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The geoid is an equipotential surface that broadly mimics the mean sea level. The difference between the geoid and the reference spheroid at any location is referred to as a geoid anomaly. The geoid ‘highs’ (positive) or ‘lows’ (negative) are primarily associated with mass anomalies, thereby could offer important information about compositional and thermal properties in the Earth's interior. The maximum geoidal surplus (+85 m) is observed to the east of New Guinea whereas the largest deficit (−106 m) is observed in the Indian Ocean south of Sri Lanka – commonly known as the Indian Ocean geoid low (IOGL). On a global geoid map, the IOGL anomaly covers an extensive circular area spanning >2000 km in diameter (Fig. 1). Several different hypotheses have been put forth to explain this enigmatic anomaly. These include effects of isostatically uncompensated crust (Ihnen and Whitcomb, 1983), depression in the core-mantle boundary (Negi et al., 1987), slab graveyards in the mantle (Spasojevic et al., 2010), anomalous variations in the mantle transition zone (Reiss et al., 2017; Rao et al., 2020) and presence of a very low-velocity material arising from the African large low shear velocity province (LLSVP) or simply known as the African superplume (Ghosh et al., 2017). Most of these hypotheses rely upon either very sparse seismological observations, numerical modelling or remote sensing data. Global seismic tomographic models provide first-order information about the Earth's interior (Simmons et al., 2010, Simmons et al., 2012, Simmons et al., 2015). However, the uneven distribution of seismological networks has stymied production of high-resolution sub-surface images. In search of concrete causative mechanisms behind the IOGL anomaly, deep seismological observations from the Indian Ocean have been awaited for a long time. Between 2015 and 2020, the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) India deployed a focused linear broadband passive seismological array comprising 17 ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) for two successive seasons comprising 14 months each (Fig. 1). These OBS stations thus continuously recorded local and teleseismic events for >28 months (Pandey, 2017). Besides, some recent studies also carried out active OBS deployments in this region to evaluate crustal and upper mantle structures (Pandey et al., 2022; Ningthoujam et al., 2022; Altenbernd-Lang et al., 2022). This special issue was conceived to present a compilation of new field observations as well as numerical modelling studies to infer potential mass anomalies within the crust and mantle beneath the IOGL region. A collection of nine papers presented in this volume explore the role of causative sources at varying depths to explain the IOGL anomaly. In summary, scientific contributions in this special issue suggest minimal crustal contributions towards the spectacular IOGL anomaly. On the other hand, new seismological studies suggest that the IOGL anomaly can be reasonably explained by a combination of positive mass anomalies in the lower mantle and/or negative mass anomalies in the upper mantle. Varied outcomes further stress upon the need to carry out more long-term seismological observations in order to image precise mantle structure beneath the IOGL region.

A High Aspect Ratio (HAR) electrostatic comb-drive microactuator of polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) is designed to deliver nearly 40 µm uniaxial displacement at 25 V DC. The HAR comb-drive microstructures are fabricated via one-step X-ray lithography (OXL). Polyimide-Au X-ray mask is fabricated and used to pattern 200 μm, 500 μm and 800 μm thick PMMA by deep X-ray lithography (DXRL), followed by drying/release and selective metallization for the development of HAR electrostatic microactuator. The release was optimized with the help of various low-surface-tension liquids. 200 μm and 500 μm thick microstructures were successfully released whereas, 800 μm structures could not be released due to the higher depth and associated capillary force. In addition, non-uniform distribution of Au on the side walls of overlapped region of comb fingers, during metallization, resulted in uneven distribution of electrostatic force followed by short-circuiting of HAR (i.e. 40) microactuator. These are the potential issues in the fabrication of HAR microstructures and devices by OXL and discussed in details in this paper.

The microseism is the strongest component of background seismic noise that masks seismic signals recorded by ocean-bottom seismographs (OBSs). Such undesired noise hampers the identification of critical seismic phases and sometimes even the entire waveform. Here, we introduce the data adaptive polarization filter (DAPF), an approach that suppresses random signals from the background seismic-noise significantly to overcome such difficulties. To automate this task, we have developed a self-contained software suite—DAPF-v1, supported by a MATLAB graphical user interface. The polarization filter is constructed from the data spectral density matrices of seismogram segments employing multitaper spectral analysis approach. We demonstrate a successful application of this technique to the OBSs deployed in the Indian Ocean. Our results confirm substantially enhanced signal-to-noise ratio after application of DAPF. The application of this technique has extensive implications for seismological studies particularly those aimed at understanding deep mantle dynamics, in which phase identification and qualitative waveform recovery are crucial yet challenging.

We investigate the phased evolution and variation of the South Asian monsoon and resulting weathering intensity and physical erosion in the Himalaya–Karakoram Mountains since late Pliocene time (c.3.4 Ma) using a comprehensive approach. Neodymium and strontium isotopic compositions and single-grain zircon U–Pb age spectra reveal the sources of the deposits in the east Arabian Sea, and show a combination of sources from the Himalaya and the Karakoram–Kohistan–Ladakh Mountains, with sediments from the Indian Peninsula such as the Deccan Traps or Craton. We interpret shifts in the sediment sources to have been forced by sea-level changes that correlate with South Asian monsoon rainfall variation since late Pliocene time. We collected 908 samples from the International Ocean Discovery Program Hole U1456A, which was drilled in the east Arabian Sea. Time series of hematite content and grain size of the sediments were examined downcore. We found South Asian monsoon precipitation and weathering intensity experienced three phases from late Pliocene time. Lower monsoon precipitation, with a lower variability and strong weathering intensity, occurred during 3.4–2.4 Ma; an increased and more variable South Asian monsoon rainfall, along with strengthened but fluctuating weathering intensity, occurred at 1.8–1.1 Ma; and a reduced rainfall with lower South Asian monsoon precipitation variability and moderate weathering intensity marked the period 1.1–0.1 Ma. Maximum entropy spectral analysis and wavelet transform show that there were orbital-dominated cycles of periodsc.100 andc.41 ka in these proxy-based time series. We propose that the monsoon, sea level, global temperature and insolation together forced the weathering and erosion in SW Asia.

