Gondi People

The Gonds are one of the most famous and important tribes in India, known for their unique customs and traditions. They are mainly a nomadic tribe and call themselves as Koytoria. The term ‘Gond’ is derived from the Telugu word ‘Konda’ which means hill. Gond Tribes are primarily located in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, eastern Maharashtra, northern Andhra Pradesh and western Orissa. With a population of over 4 millions, Gonds also form the largest tribal group in central India. In Chhattisgarh, Gonds are the largest tribal group in terms of population and are mainly concentrated in the southern part of the state. More than 20 % of Gonds in Chhattisgarh live in Bastar region only. There are 3 major sub-castes of Gonds in Bastar - Maria, Muria and Dorla.

The Gonds are predominantly Hindus and like to live to live in groups in small villages. The main language of the Gonds is Gondi but about half of Gond populations also speak Indo-Aryan dialects including Hindi. The Gonds are traditionally agriculturalists and some practice shifting cultivation even today. Other major activities of Gonds include collecting forest produce, fishing, hunting, forging metal goods in cottage industries and other primary sector activities. Gonds also have a special skill that has been passed down every generation and that is the secrets of the medicine plants. As there are no proper health facilities in several areas, they still follow the traditional system of medicines and use plants and herbs for curing various ailments. Gonds are also known for practicing social hierarchy system like Hindus and the Gond society is regarded as highly stratified and not conforming to the usual image of egalitarianism among tribals.

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Satellite pictures tell of human rights violation

USA – The term 'the morality of altitude' was coined to apply to bomber pilots who released their payloads on victims they couldn't see, without ever feeling any sense of remorse or empathy for the people whose lives, families, homes and property they destroyed.

A new initiative by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, publisher of the journal Science could well give the term a completely opposite and far more positive meaning. 

A project launched by the AAAS aims to use satellite imagery to provide evidence of human rights atrocities that have been denied by the governments that perpetrate them. 

The AAAS worked with Human Rights Watch to produce a 130-page report on attacks on eight villages across the remote Ogaden region of eastern Ethiopia, where "before" and "after" satellite images of villages identified by Human Rights Watch were analysed by Lars Bromley of the AAAS. 

It's confronting read, but the really damning evidence lies in the 'before' and 'after' images, which show blackened fields and destroyed homes where before there were whole villages. 
HRW's Peter Bouckaert said that the project was in response to frequent denials by the Ethiopian government that the massacres were happening at all. 

"The Ethiopian authorities frequently dismiss human rights reports, saying that the witnesses we interviewed are liars and rebel supporters," Mr Bouckaert said. "But it will be much more difficult for them to dismiss the evidence presented in the satellite images, as images like that don't lie." 

Source : http://www.sbs.com.au/

North Pole could be ice-free this summer, scientists say

The North Pole may be briefly ice-free by September as global warming melts away Arctic sea ice, according to scientists from the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado.
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Gypsum

   


                                                  Gypsum rocks are sedimentary rocks made up of sulfate mineral and formed as the result of evaporating sea water in massive prehistoric basins. It is very soft and is used to make Plaster of Paris, casts, molds, and wallboards

Gypsum rock is usually white or gray, and a freshly broken piece sparkles in the light. Selenite, which is pure gypsum, is the main mineral in gypsum rock; other minerals found in gypsum rock are calcite and anhydrite. It forms from the evaporation of salt-water lakes in semi-desert or desert areas. Gypsum rock is common throughout the United States. It is used to make Plaster of Paris and filler materials.

Gypsum is a soft mineral, hydrous calcium sulfate. Gypsum is the standard for hardness degree 2 on the Mohs mineral hardness scale. Your fingernail will scratch this mineral—that's the simplest way to identify gypsum. The clear variety that makes up this wedge is called selenite after the pearly luster of its cleavage faces, likened to moonlight. 

Gypsum also forms concretions of selenite blades called desert roses or sand roses, growing in sediments that are subjected to concentrated brines. The crystals grow from a central point, and the roses emerge when the matrix weathers away. They don't last long at the surface, just a few years, unless someone collects them. Here's another one.

