Validation of Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) for meteorological drought Risk in Central India

Sinha Manish Kumar*, Rajput Preeti and Verma Mukesh Kumar

This study materialized an approach to drought risk (DR) mapping in an agricultural basin. The risks of drought have potential to cause damage, their occurrences are matter of concern to the agricultural society and economy. This study mainly dealt with droughts during the southwest monsoon season (June–September) in central India. The risk associated with drought was assessed by a combination of the regional exposure associated with natural events and the vulnerability of anthropogenic events. DR is the abstraction of the product of drought hazard (DH) and drought vulnerability (DV). The frequency of drought events has been computed using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). As the variability of rainfall is much higher than that of other variables, it makes SPI suitable for the analysis in this study.

Resulting area affected by drought based on 6 months base period has maximum area under dry condition that reflects the deficiency of water in stream flow and reservoir storage condition. The hazard map is then produced by occurrence probability of drought at respective stations. The application of GIS has played a vital role for analyzing, managing and representing DH, DV and computing DR in this study. Further, results of SPI have been validated with Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) which is worldwide accepted as a global drought calculator.

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Seismic Energy and b-value for Garhwal Himalayas, India

Singh Priyamvada

Seismic energy during the occurrence of different earthquakes in the Garhwal region, India (28°-34° N; 76°-80° E) is estimated using a set of 384 events recorded during 1906 to 2017. The events considered in the present study are having a short magnitude range 3.2 ≤ mb ≤ 6.8 only. The energy estimation was carried out by Gutenberg and Richter equation. The estimated b-value for the area is 0.75. The study shows that a large amount of stress is accumulating in the study area. These stresses could be the indicator of possibility of future devastating earthquakes.

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Response of Regular RC Space Frame subjected to Seismic and Blast Load using Applied Element Method

Madisetti Pavan Kumar* and Koripella Rambabu

Knowledge on the dynamic response of structures against impulsive loads (blast) is vital for the present society to remain safe and unthreatened inhabitant against possible terrorist attacks. In 1995, a bomb blast on Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, U.S.A, destroyed/damaged 324 buildings, shattered glass in 258 nearby buildings and killed about 168 people. The impact of debris is observed to be the major cause of fatalities. On the other hand, another major threatening effect that is unpredictable and potentially catastrophic is the effect of earthquake on structures. In this context it is necessary to ascertain the extent of variation in these factors (i.e. Earthquake and Blast loads) that can affect the response of the structure to an undesirable limit. In view of this need for accuracy of the results, use of rigorous method of analysis in calculating responses along with precise data describing the load and the structure involved is essential.

The objective is to study the behavior of Regular RC Space Frame subjected to Earthquake and Blast loads. Time history analysis (Northridge Earthquake) was adopted to study the seismic response. It can be observed from the results that the maximum X-displacement for Blast load of 2500kg TNT and Earthquake load were comparable at all storey levels. This maximum displacement occurs at 5 seconds in frame subjected to Northridge earthquake while it occurs 0.5 seconds in frame subjected to blast load of 2500kg TNT. Applied Element Method (AEM) was adopted for the study.

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Consequences and hazard assessments of natural catastrophes. A case study from Ganderbal district-NW Himalaya

Mohmood Ayaz*, Bukhari Kaiser, Yousuf Maqbool and Gull Sarvat

The Himalayas, with its inimitable formation and shape has been always on the highest of natural hazard consequences. The level of future risk due to earthquakes, floods, landslides remain unparalleled. However, the earthquakes remain the main insertion of the researchers, as these are the driving force for the deadliest natural hazards.

The present study was carried out in Sindh watershed in Kashmir NW-Himalayan region. Interpretation of data revealed presence of 10 Lineaments/faults with varied strike lengths, supported by being sources of recent seismicity and might be source for future seismicity of the region. The slope analysis indicate that 75% of the area has a slope more that 40-70 degrees which makes it more vulnerable to the landslides. The landslide zonation map shows that out of the total civic settlement (231 sq. kms), 35 sq. kms falls under the very severe vulnerable zone while 33 sq. kms and 82 sq. kms fall under higher-moderate severe vulnerable zones respectively. The flood zonation map shows 20 sq. kms of settlement severely vulnerable to floods which has been inundated in the past too.

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