Precursor phenomena preceding the martensite phase transition play a critical role in understanding the important technological properties of shape memory and magnetic shape memory alloys (MSMAs). Since the premartensite phase of ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{2}\mathrm{MnGa}$ MSMA, earlier considered as the precursor state of the martensite phase, has in recent years been shown to be a thermodynamically stable phase, Singh et al. [Nat. Commun. 8, 1006 (2017)], there is a need to revisit the precursor effects in these materials. We present here evidence for the existence of a precursor state of the premartensite phase in ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{2}\mathrm{MnGa}$ MSMA by atomic pair distribution function analysis of high-energy, high-flux, and high-$Q$ synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction data. It is shown that the local structure of the cubic austenite phase corresponds to the short-range ordered (SRO) precursor state of the $3M$ premartensite phase at temperatures well above the actual premartensite phase transition temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{PM}}$ and even above the ferromagnetic (FM) transition temperature ${T}_{C}$. The presence of such a SRO precursor state of the premartensite phase is shown to lead to significant volume strain, which scales quadratically with spontaneous magnetization. The experimentally observed first-order character of the paramagnetic-to-FM phase transition and the anomalous reduction in the value of the magnetization in the temperature range ${T}_{\mathrm{PM}}lTl{T}_{C}$ are explained in terms of the coupling of the magnetoelastic strain with the FM order parameter and the higher magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the precursor state of the premartensite phase, respectively.

Recently, Pandey et al. proposed relict subduction initiation occurred along a passive margin in the northwest Indian Ocean, however, Clift et al. questioned their evidence for subduction initiation, suggesting that simpler rifting-related processes could more simply explain the available data. Here, Pandey et al. reply to Clift et al.’s comment, and argue that geochemical and isotope data for Laxmi basin lavas distinctly imply relict subduction initiation.

We present here the results of low-temperature magnetization and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism studies on the single crystals of BaFe12O19 which reveal for the first time the emergence of a spin glass phase, in coexistence with a long–range ordered ferrimagnetic phase, due to the freezing of the basal plane spin component.

The magnetic interactions in the multiferroic hexagonal (h-) REMnO3 with magnetic RE3+ ions are geometrically frustrated, but only long-range ordering transitions have been reported so far. Using dc and ac susceptibility measurements on well-characterized single crystals of h-DyMnO3, we present here evidence for a spin glass (SG) transition around the spin-reordering transition at TDy3+ ≈ 7 K. This transition is shown to exhibit history-dependent irreversibility, de Almeida–Thouless line in the T–H plane, and critical slowing down of spin dynamics as per Vogel–Fulcher and power law. We have also confirmed that the SG phase exhibits nonexponential decay of thermoremanent magnetization, as well as memory and rejuvenation effects. The SG phase of h-DyMnO3 is unconventional as it occurs without any apparent disorder, like in other geometrically frustrated systems, but bears perfect phenomenological similarities with the SG phases in disordered systems. Using low-temperature X-ray diffraction studies, we also ...

The eastern Arabian Sea is influenced by both the advection of upwelled water from the western Arabian Sea and winter convective mixing. Therefore, sediments collected from the eastern Arabian Sea can help to understand the long-term seasonal hydrographic changes. We used the planktonic foraminifera census and stable isotopic ratio (δ18O) from sediments drilled during the International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 355 to reconstruct surface hydrographic changes in the eastern Arabian Sea during the last 350 kyr. The increased abundance of Globigerina bulloides suggests enhanced advection of upwelled water during the latter half of MIS7 and the beginning of MIS6, as a result of a strengthened summer monsoon. A large drop in upwelling and/or advection of upwelled water from the western Arabian Sea is inferred during the subsequent interval of MIS6, based on the rare presence of G. bulloides. The comparable relative abundance of Neogloboquadrina dutertrei, G. bulloides and Globigerinoides ruber suggests that during the early part of MIS5, hydrographic conditions were similar to today. The upwelling decreased and winter convection increased with the progress of the glacial interval. A good coherence between planktonic foraminiferal assemblage-based monsoon stacks from both the eastern and western Arabian Sea suggests a coeval response of the entire northern Arabian Sea to the glacial–interglacial changes. The glacial–interglacial difference in δ18Osw-ivc was at a maximum with 4–5 psu change in salinity during Termination 2 and 3, and a minimum during Termination 4. The significantly reduced regional contribution to the glacial–interglacial change in δ18Osw-ivc during Termination 4 suggests a lesser change in the monsoon.

The intensity of turbidite sedimentation over long timescales is driven by sea-level change, tectonically driven rock uplift and climatically modulated sediment delivery rates. This study focuses on understanding the effect of sea-level fluctuations and climatic variability on grain-size variations. The grain size and environmental magnetic parameters of Arabian Sea sediments have been documented using 203 samples, spanning the last 200 ka, obtained from International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Site U1457. Grain-size end-member modelling suggests that between ~200 and 130 ka there was an increase in the coarse silt fraction caused by sediment transport following reworking of the Indus Fan and development of deep-sea canyons. The sediment size and enhanced magnetic susceptibility indicate a dominant flux of terrestrial sediments. Sedimentation in the distal Indus Fan atc. 200–130 ka was driven by a drop in sea level that lowered the base level in the Indus and Narmada river systems. The low sea-stand caused incision in the Indus delta, canyons and fan area, which resulted in the transportation of coarser sediment at the drilling site. Magnetic susceptibility and other associated magnetic parameters suggest a large fraction of the sediment was supplied by the Narmada River during ~200–130 ka. Since ~130 ka, clay-dominated sedimentation is attributed to the rise in sea level due to warm and wet climate.

The East China Sea (ECS) seasonally receives a high organic input due to the terrestrial organic matter influx, which is controlled by the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM), and from increased produ...

Physical review materials 5(11), 113607 (2021). doi:10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.5.113607, The thermodynamic stability of the premartensite (PM) phase has been a topic of extensive investigation in shape memory alloys as it affects the main martensite phase transition and the related physical properties. In general, the PM phase is stable over a rather narrow temperature-composition range. We present here evidence for chemical pressure induced suppression of the main martensite transition and stabilization of the PM phase over a very wide temperature range from 300 to ���5K in a magnetic shape memory alloy (MSMA), Ni$_{50}$Mn$_{34}$In$_{16}$, using magnetic susceptibility, synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction (SXRPD) studies, and first-principles calculations. The ac-susceptibility studies show a highly skewed and smeared peak around 300 K without any further transition up to the lowest temperature of our measurement (5 K) for ���5% Al substitution. The temperature evolution of the SXRPD patterns confirms the appearance of the PM phase related satellite peaks at T���300K without any splitting of the main austenite (220) peak showing preserved cubic symmetry. This is in marked contrast to the temperature evolution of the SXRPD patterns of the martensite phase of the Al free as well as ���3% Al substituted compositions where the austenite (220) peak shows a clear splitting due to Bain distortion signalling symmetry breaking transition. Our theoretical calculations support the experimental findings and reveal that the substitution at the In site by a smaller size atom, like Al, can stabilize the PM phase with preserved cubic symmetry. Our results demonstrate that Al-substituted Ni-Mn-In MSMAs provide an ideal platform for investigating the physics of various phenomena related to the PM state., Published by APS, College Park, MD

We present here the results of low-temperature magnetization and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism studies on the single crystals of BaFe12O19 which reveal for the first time the emergence of a spin glass phase, in coexistence with a long-range ordered ferrimagnetic phase, due to the freezing of the basal plane spin component.

