Mines ,Minerals,Geology & Groundwater

18/08/2019

Ephemeral thermal springs
The “mungāru” monsoon, after an erratic beginning during June this year, in the Karavali and Malnad regions of Karnataka, continued unabated, further with a heavy down pour during the month of August 2019. The heavy rains mercilessly flooded our poorly planned city roads (devoid of appropriately designed storm drainages) as well as clogged river channels causing heavy havocs on innocent people living nearby the flood plains and their properties. Apart from these disasters, massive landslides and land disruptions on arterial highways, especially in Ghat sections, took their own tolls on the unsuspecting residents and travelling public.
Among the freak disasters that characterize the heavy monsoons in Western India, the occurrence of occasional ephemeral thermal springs in the Karavali coastal land deserves the attention of inquisitive geologists, environmental enthusiasts and the smart public.
Ephemeral thermal springs
On August 6, 2019, early in the morning around 6.00 AM, inmates of Appi’s house at Mundaguri colony near Caribbean resort, Chitrapu Gajani area in the outskirt of Mulki, Mangaluru Taluk had a surprise in store in the small open well located in front of their modest house. Warm fumes were emanating out of their small well lined with concrete rings. The well is located in the coastal sandy alluvium is only about 4m in depth and the static water level is slightly below the ground level. The well water which was normal and potable till yesterday night, was fuming with warm vapors and the water was perceptibly hot, about 37-38 degrees centigrade.
A team of officials including geologists from the Department of Mines & Geology visited the site in the afternoon. I was invited and went to the site along with the geologists. By the time we reached the emanation of warm fumes in the well had stopped and the degree of heat in the water was also dwindling (to about 35 to 36 degrees C).
We predicted that it is a case of leakage of geothermal energy from the reactivation of deep fractures in the area. The temperature in the well subsided and became normal the next day onward. We have encountered a similar case history earlier in an open well located near the premises of Sri Rājarājeshwari temple at Polali, Bantwal Taluk, Dakshina Kannada a few years ago.
I would like to designate this case as an incidence of ephemeral thermal spring, attributable to random release of geothermal energy due to reactivation of deeper fractures on account of the neo-tectonic plate movements on the Karavali coast. It appears that the heavy rainfall in the region and the consequent accumulation of water in the deeper fractures, enhances the pore water pressure that induces structural disturbances leading to ephemeral release of geothermal springs accompanied by vapors.
Please feel free to offer your comments or the opinion on the issue.

05/11/2017

Limestone formations of Batu caves, Malaysia. Caves are replete with stalactites and stalagmites. Golden statue of Lord Murugan adds special gilt and glamour to the limestone hill.

02/10/2017

Sunset south of Malpe, Udupi District,Karnataka.

02/09/2017

Mt.Titlis, Uri Alps, Switzerland. Glacier clad Alps.(photos:Vijnandeep. )

09/07/2017

May June 2017

08/07/2017

Lake Ashi formed on the southern part of the volcanic caldera, Hakone, Japan

08/07/2017

Black egg (Eggs boiled in local hot springs getting black color on their shells)memorial at Owakudani township, Hakone, Japan

08/07/2017

Fumarolic gaseous discharges from the Owakudani volcanic vents, Hakone, Japan

08/07/2017

Hakone Volcanic hills, Japan.

21/05/2017

Alarming Pollution levels in Coastal Rivers
The recent report on the drastic deterioration of water quality of River Gurupur (also known as R. Phalguni) near Mangaluru due to pollution from effluents released into rivers has alarmed citizens with regard to the consumption of the river water for drinking and domestic purposes.
A vented dam has been built, and has recently been commissioned, across the river Gurupur at Maravuru, North of Mangaluru, to exclude incursion of saline water as well as to store water for supply as domestic and drinking water sources for the surrounding villages in northern part of Mangaluru city.
The high pollution was noticed when there was a strong stench from the massive death of river fishes and dark coloration of the river water in the downstream section of the Maravuru vented dam. The changes in the color of the river water in the upstream and downstream directions of the vented dam can be seen in Google satellite map (Fig 1). It is suspected that the coloration was due to polluting effluents from the STPs and the industries, located on the bank of the river.
The District administration as reported in newspapers has issued stringent warning to polluting sources. There is detailed report on the nature and source of pollution so far.
There are several laboratories (including environmental quality monitoring ones) in the region and some of these organizations should take up detailed sampling and analysis in public interest to find out the source as well as nature of pollution.
On second thoughts, studying the Google satellite maps, we find that dark coloration of the river water has spread in other areas beyond the Maravuru sector. We can see that the tidal reaches from Tannirbavi to Bengre also show such dark coloration. The upper reaches of Gurupur river near Polali and beyond Siddakatte also show such dark coloration. Further the impounded water in Tumbe vented dam in Netravati River also appears dark in the Google satellite maps.
These dark features deserve to be analysed and studied in greater detail since the health of the people are at stake. One of the possibility is that the dark coloration could be due to microbial /colloidal precipitations.

11/05/2017

Preparation for creating an infiltration well.

23/03/2017