Gypsum also forms concretions of selenite blades called desert roses or sand roses, growing in sediments that are subjected to concentrated brines. The crystals grow from a central point, and the roses emerge when the matrix weathers away. They don't last long at the surface, just a few years, unless someone collects them. Here's another one.

links:http://www.alientravelguide.com/science/geology/rocks/sediment/gypsum.htm
http://geology.about.com/library/bl/images/bldesertrose.htm
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MAP ANALYSIS

 
     ●ANALYSIS - What & Why? :
  The heart of GIS is the analytical capabilities of the system. What distinguish the GIS system from other information system are
  its spatial analysis functions. Although the data input is, in general, the most time consuming part, it is for data analysis that 
  GIS is used. The analysis functions use the spatial and non-spatial attributes in the database to answer questions about the real 
  world. Geographic analysis facilitates the study of real-world processes by developing and applying models. Such models
  illuminate the underlying trends in geographic data and thus make new information available. Results of geographic analysis can
  be communicated with the help of maps, or both. 

  The organization of database into map layers is not simply for reasons of organizational clarity, rather it is to provide rapid access
  to data elements required for geographic analysis. The objective of geographic analysis is to transform data into useful information
  to satisfy the requirements or objectives of decision-makers at all levels in terms of detail. An important use of the analysis is the 
  possibility of predicting events in another location or at another point in time. 

  ●ANALYSIS -How? 
  Before commencing geographic analysis, one needs to assess the problem and establish an objective. The analysis requires 
  step-by-step procedures to arrive at the conclusions. The range of geographical analysis procedures can be subdivided into the
  following categories.  

  o Database Query. o Overlay. o Proximity analysis.  

  o Network analysis. o Digital Terrain Model. o Statistical and Tabular Analysis. 

   ● Use of Spatial Analysis: It helps us to: 

  o Identify trends on the data.

  o Create new relationships from the data. 

  o View complex relationships between data sets. 

  o Make better decisions. 

 
  ●Geographic Analysis: 
  It is the analysis of problems with some Geographic Aspects. 

  o Alternatives are geographic locations or areas. 

  o Decisions would affect locations or areas. 

  o Geographic relationships are important in decision-making or modeling. 
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LIFECYCLE OF A GIS (PLANNING GIS)

 
  Successful implementation of GIS requires planning the project before its actual implementation. Planning leads to a 
  better structured and organized system.

 



   
  Phase 1-Planning
  A planning process is the first stage in the life cycle. This phase involves a systematic review of users, their data, and their 
  information needs. Decision makers are told about the costs and benefits of GIS and to include potential users in the 
  planning process so that they receive an overview of the technology. 
 
  Phase 2-System Design 
  The design phase matches user needs to GIS functionality. Design includes not only selection of hardware and software, but
  also the design of the GIS spatial and attribute database. A Relational database is generally used for the GIS. The 
  Database design will include specifications for scale, projection, and coordinate systems. Data is be tracked using a
  "Data Dictionary." During the design phase an incremental plan is often used for implementation of the technology. Incremental
  implementation means that users will build a GIS piece-by-piece. In some cases a ‘Prototype’ is developed so that refinements 
  can be made before finalizing the fully implemented system. 
 
  Phase 3-Implementation 
  During the implementation phase, attention to all user needs must be provided through training and education. Hands-on users 
  must be trained to utilize and maintain the system and the database. All types of users should be made cognizant of how the
  GIS will affect them and their data processing tasks. They must also be made aware of the changes that GIS will introduce 
  in the area of information generation and decision making.

 
  Phase 4-Maintenance 
  Finally, a GIS application must be maintained and kept current in terms of data and user support. In some cases, a GIS is 
  designed to meet the needs of a specific, finite project. In other instances, GIS is used to support an on-going mission or 
  program. In the former case, the GIS application will terminate once the project is completed and maintenance will probably 
  not be an issue. However, even if the initial GIS application is no longer being utilized, the data generated for the initial 
  project may be useful to other projects or users. In those instances, a current data dictionary will be vital for determining the 
  utility of the existing digital data for other uses. 