A 1108.6 m long core was recovered at Site U1457 located on the Indus Fan in the Laxmi Basin of the eastern Arabian Sea during IODP Expedition 355. Shipboard examinations defined five lithologic units (I to V) of the lower Paleocene to Holocene sedimentary sequence. In this study, δ13C values of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) confirm the differentiation of the lithologic units and further divide units III and IV into two subunits (1 and 2). Based on the underlying assumption that the SOM is decided primarily by a mixture of marine and terrestrial origins, δ13CSOM values at Site U1457 provide information on the terrestrial catchment conditions since late Miocene time. Low δ13CSOM values from late Miocene to late Pleistocene times are similar (c. −22.0 ‰) for the most part, reflecting a consistent contribution of terrestrial organic matter from the catchment areas characterized by dominant C3 land plants. Significantly lower δ13CSOM values (c. −24.0 ‰) in Unit III-2 (∼8 to ∼7 Ma) might be due to a greater input of C3 terrestrial organic matter. The increase in δ13CSOM values at ∼7 Ma and the appearance of high δ13CSOM values (c. −18.0 ‰) within Unit III-1 (∼7 to ∼2 Ma) indicate that C4 biomass overwhelmed the terrestrial catchment environment as a result of enhanced terrestrial aridity in the Himalayan foreland. The three-end-member simple mixing model, estimating the relative contributions of SOM from terrestrial C3 and C4 plants and marine phytoplankton, supports our interpretation of the distribution of C3 and C4 land plants in the terrestrial catchment environment.

The Maldives Sea is a region dominated by the South Asian monsoon (SAM) and at present, a CO2 source to the atmosphere. Ti/Al elemental ratios from Site U1467 and U1468 recovered from the Maldives Sea show a gradual increase from ~12 Ma and indicate terrigenous inputs to this region associated with increasing wind intensity associated with initiation of the SAM. Shell weights of planktonic foraminifera, Globigerinoides trilobus have been used to understand variations in surface water carbonate ion concentration for the last 20 Ma. Shell weights show a good correspondence with global CO2 records and show heavier shell weights during the colder periods than compared to warmer intervals which reveals that the Maldives Sea behaved similar to other tropical oceanic regions in terms of its surface water carbonate chemistry. A significant decrease in CaCO3 wt.%, decrease in foraminifera shell weights and dissolution of spines along with an increase in organic carbon (OC%) towards 10.5 Ma is linked to the reduced carbonate deposition and increased productivity during monsoon which is a feature in all tropical sediment cores. Lower shell weights and dissolution features on foraminiferal shells were observed during periods of intense Oxygen Minimum Zone (OMZ) suggesting calcite dissolution due to an increase in bottom water CO2.

Two-dimensional flexural backstripping and thermal modelling (assuming laterally variable stretching) is applied along regional depth-converted interpreted seismic profiles from the Laxmi Basin in the Arabian Sea. Results from reverse post-rift flexural modelling reveal considerable basin-wide subsidence in response to the crustal geodynamics during and after the last extensional phase. Unloading of the stratigraphy allows us to estimate the degree of laterally varying extension, assuming thermal subsidence and pure shear. High degrees of extension in the basin centre predict considerable water depths at the time of rift cessation, consistent with deep drilling data. We suggest that regional extension prior to Paleocene time could have fuelled variable subsidence in the Laxmi Basin but that extension is less than seen in typical oceanic lithosphere. Volcanic loading by the seamounts shortly after extension has flexed the basin and implies an effective elastic thickness (Te) at that time of ∼6 km. Reconstruction of the seamount top near sea level at the end of emplacement indicates no major transient uplift potentially linked to the Deccan mantle plume activity. Backstripping of post-rift sediments from interpreted seismic profiles supports the presence of a hyper-thinned crust underneath the Laxmi Basin, with β factors reaching >7 in the basin centre and ∼3 across much of the basin width. Computations of decompacted sediment accumulation rates in light of new results from IODP Expedition 355 show that basin sedimentation peaked during early–middle Miocene time, possibly coeval with uplift and erosion of the Himalayan–Tibetan Plateau driven by strong summer monsoon rains.

The distribution of benthic foraminifera of the Uvigerinidae family, which are abundant in middle to upper Pleistocene samples from the Yamoto Basin in the Japan Sea, have been analyzed quantitatively and used for paleoceanographic interpretations. Twenty-three Uvigerinidae species are reported from IODP Site U1426, 6 of which are present in at least three or more samples with 10% or more abundance and considered as dominant species. The abundance and ecological preferences of dominant Uvigerinidae species, comprised of Uvigerina mediterranea, Uvigerina yabei, Uvigerina sp.1, Uvigerina peregrina suggest dysoxic conditions, with high influx of organic matter between 775 and 475 ka in response to the enhanced flow of the Tsushima Warm Current. The end of MIS 13 marked the onset of more extreme glacial interglacial climate cycles in the Japan Sea. Glacial interglacial alternations of Uvigerina peregrina and Trifarina angulosa from 475 ka to the Holocene indicate major fluctuations in circulation and productivity within this semi-enclosed basin. Both U. peregrina and T. angulosa respond to 100 kyr variability, reflecting the paleoclimatic shift and global ice volume changes associated with the Middle Pleistocene Transition.

Since the advent of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), coastal countries have recognised the opportunity of extending their jurisdiction along the natural prolongation of their continental landmass – granting them an unprecedented thrust of economic empowerment. States that ratify UNCLOS are mandated to scientifically establish the continuity of their continental margins, beyond 200 nautical miles (nm). As a prelude to this, coastal states are required to demarcate their maritime boundaries – an exercise often complex and seldom free from disputes with adjoining or opposite states. Two noteworthy decisions in the case of India-Bangladesh and Bangladesh-Myanmar maritime delimitation resulted in the inception of a new terminology in maritime history - the ‘grey area’, a state of ambiguity that continues to exist even after three years of adjudication. This article draws attention to the causative circumstances that led to the development of such a scenario; its ramifications in terms of overlapping rights; while suggesting possible propositions for conflict resolution.

