoga has become more popular in the West, medical researchers have begun studying the benefits of therapeutic yoga. This is also called integrative yoga therapy or IYT. It's used as an adjunct treatment for specific medical conditions, from clinical depression to heart disease. Yoga benefits other chronic medical conditions, relieving symptoms of asthma, back pain, and arthritis. Most worldwide clinical studies are happening outside of the United States. But even the NIH has funded clinical trials on yoga and its health benefits for insomnia and multiple sclerosis.
Other benefits of yoga
Some studies have suggested that yoga may have a positive effect on learning and memory. Other researchers have been studying whether yoga can slow the aging process, increase a person's sense of self-acceptance, or improve energy levels.
Some potential benefits of yoga may be hard to study scientifically. For instance, yoga has been said to increase spiritual awareness. Nevertheless, there is an abundance of anecdotal claims for what yoga can do. Go to any yoga studio and listen to students after class. Some will even tell you that yoga can help improve marriages and relationships at work.
The only way to be certain of all that yoga can do for you is to try it for yourself and see.
[webMD]

Prehistoric canoes threatening Children's Life in Kerala

2009-11-11T04:07:00.001-08:00

Prehistoric Canoes: Impending threat to School Children in Kerala

The canoes used for ferrying children and adults are really “fossils”. Perhaps even in South America we will not come across the so called Kettuvallams used for ferrying men and materials across the rivers. These days light weight rubber rafts that can even go unscathed on rocky rapids have come into use. Unfortunately, the hapless thousands with only the clout one vote and just one vote dail go through the stressed moments looking forward to the return of own and neighbors kids from school as they have to cross a ferry which is often overloaded. In a state like Kerala with 41 west flowing rivers if you happened to live in the midland or the low highland one will have to cross a swollen river twice a year to deliver a baby in a hospital or to go to school.

So, the govt should invest in rubber rafts to ferry the kids as well as grown ups. I it is the type of craft that is use in beach landings by navy. The greatest advantage is that it will not sink or kill people. But question will be different if the govt went for the cheapest quotation.

The govt. has come up with a novel scheme of training the school kids in physicalsa including swimming. Unfortunately the ministers themselves doi not know that the art of swimming in a pool will not work in a swollen stream. Yet I believe that it is good suggestion. What also could be added is yoga. Considering the life style diseases every one is predisposed in the country, it will a good thing to add hata yoga into the curriculum in the physicals. Alas India is country where human life is perhaps the cheapest. The state of Kerala can work for getting rid of this accolade.
.

Manage water use in Toilet

2009-11-10T19:23:00.001-08:00

Process of Elimination
Low-flow toilets can save a lot of water. They use a maximum of 1.6 gallons per flush, compared with five gallons or more for an older toilet. Another option is a dual-flush toilet operated by two buttons: Push the No. 1 button, and the toilet dispenses less than a gallon of water to whisk away liquid waste. Push No. 2 and the toilet releases the full 1.6 gallons to flush solid waste. Widely used in Europe and Australia, dual-flush toilets are catching on in the U.S. (Court:SciAm)