The National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) is a geoscientific research organization established in 1961 under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India's largest Research and Development organization. It is supported by more than 200 scientists and other technical staff whose research activities are published in several journals of national and international interest.Research areas covered by this institute include hydrocarbon and coal exploration, mineral exploration, deep seismic sounding studies, exploration and management of groundwater resources, earthquake hazard assessment, structure of earth's interior and its evolution (theoretical studies), geophysical instrument development and geothermal exploration.
To mitigate the climate change crisis, there is increasing attention on renewable energy systems with zero emissions. Renewable/green energy systems such as hydro energy, solar energy, wind energy, and nuclear energy play a crucial role in this context. These energy systems require large quantities of critical metals/minerals such as rare earth elements (REE), Li, Si, Cu, Co, Ga, Te, and graphite, which are essential components for a variety of clean energy systems from batteries for electric vehicles to windmills and solar panels. This transition to clean energy and critical minerals brings new challenges to global energy security. The mining, extraction, and application processes of these critical metals are leading to several environmental issues and also causing adverse physiological and biochemical effects to humans, resulting in numerous health problems. Some effective remediation technologies include phytoremediation, application of sustainable mining practices, eco-friendly extraction and recycling initiatives, and planting more trees, especially in the industrial corridors, in addition to international collaborations to achieve new pathways for facing these challenges.
This study delineates Groundwater Potential Zones (GWPZs) in the Mahi River Basin (MRB), where increasing groundwater stress is driven by urbanization, intensive agriculture, and limited recharge. Ten predictive factors: geology, geomorphology, slope, lineament density, drainage density, land use/land cover (LULC), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), and Toposoil Grain Size Index (TGSI), were derived from multisource satellite imagery (Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS, Sentinel-2, SRTM DEM) and field observations. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model assigned nonlinear contribution weights to these inputs and generated a GWPZ map with five classes: Very Good (5.24
Shear wave velocity (Vs) of a medium depends on shear modulus, an essential parameter in geotechnical engineering applications that helps understand soil deformation under dynamic loading during earthquake shaking. We carried out Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) surveys to characterise geotechnical parameters of the shallow subsurface soil in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, a fast-growing urban city on the banks of Gomati and Sai rivers in the central Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), and lies to the south of the central seismic gap region in the Himalayan collision zone. The VS profiles are acquired at 191 locations across the Lucknow region, exploring up to -50 m depth in the thick alluvial soil. The analysis of 1D, 2D, and 3D shear wave velocity profiles suggests (i) average shear wave velocities (Vs30) vary from 226 m/s to 480 m/s throughout the study region. (ii) Long-range swapped 2D cross-sectional profiles reflect the geometry of the Gomati and Sai rivers up to a depth of 50 m. (iii) Very low VS values are observed along the Gomati and Sai river banks. (iv) Most of the soil in the study area is stiff soil of class C, accordingly to the Eurocode 8 classification, with stiffness varying from -100 KPa to 400 KPa. (v) The estimated soil predominant frequencies, amplifications, and Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) vary from 1.9 Hz - 4.0 Hz, 1.4-3.7, and 0.04 g to 0.09 g, respectively.
Around 50 percent of global lithium resources are hosted in the rare-metal pegmatites. The present study deals with whole-rock geochemistry as well as zinnwaldite mineral chemistry of rare-metal pegmatites from Amareshwar, Gurugunta schist belt, Eastern Dharwar Craton to understand the source of lithium bearing ore fluids in these pegmatites and to evaluate their mineralization potential. Detailed petrography and mineral chemistry of Amareshwar pegmatites indicate that lithium is hosted in both spodumene and zinnwaldite. The zinnwaldite mineral chemistry elucidates the incorporation of lithium in mica crystal lattice along the vector Al2(R2+)–3. The whole rock geochemical signatures suggest that these pegmatites are alkaline to calc-alkaline in nature, peraluminous and emplaced in S-type and syn-collisional tectonic setting. The chondrite normalized REE patterns are characterized by prominent negative Eu anomalies coupled with significant LREE enrichment and HREE depletion indicating fractional crystallization with plagioclase separation. Elevated concentrations of Li (Avg. = 1355 ppm), Cs (Avg. = 246 ppm), Ta (Avg. = 124 ppm), Sr (Avg. = 105 ppm) and Rb (Avg. = 2234 ppm) coupled with their geochemical characteristics classify them as LCT type of rare-metal pegmatites. The relationship between La/Ta versus Mg/Li and Zr/Hf versus Nb/Ta attest that the studied samples are lithium mineralized pegmatites of magmatic-hydrothermal origin. Extremely low ratios of Mg/Li (0.004), K/Rb (0.004), K/Cs (0.05), K/Ba (0.07), Al/Ga (0.23) fingerprint that these pegmatites have evolved from highly fractionated, fertile parental granitic magma having promising economic potential.
The Sleipner CO₂ storage project in the North Sea has been a pioneering effort in carbon capture and storage (CCS) for over two decades. Our latest research introduces new injection strategies and monitoring techniquesto enhance storage efficiency and ensure long-term containment. Through in-depth seismic analysis and advanced modeling, we have developed optimized injection approaches that improve CO₂ distribution and minimize leakage risks. Additionally, our analysis has identified new plume activity, providing critical insights into the migration patterns of injected CO₂. Furthermore, we have identified a subsurface channel in the Nordland Shale, necessitating updated risk assessments and selection of monitoring, measurement and verification (MMV) methods. These findings contribute to a more accurate predictive model for CO₂ storage at Sleipner for the upcoming years, improving long-term monitoring and operational strategies for future CCS projects.