Interpretation of multichannel seismic reflection data along the Mumbai Offshore Basin (MOB) revealed the tectonic processes that led to the development of sedimentary basins during Cenozoic evolution. Structural interpretation along three selected MCS profiles from MOB revealed seven major sedimentary sequences (∼3.0 s TWT, thick) and the associated complex fault patterns. These stratigraphic sequences are interpreted to host detritus of syn- to post rift events during rift-drift process. The acoustic basement appeared to be faulted with interspaced intrusive bodies. The sections also depicted the presence of slumping of sediments, subsidence, marginal basins, rollover anticlines, mud diapirs etc accompanied by normal to thrust faults related to recent tectonics. Presence of upthrusts in the slope region marks the locations of local compression during collision. Forward gravity modeling constrained with results from seismic and drill results, revealed that the crustal structure beneath the MOB has undergone an extensional type tectonics intruded with intrusive bodies. Results from the seismo-gravity modeling in association with litholog data from drilled wells from the western continental margin of India (WCMI) are presented here.

The room temperature crystal structure as well as the magnetic ground state of Ba(Fe1/2Nb1/2)O3 (BFN) are controversial. The results of Rietveld refinements using high-resolution synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction (SXRPD) data are presented to show that BFN belongs to cubic perovskite structure in the Pm 3 ¯ m space group and not in the cubic Fm 3 ¯ m or monoclinic symmetries, proposed by some earlier workers based on the analysis of the laboratory source XRD data. The temperature dependent specific heat measurements in the 1.8 to 300 K range on well characterized BFN samples are presented to show the absence of any long-range ordered (LRO) antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition, proposed by some earlier workers based on the observation of a peak in the temperature dependence of zero-field cooled (ZFC) DC magnetization around 25 to 32 K. Results of temperature dependent magnetization measurements during warming cycle on ZFC and field cooled (FC) BFN samples reveal history dependent bifurcation with a peak in the ZFC M (T) curve at Tf ~ 29 K, in agreement with some previous results where it was attributed to a spin-glass transition even though such an irreversibility can result from superparamagnetic (SPM) blocking as well. The appearance of a short plateau in our FC M (T) curve below Tf suggests a cluster spin-glass phase of BFN below Tf. This was confirmed by us through the ac susceptibility χ' (T, ω) studies which reveal divergence of spin dynamics at the spin-glass transition temperature TSG ~ (28 ± 1) K with a large characteristic spin relaxation time τ0 ~ 10−6 s following Vogel-Fulcher as well as power-law type critical dynamics. The existence of the magnetic glassy state in BFN is further supported by the observation of (1) magnetic field dependent shift of Tf with increasing magnetic field along the de Almeida-Thouless line in the T-H plane with a characteristic exponent of m = 2/3, (2) weak remanent magnetization Mr below Tf with exponentially decreasing Mr on approaching Tf, (3) extremely slow decay of the thermoremanent magnetization below Tf with time as per a stretched exponential function, and (4) characteristic aging, rejuvenation and memory effects below Tf. These results provide the first unambiguous confirmation of the cluster spin-glass state of BFN and settle the existing controversies related to its magnetic ground state.

Interpretation of new multichannel seismic reflection data from the Andaman Forearc Basin (AFB) in the northern Indian Ocean is presented here. The high-quality multichannel seismic data from the Andaman Forearc region enable us to examine the seismic characters and to demarcate seismic sequences bounded by distinct unconformities. Ages of marked seismic horizons have been calibrated with available litholog data from nearby industry boreholes. Seismic interpretation of new data shows that the AFB is filled with ~ 4.5-s-two way travel time (TWT) thick Neogene to Recent sediments. The entire basin assemblage exhibits two distinct major sequences pertaining to the Neogene and Quaternary times. A large part of the basin is filled with intermittent mass transport deposits (MTD). We infer that the episodic uplift of the Invisible Bank, protuberance of the outerarc and regular deformation through reactivation of preexisting normal faults since the Pleistocene could be attributed as causal mechanisms for the MTDs. Strong bottom simulating reflectors are identified in the Late Miocene and younger sediments of the outerarc and AFB at a depth of ~ 0.6 s TWT and correspond to the presence of gas hydrates in this region. Our interpretations have significant implications for geodynamic as well as resource exploration in the AFB.

The Costa Rican margin is an erosional convergent margin formed by subduction of the Cocos Plate under the Caribbean Plate along the Middle America Trench. The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 334 was conducted for drilling long sediment cores from the upper Caribbean Plate and the subducting Cocos Plate. Using the first 30 mbsf of the two drill cores retrieved from upper slope (U1379) and middle slope (U1378) of the Costa Rican margin, we attempted to decipher slope failure induced events based on combined geochemical, sedimentological, mineralogical and isotope chemical proxy analyses. The downhole variation data of clay minerals indicates that the source rocks are mainly the young volcanic rocks in central Costa Rica region. Poor crystallinity of clay minerals with fining upward sequence in the middle slope indicates at least two major episodes of slumping/mass deposition from the shallower areas during the glacial period. Major rock forming elements such as SiO2, TiO2, CaO, MgO and Na2O were distinctly different in the cores from upper and middle slopes. C and N isotopes were also found to be different at depths with lithological changes. Our results suggest that slope failure induced events such as turbiditic sedimentation and mass flows mainly during the last glacial period are evident in the Costa Rican margin.

The South China Sea offers a special site for studying continental break-up, sedimentary basin formation, mantle and lithosphere evolution and other land-ocean interactions because of its location and its well-preserved evolutionary records. It behaves as a natural laboratory for understanding of different plate boundaries in a small region. The SCS has got important attention for its international marine transportation and navigation, its rich marine biodiversity and rich oil and gas resources. As the largest marginal sea separating Asia, the largest continent from Pacific, the largest ocean, the SCS plays a key role in land-sea interactions of the Earth system. From the tectonics perspective, there have been several controversies and challenges for understanding the tectonics and evolution of the South China Sea. Here, we present a brief overview on the evolution and formation of the South China Sea.