  In the case of an on-going GIS effort the system must be kept up-to-date in order to fulfill its design goals. Maintenance includes
  updating hardware and software, adding new data and updating existing data records, and keeping users current in terms of 
  system functionality

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More About Cracks in India

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Sinkholes

Dear Readers

It is regarding the earlier post Msterious cracks........

One Earth_Science_India group member Dr. Raed Ahmad has suggested tht these cracks are sinkholes. I am Publishing what he posted.

Sinkholes are common where the rock below the land surface is limestone, carbonate rock, salt beds, or rocks that can naturally be dissolved by ground water circulating through them. As the rock dissolves, spaces and caverns develop underground. Sinkholes are dramatic because the land usually stays intact for a while until the underground spaces just get too big. If there is not enough support for the land above the spaces then a sudden collapse of the land surface can occur. These collapses can be small, as this picture shows, or they can be huge and can occur where a house or road is on top.
What is a "Sinkhole"?
A sinkhole is an area of ground that has no natural external surface drainage--when it rains, all of the water stays inside the sinkhole and typically drains into the subsurface. Sinkholes can vary from a few feet to hundreds of acres and from less than 1 to more than 100 feet deep. Some are shaped like shallow bowls or saucers whereas others have vertical walls; some hold water and form natural ponds. Typically, sinkholes form so slowly that little change is seen in one's life- time, but they can form suddenly when a collapse occurs. Such a collapse can have a dramatic effect if it occurs in an urban setting.
Areas prone to collapse sinkholes
The map below shows areas of the United States where certain rock types that are susceptible to dissolution in water occur. In these areas the formation of underground cavities can form and catastrophic sinkholes can happen. These rock types are evaporites (salt, gypsum, and anhydrite) and carbonates (limestone and dolomite). Evaporite rocks underlie about 35 to 40 percent of the United States, though in many areas they are buried at great depths.

Types of sinkholes
Since Florida is prone to sinkholes, it is a good place to use to discuss some different types of sinkholes and the geologic and hydrologic processes that form them. The processes of dissolution, where surface rock that are soluble to weak acids, are dissolved, and suffosion, where cavities form below the land surface, are responsible for virtually all sinkholes in Florida. 
Dissolution sinkholes

 Dissolution of the limestone or dolomite is most intensive where the water first contacts the rock surface. Aggressive dissolution also occurs where flow is focussed in preexisting openings in the rock, such as along joints, fractures, and bedding planes, and in the zone of water-table fluctuation where ground water is in contact with the atmosphere.
Cover-subsidence sinkholes
Cover-subsidence sinkholes tend to develop gradually where the covering sediments are permeable and contain sand. In areas where cover material is thicker or sediments contain more clay, cover-subsidence sinkholes are relatively uncommon, are smaller, and may go undetected for long periods.
 
Cover-collapse sinkholes
Cover-collapse sinkholes may develop abruptly (over a period of hours) and cause catastrophic damages. They occur where the covering sediments contain a significant amount of clay. Over time, surface drainage, erosion, and deposition of sinkhole into a shallower bowl-shaped depression.
 
Sinkholes can be human-induced
New sinkholes have been correlated to land-use practices, especially from ground-water pumping and from construction and development practices. Sinkholes can also form when natural water-drainage patterns are changed and new water-diversion systems are developed. Some sinkholes form when the land surface is changed, such as when industrial and runoff-storage ponds are created. The substantial weight of the new material can trigger an underground collapse of supporting material, thus causing a sinkhole.
The overburden sediments that cover buried cavities in the aquifer systems are delicately balanced by ground-water fluid pressure. The water below ground is actually helping to keep the surface soil in place. Ground-water pumping for urban water supply and for irrigation can produce new sinkholes In sinkhole-prone areas. If pumping results in a lowering of ground-water levels, then underground structural failure, and thus, sinkholes, can occur.