The extent and magnitude of sea-ice varied extensively since middle Pleistocene in northern Japan Sea affecting the climate, ecologic conditions and carbonate compensation depth (CCD) of the region. Sediment core samples of Integrated Ocean Drilling Program site U1423 from north-eastern Japan Sea, have been quantitatively analyzed for angular and faceted surface Ice Rafted Debris (IRD), foraminifera and detrital fragments to reconstruct permanent sea-ice history, paleo-ecological conditions and CCD fluctuations in the Japan Sea. The enhanced cooling at the beginning of middle Pleistocene caused the southward movement of sea-ice melting zone suggested by higher abundance of angular and faceted surface IRD between 880 and 450 ka. The site was above the CCD and melting of ice significantly cooled the surface water resulting in abundance of the low salinity and extremely low temperature tolerant species, Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (sinistral). The next phase of extreme cooling in the Japan Sea started after 450 ka that shoaled the CCD; caused complete absence or decrease in calcareous planktic foraminifera species till 150 ka. The abundance of detrital material during this period suggests the presence of seasonal sea-ice linked with East Asian Winter Monsoon wind strength and Tsushima Warm Current inflow into the Japan Sea. A significant decrease in the permanent and seasonal ice sheet and deepening of CCD was observed during the last 150 ka. The IRD and foraminifera respond to 100 kyr variability, attributed to ice sheet dynamics and global ice volume changes.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-10T17:04:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-01-01 Charles T. McCord Jr Chair in Petroleum Geology at Louisiana State University Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) National Research Foundation of Korea CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, India A giant mass-transport complex was recently discovered in the eastern Arabian Sea, exceeding in volume all but one other known complex on passive margins worldwide. The complex, named the Nataraja Slide, was drilled by International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 355 in two locations where it is similar to 300 m (Site U1456) and similar to 200 m thick (Site U1457). The top of this mass-transport complex is defined by the presence of both reworked microfossil assemblages and deformation structures, such as folding and faulting. The deposit consists of two main phases of mass wasting, each consisting of smaller pulses, with generally fining-upward cycles, all emplaced just prior to 10.8 Ma based on biostratigraphy. The base of the deposit at each site is composed largely of matrix-supported carbonate breccia that is interpreted as the product of debris-flows. In the first phase, these breccias alternate with well-sorted calcar-enites deposited from a high-energy current, coherent limestone blocks that are derived directly from the Indian continental margin, and a few clastic mudstone beds. In the second phase, at the top of the deposit, muddy turbidites dominate and become increasingly more siliciclastic. At Site U1456, where both phases are seen, a 20-m section of hemipelagic mudstone is present, overlain by a similar to 40-m-thick section of calcarenite and slumped interbedded mud and siltstone. Bulk sediment geochemistry, heavy-mineral analysis, clay mineralogy, isotope geochemistry, and detrital zircon U-Pb ages constrain the provenance of the clastic, muddy material to being reworked, Indus-derived sediment, with input from western Indian rivers (e.g., Narmada and Tapti rivers), and some material from the Deccan Traps. The carbonate blocks found within the breccias are shallow-water limestones from the outer western Indian continental shelf, which was oversteepened from enhanced clastic sediment delivery during the mid-Miocene. The final emplacement of the material was likely related to seismicity as there are modern intraplate earthquakes close to the source of the slide. Although we hypothesize that this area is at low risk for future mass wasting events, it should be noted that other oversteepened continental margins around the world could be at risk for mass failure as large as the Nataraja Slide. Louisiana State Univ, Dept Geol & Geophys, E253 Howe Russell Kniffen Geosci Complex, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA Texas A&M Univ, Int Ocean Discovery Program, 1000 Discovery Dr, College Stn, TX 77845 USA Woods Hole Oceanog Inst, Dept Geol & Geophys, Woods Hole, MA 02543 USA UCL, Dept Earth Sci, Gower St, London WC1E 6BT, England Univ Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Geosci Environm Toulouse, 14 Ave Edouard Belin, F-31400 Toulouse, France GeoSep Serv, 1521 Pine Cone Rd, Moscow, ID 83843 USA Univ Queensland, Sch Earth & Environm Sci, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia Natl Ctr Polar & Ocean Res, Vasco Da Gama 403804, Goa, India Univ Milano Bicocca, Dept Earth & Environm Sci, Piazza Sci 4, I-20126 Milan, Italy Purdue Univ, Dept Earth Atmospher & Planetary Sci, 550 Stadium Mall Dr, W Lafayette, IN 47907 USA Univ Birmingham, Sch Geog Earth & Environm Sci, Birmingham B15 2TT, W Midlands, England Macquarie Univ, Fac Sci & Engn, Dept Earth & Planetary Sci, N Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia Ohio State Univ, Sch Earth Sci, 275 Mendenhall Lab,125 South Oval Mall, Columbus, OH 43210 USA Birbal Sahni Inst Palaeosci, 53 Univ Rd, Lucknow 226007, Uttar Pradesh, India Univ Bremen, MARUM, Leobener Str, D-28359 Bremen, Germany Kochi Univ, Dept Nat Environm Sci, 2-5-1 Akebono Cho, Kochi 7808520, Japan Pusan Natl Univ, Div Earth Environm Syst, Busan 60973, South Korea Wadia Inst Himalayan Geol, 33 GMS Rd, Dehra Dun 248001, Uttrakhand, India Natl Inst Ocean Technol, Marine Biotechnol Dept, Velacheiy Tambaram Main Rd, Chennai 600100, Tamil Nadu, India Columbia Univ, Ctr Climate Syst Res, 2880 Broadway, New York, NY 10025 USA Nanjing Univ, Sch Geog & Oceanog Sci, 163 Xianlin Ave, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, Peoples R China Oregon State Univ, Coll Earth Ocean & Atmospher Sci, 104 CEOAS Adm Bldg, Corvallis, OR 97331 USA Natl Ctr Earth Sci Studies, Geosci Div, Aakkulam Trivandrum 695031, India Natl Inst Oceanog, Geol Oceanog Div, Panaji 403004, Goa, India Oil & Nat Gas Commiss, 11 High,Bandra Sion Link Rd, Mumbai 400017, Maharashtra, India Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Geociencias & Ciencias Exatas, 1515 Ave 24-A, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil Kumaun Univ, Dept Geol, Naini Tal 263002, India Banaras Hindu Univ, Dept Geol, Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India Xiamen Univ, Dept Geol Oceanog, Xiamen 361102, Fujian, Peoples R China Xiamen Univ, State Key Lab Marine Environm Sci, Xiamen 361102, Fujian, Peoples R China Hokkaido Univ, Grad Sch Environm Sci, Kita Ku, N10W5, Sapporo, Hokkaido 0600810, Japan Scripps Inst Oceanog, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Oceanol, Key Lab Marine Geol & Environm, 7 Nanhai Rd, Qingdao 266071, Shandong, Peoples R China Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Geociencias & Ciencias Exatas, 1515 Ave 24-A, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR): 90/2018 National Research Foundation of Korea: 2016R1A2B4008256 National Research Foundation of Korea: 2019R1A2C1007701

The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) addresses the fundamental questions about Earth’s climate, deep life, geodynamics, and geohazards, through Earth’s climatic, biological, chemical, and geological history buried beneath the ocean floor. Scientific Ocean drilling allows researchers to access these records and explore, analyze, postulate, and test hypotheses that address how our planet evolves on local-to-global spatial scales and on decadal-to-millennial time scales. Based on key scientific challenges, deep sea drilling in the Indian Ocean addressed the broad questions related to palaeoceanographic, tectonic and climatic controls on the Indian Monsoon, evolution of the mid-ocean ridges, formation of large igneous provinces, continental rifting and related deposition, subduction related earthquakes and arc volcanism and how it had influenced the development of deep biosphere.

Structural studies of Fe2P powder is done using X-ray diffraction data. In addition to the pure hexagonal phase, we noticed the existence of an additional phase in pristine Fe2P powder. The additional phase is found to be Fe3P-type tetragonal phase as confirmed by two phases Rietveld analysis of XRD data of ball milled powder. The heat treatment method used to get homogeneous Fe2P phase which is hexagonal. The current findings are important as they can affect the physical properties such as magnetoelastic coupling and magnetocaloric effect.

A new multiferroic solid solution [Formula: see text] has been developed and characterized for structure, phase transition, magnetoelectric and magnetoelastic coupling. Temperature dependent measurement of dc-magnetization [Formula: see text] on [Formula: see text] ceramic shows two magnetic transitions one around [Formula: see text]42 K and the second at [Formula: see text]130 K. The real part of dielectric permittivity exhibits step like change at the magnetic anomaly temperature ([Formula: see text]130 K) which indicates the presence of magnetoelectric coupling. The change in the value of dielectric permittivity on the application of magnetic field confirms the presence of magnetoelectric coupling in [Formula: see text] ceramic. The room temperature polarization (P)-electric field (E) hysteresis loop measurement shows week ferroelectric nature of sample while the magnetization (M) versus magnetic field (H) measurement suggest weakly ferromagnetic character. The ferroelectric nature of sample was further confirmed by calculating remanent polarization using PUND measurement. The Rietveld structural analysis of low temperature x-ray powder diffraction data does not reveal any crystallographic phase transition in terms of peak splitting or new reflections. However, temperature dependence of lattice parameters, tetragonality, unit cell volume, [Formula: see text] octahedral tilt angle ([Formula: see text]), [Formula: see text] bond length and [Formula: see text] bond angles reveal discontinuous changes at both the magnetic transitions observed in temperature dependence of magnetization. This confirms that both the magnetic anomalies (around [Formula: see text]42 K and [Formula: see text]130 K) exhibit magnetoelastic coupling accompanied with isostructural transitions.

Pressure-induced phase transition in the technologically important tetragonal phase of ${\mathrm{PbTiO}}_{3}$ has been quite controversial with two entirely different propositions: (1) morphotropic phase boundary-like structural transition with concomitant rotation of the ferroelectric polarization vector and (2) antiferrodistortive (AFD) phase transition followed by emergence of a reentrant ferroelectric phase. We have attempted to address these controversies by enhancing the AFD instability of ${\mathrm{PbTiO}}_{3}$ through 50% ${\mathrm{BiFeO}}_{3}$ substitution in a tetragonal composition of the $(1\text{\ensuremath{-}}x)\mathrm{PbTi}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}\text{\ensuremath{-}}x\mathrm{BiFe}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ solid solution system. Using a high resolution synchrotron x-ray diffraction study of the pressure-induced phase transition in this composition, we present here experimental evidence for the emergence of superlattice reflections at a moderate pressure ${\mathrm{p}}_{\mathrm{c}1}\ensuremath{\sim}2.15\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{GPa}$ due to an AFD transition leading to a monoclinic phase in the Cc space group, which permits the rotation of the ferroelectric polarization vector. We also present evidence for a reentrant ferroelectric phase above ${\mathrm{p}}_{\mathrm{c}2}\ensuremath{\sim}7\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{GPa}$ in which octahedral tilting provides an efficient mechanism for accommodating volume reduction. The implications of these findings in resolving the existing controversies in ${\mathrm{PbTiO}}_{3}$ and in providing insight for designing environmentally friendly Pb-free piezoelectric compositions are also discussed.

The origin of the spin glass (SG) phase in the well-known multiferroic $\mathrm{Pb}(\mathrm{F}{\mathrm{e}}_{1/2}\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{b}}_{1/2}){\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ compound remains controversial due to the complications introduced by the coexistence of SG and long-range ordered (LRO) antiferromagnetic (AFM) phases. We have addressed this controversy through a comprehensive study on a Pb-free system $\mathrm{Ca}(\mathrm{F}{\mathrm{e}}_{1/2}\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{b}}_{1/2}){\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ (CFN) which does not exhibit LRO AFM transition. The SG transition in CFN is confirmed by the appearance of a cusp in the temperature dependence of dc magnetization $M(T)$ with a SG freezing temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{f}}\ensuremath{\sim}25\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$, and bifurcation of the zero-field-cooled and field-cooled magnetization $M(T)$ below the irreversibility temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{irr}}\ensuremath{\sim}27\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. Using ac susceptibility $[\ensuremath{\chi}(\ensuremath{\omega},T)]$ measurements, we show that the spin dynamics follows power/Vogel-Fulcher law-type critical dynamics which diverges at ${T}_{\mathrm{SG}}\ensuremath{\sim}24\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ with an attempt time ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\mathrm{o}}\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{s}$ suggesting cluster spin glass (CSG) behavior. The field dependence of ${T}_{\mathrm{f}}(H)$ and ${T}_{\mathrm{irr}}(H)$ is shown to follow the de Almeida--Thouless line which separates the ergodic and nonergodic phases in the $H\ensuremath{-}T$ plane and gives ${T}_{\mathrm{f}}(H=0)\ensuremath{\sim}25\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$, which is in close agreement with ${T}_{\mathrm{SG}}$ obtained from $\ensuremath{\chi}(\ensuremath{\omega},T)$. The existence of the glassy phase below ${T}_{\mathrm{SG}}$ is further confirmed by the observation of slow nonexponential decay of thermoremanent magnetization with time, memory and rejuvenation effects, and unidirectional exchange-bias effect in the $M\ensuremath{-}H$ hysteresis loop of field-cooled samples. The neutron powder-diffraction patterns reveal the absence of any magnetic peak due to LRO AFM phase but show a broad diffuse peak due to the presence of $\ensuremath{\sim}2\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{nm}$-size AFM spin clusters which are responsible for the CSG freezing in CFN.

The tectonic evolution of Laxmi basin, presently located along western Indian passive margin, remains debated. Prevailing geodynamic models of Laxmi basin include two mutually competing hypotheses, culminating in either a hyper-stretched continental crust or an oceanic crust overlying an extinct spreading centre. The longstanding conundrum surrounding its precise crustal affinity precludes a complete understanding of the early opening of the Indian Ocean. Here, we present distinct geochemical and geophysical imprints from the igneous crust in Laxmi basin obtained through International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 355. The geochemical and isotopic signatures of the Laxmi basin crust exhibit uncanny similarities with forearc tectonic settings. Our observations imply a relict subduction initiation event occurred in the Laxmi basin in the Late Cretaceous-Early Cenozoic that marks a significant Cenozoic plate reorganisation record in the northwest Indian Ocean. New findings therefore warrant re-evaluation of the Gondwana breakup to account for the nascent subduction in the northwest Indian Ocean., The tectonic evolution of the Laxmi basin, in the northwest Indian Ocean, remains controversial. Here, the authors present new geochemical and seismic data which indicate the Laxmi basin formed by a subduction initiation event during the break-up of Gondwana.

An Indian scientific team set out to sea last year to find clues to the source of an unusually weak gravitational potential in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

Detailed interpretation of seismic stratigraphic sequences in the Laxmi Basin of the eastern Arabian Sea are presented in this study using closely spaced high resolution multi-channel seismic (MCS) data. Our stratigraphic interpretation is further corroborated using recent drilling results in the Laxmi Basin, derived from the long sediment cores collected during International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 355. Integrated core-log interpretation discussed in the present study, offer important insights about the lithostratigraphic variations in this region. Analyses of multi-channel seismic reflection data reveal five depositional sequences (ranging from Paleocene to Recent) that led to the development of this marginal basin since the Cenozoic period. Regional igneous basement is successfully imaged, which was also validated by deep sea coring during the IODP Expedition 355. In the present study, we primarily focus on the post-rift sedimentation in the Laxmi Basin and its possible mechanisms. Our detailed interpretation in the prevailing tectonic framework of the basin suggests that near-shelf oldest volcaniclastic sedimentation immediately overlying the acoustic basement is linked to the onset of India–Madagascar and India–Seychelles rifting activities during the Late Cretaceous period. Eventually, during the Early-Mid to Late Miocene, the basin received maximum sedimentation dominantly through an extensive mass transport mechanism implying possible large-scale deformation on the Indian shelf. Subsequent sediment input to the basin appears to have been fed variably via the Indus Fan as well as coastal discharge from the Indian mainland. The total sediment thickness in the Laxmi Basin ranges from 1.1 to 3.5 km. New stratigraphic information and sediment isopach maps presented here provide vital information about syn- and post-rift sedimentation pattern in the region and their long term tectonic implications.

We present here the results of dc magnetization (M) measurements as a function of temperature (T), field (H) and time (t) with different histories and ac susceptibility measurements as a function of temperature and frequency to understand the magnetic ground state of Sr(Fe1/2Nb1/2)O3 (SFN). We show that the zero-field cooled (ZFC) and field cooled (FC) magnetization curves (M(T)) not only bifurcate but also exhibit a short plateau with a dip in the FC M(T) curve suggesting that the observed history dependent irreversibility may be due to cluster spin-glass (CSG) freezing and not superparamagnetic (SPM) blocking. This is confirmed by ac susceptibility χ(ω, T) studies which reveal critical slowing down of the spin dynamics as per Vogel Fulcher and power laws with spin-glass transition temperature TSG ∼(24 ± 1) K. The attempt time obtained by these laws (τ0 ∼10−6 s) is found to be consistent with CSG picture. Further, the field dependent shift of Tf follows de Almeida-Thouless line in the T-H plane with a characteristic critical exponent m = 2/3. Further support for the existence of the spin-glass phase is obtained by the observation of non-exponential decay of the thermoremanent magnetization as well as aging, rejuvenation and memory effects below Tf. The non-zero value of remanent magnetization Mr without saturation below Tf is shown to vanish exponentially with increasing temperature as T → TSG in agreement with what is observed in spin-glass systems. We also present a critical comparison of the magnetic ground states of SFN with CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) and other complex niobate perovskites in terms of the strength of the nearest neighbour exchange interaction parameter J1, the coordination polyhedral, the disorder/dilution level of the magnetic sublattices, the presence or absence of octahedral tilts and the possibility of alternative superexchange pathways in these compounds.

East China Sea (ECS) is greatly influenced by East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM), precipitation discharge and differential inflow of the warm and saline Kuroshio Current (KC). Any change in surface water conditions either due to variations in ocean currents or discharge from terrestrial rivers have pronounced effects on the population abundance of planktic foraminifera; therefore, planktic foraminifera happen to be a valuable proxy to decipher paleoceanographic changes in the ECS. To understand the influence of KC and EASM at ECS, paleoceanographic changes are reconstructed for the last 400 kyr using planktic foraminiferal population abundances and Mg/Ca ratio derived Sea Surface Temperature (SST) from IODP site U1429. Nine different species/species associations of planktic foraminifera are found to be significant at this site. Q-mode factor analysis of these abundant species helped to retain four factors explaining ~91% of the data variance suggesting four different conditions prevailing at ECS over the last 400 kyr. The species association of factor 1 reflects cold surface water conditions in the ECS, factor 2 suggests the influence of the coastal water, factor 3 can be linked with the upwelling of lower thermocline water, and factor 4 is strongly associated with the strength of the KC. This study suggests that KC and EASM were stronger during the interglacial periods. The proxy that responds to KC strength (Globogerinoides ruber) and calculated Mg/Ca SST shows the presence of 23 kyr precession and 100 kyr eccentricity cycles modulated by the differential inflow of KC due to global and local factors. The comparison of SST of the western Pacific with SST of the ECS shows that KC actively transports heat to ECS from the equatorial western Pacific warm pool.

In the present work, we have carried out a comparative study of the low temperature phase transitions using dc magnetization (M (T)) and ac susceptibility (χ (ω, T)) measurements on undoped and 0.3 wt% MnO2 doped BiFeO3 samples in the 2–300 K temperature range. It is shown that MnO2 doping increases the resistivity and decreases the dielectric loss as a result of reduced oxygen vacancy concentration as confirmed by iodometry and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies. A comparative study of the dc M (T) and ac χ (ω, T) results on two types of samples reveal that the transitions around 25 K, 110 to 150 K and 260 K are intrinsic to BiFeO3. The widely reported transition at 50 K is argued to be defect induced, as it is absent in the doped samples. We also show that the spin-glass transition temperature (TSG) ∼20 K, determined from an analysis of χ (ω, T), is less than the spin-glass freezing temperature (Tf) ∼25 K in marked contrast to TSG > Tf reported by earlier workers.

International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Proposal Nurturing Workshop on Indian Ocean; Goa, India, 17–18 September 2018

The Indus basin—one of the largest fluvial-controlled landscapes of the world, provides a major agro-economic resource base while showcasing unique morphometry along its course. However, despite its large socio-economic relevance in South Asia, a distinct account of morphometric variations down its course still remains elusive. Here, for the first time a quantitative demarcation of the Indus basin into—upper, middle, and lower basin is proposed based on analyses of critical morphometric parameters (viz. gradient/river length ratio, elevation-relief ratio, channel width, sinuosity, and slope). Geostatistical and hydrological operations performed on digital elevation models, suggest that the highest and lowest relief sectors are tectonically more stable than the middle relief sector, inferred from a convex hypsometric curve. Elevation-relief ratio for the basin indicates tectonic stability with ~ 31% of remnant rock still in place. Cross-sectional transects also demonstrate anomalous patterns that deviate from predictive characteristics of youthful, mature, and senile stages of river development. All parameters are spatially coalesced to provide a first-ever holistic morphometric account of the Indus basin while describing fine-scale planform variations of the spectacular dynamics of this enormous river basin.

For disordered Heisenberg systems with small single ion anisotropy ($D$), two spin-glass (SG) transitions below the long-range ordered (LRO) phase transition temperature (${T}_{c}$) have been predicted theoretically for compositions close to the percolation threshold. Experimental verification of these predictions is still controversial for conventional spin glasses. We show that multiferroic spin-glass systems can provide a unique platform for verifying these theoretical predictions via a study of change in magnetoelastic and magnetoelectric couplings, obtained from an analysis of diffraction data, at the spin-glass transition temperatures (${T}_{\mathrm{SG}}$). Results of macroscopic (dc $M$($H$, $T$), M($t$), ac susceptibility [\ensuremath{\chi} (\ensuremath{\omega}, $T$)], and specific heat (${C}_{p}$)) and microscopic (x-ray and neutron scattering) measurements are presented on disordered $\mathrm{BiFe}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$, a canonical Heisenberg system with small single ion anisotropy, which reveal appearance of two spin-glass phases, SG1 and SG2, in coexistence with the LRO phase below the Almeida-Thouless (A-T) and Gabey-Toulouse (G-T) lines. It is shown that the temperature dependence of the integrated intensity of the antiferromagnetic (AFM) peak shows dips with respect to the Brillouin function behavior around the SG1 and SG2 transition temperatures. The temperature dependence of the unit cell volume departs from the Debye-Gr\"uneisen behavior below the SG1 transition and the magnitude of departure increases significantly with decreasing temperature up to the electromagnon driven transition temperature below which a small change of slope occurs followed by another similar change of slope at the SG2 transition temperature. The ferroelectric polarization also changes significantly at the two spin-glass transition temperatures. These results, obtained using microscopic techniques, clearly demonstrate that the SG1 and SG2 transitions occur on the same magnetic sublattice and are intrinsic to the system. We also construct a phase diagram showing all the magnetic phases in the BF-$x\mathrm{BT}$ system. While our results on the two spin-glass transitions support the theoretical predictions, they also raise several open questions, which need to be addressed by revisiting the existing theories of spin-glass transitions after taking into account the effect of magnetoelastic and magnetoelectric couplings as well as electromagnons.

We studied variations in benthic foraminiferal assemblages and δ 13 C for the last 225 kyr at IODP site U1387 which is currently bathed by upper core of the Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW). The MOW paleocirculation and sea-floor environment (oxygen level, trophic condition, bottom current strength) have been inferred from faunal composition; species diversity, abundances of selected index species/groups, microhabitat preferences combined with δ 13 C record of the epifaunal Cibicidoides pachyderma . The faunal and isotope records indicate relatively better ventilation at sea-floor and low trophic condition during MIS 1, 5 and 7 possibly due to increased influence of upper MOW in the Gulf of Cadiz. Our multi-proxy record reflects significant and rapid changes during cold (stadial) and warm (interstadial) phases within the interglacials MIS 5 and 7 and at Termination II. The faunal and isotope records reveal strong MOW flow and better ventilated, oligotrophic bottom-water conditions during stadials MIS 5b, 5d, 7b and 7d. The study further demonstrates weakened MOW intensity associated with poor ventilation and increased trophic level at sea-floor during interstadials MIS 5a, 5e, 7a and 7c. MOW flow was relatively sluggish at Termination II, followed by its strengthening at the end of MIS 5e. The chronology of these events suggests that periods of weakened MOW correlate with sapropel layers of the Mediterranean Sea, implying strong coupling between glacial–interglacial climate and MOW circulation in the Gulf of Cadiz.

The Indus fan in the Arabian Sea is the second largest submarine fan in the world after the Bengal fan. Despite being an extensive physiographic and sedimentary feature, detailed mapping of the channel systems is very limited. Identification of five unreported deep sea channels using multibeam swath bathymetry data (collected by NCAOR) led to the outset of this study. Based on this survey in conjunction with the global seafloor topography data, here we present a GIS approach to report a “Projected Channel System” (PCS). Identification of the PCS is dependent on the calculation of flow direction. The values of flow direction raster range from 1 to 128, where 1 represents east; 4 depicts south; 16 is west and north is shown as 64. Subsequent calculation of flow accumulation and ordering of streams helped in marking major and minor streams. The method has successfully captured channel systems belonging not just to Indus drainage basin but several others, in an area of 3.03 x 10 6 km 2 . Data from previously published channel systems – belonging to the Indus system were used to validate the results. Average offset distance between previously identified channels and PCS channels was ~10 km, indicating a reasonably good overlap.