Landscapes in tectonically active Hindu Kush (NW Pakistan and NE Afghanistan) result from a complex integration of the effects of vertical and horizontal crustal block motions as well as erosion and deposition processes. Active tectonics in this region have greatly influenced the drainage system and geomorphic expressions. The study area is a junction of three important mountain ranges (Hindu Kush-Karakorum-Himalayas) and is thus an ideal natural laboratory to investigate the relative tectonic activity resulting from the India-Eurasia collision. We evaluate active tectonics using DEM derived drainage network and geomorphic indices hypsometric integral (HI), stream-length gradient (SL), fractal dimension (FD), basin asymmetry factor (AF), basin shape index (B s ), valley floor width to valley height ratio (Vf ) and mountain front sinuosity (S mf ).The results obtained from these indices were combined to yield an index of relative active tectonics (IRAT) using GIS. The average of the seven measured geomorphic indices was used to evaluate the distribution of relative tectonic activity in the study area. We defined four classes to define the degree of relative tectonic activity: class 1 __ very high (1.0 IRAT < 1.3); class 2 __ high (1.3 ! IRAT < 1.5); class GEOSCIENCE FRONTIERS journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/gsf GEOSCIENCE FRONTIERS 3(4) (2012) 407e428 3dmoderate (1.5 ! IRAT < 1.8); and class 4dlow (1.8 ! IRAT). In view of the results, we conclude that this combined approach allows the identification of the highly deformed areas related to active tectonics. Landsat imagery and field observations also evidence the presence of active tectonics based on the deflected streams, deformed landforms, active mountain fronts and triangular facets. The indicative values of IRAT are consistent with the areas of known relative uplift rates, landforms and geology. ª 2011, China University of Geosciences (Beijing) and Peking University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Drainage responds rapidly to tectonic changes and thus it is a potential parameter for tectonogeomorphological analysis. Drainage network of Potwar is a good geological record of movement, displacements, regional uplifts and erosion of the tectonic units. This study focuses on utilizing drainage network extracted from Shuttle Radar Digital Elevation Data (SRTM-DEM) in order to constrain the structure of the Potwar Plateau. SWAN syncline divides Potwar into northern Potwar deformed zone (NPDZ) and southern Potwar platform zone (SPPZ). We extracted the drainage network from DEM and analyzed 112 streams using stream power law. Spatial distribution of concavity and steepness indices were used to prepare uplift rate map for the area. DEM was further utilized to extract lineaments to study the mutual relationship between lineaments and drainage patterns. We compared the local correlation between the extracted lineaments and drainage network of the area that gives us quantitative information and shows promising prospects. The streams in the NPDZ indicate high steepness values as compared to the streams in the SPPZ. The spatial distribution of geomorphic parameters and uplift rates suggest the distinctive deformation among eastern, central and western parts. The local correlation between drainage network and lineaments from DEM is strongly positive in the area within 1 km of radius.

Net primary production (NPP) is an important indicator of the supply of food and wood. We used a hierarchy model and real time field observations to estimate NPP using satellite imagery. Net radiation received by rice crop canopies was estimated as 27,428 Wm −2 (215.4 Wm −2 as averaged) throughout the rice cultivation period (RCP), including 23,168 Wm −2 (118.3 Wm −2 as averaged) as shortwave and 4260 Wm −2 (34.63 Wm −2 as averaged) as longwave radiation. Soil, sensible and latent heat fluxes were approximated as 3324 Wm −2 , 16,549 Wm −2 , and 7554 Wm −2 , respectively. Water stress on rice crops varied between 0.5838 and 0.1218 from the start until the end of the RCP. Biomass generation declined from 6.09-1.03 g/m 2 in the tillering and ripening stages, respectively. We added a soil suitability constant (ħα) into the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach (CASA) model to achieve a more precise estimate of yield. Classification results suggest that the total area under rice cultivation was 8861 km 2. The spatial distribution of rice cultivation as per suitability zone was: 1674 km 2 was not suitable (NS), 592 km 2 was less suitable (LS), 2210 km 2 was moderately suitable (MS) and 4385 km 2 was highly suitable (HS) soil type with ħα ranges of 0.05-0.25, 0.4-0.6, 0.7-0.75 and 0.85-0.95 of the CASA based yield, respectively. We estimated net production as 1.63 million tons, as per 0.46 ton/ha, 1.2 ton/ha 1.9 ton/ha and 2.4 ton/ha from NS, LS, MS and HS soil types, respectively. The results obtained through this improved CASA model, by addition of the constant ħα, are likely to be useful for agronomists by providing more accurate estimates of NPP.

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Punjab, Pakistan is famous for rice production in all over the world, but economic indicators are low toward rice contribution in the regional economy. Climatic and physical factors are responsible for rice yield degradation. Suitable land for rice cultivation can be mapped keeping in view these climatic and physical factors. In this research, rice cultivation season was calculated using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer (MODIS) time series datasets for the complete year 2014. Landsat 8 thermal datasets were obtained for the rice cultivation season and temperature based growth variability maps were generated. The total area under investigation was 13,657 km 2 out of which 931.61 km 2 (6.8%) was found to be least suitable, 3316.69 km 2 (24.2%) was moderately suitable, 6019.63 km 2 (44%) was highly suitable and 3395.28 km 2 (24.85%) was not suitable for rice crop cultivation. Results showed that highly suitable area was characterized by a temperature range between 21 and 32 °C, soil pH level between 5.5 and 7.2, soil type was < 78% clay and the soil was imperfectly drained. We compared land suitability map covering the complete land use with rice cultivated area only and found the results as follows: 592 km 2 (5.9%) rice cultivation was in least suitable, 4385 km 2 (44%) cultivation was in highly suitable, 2210 km 2 (23.2%) cultivation was in moderately suitable and 1674 km 2 (16.8%) cultivation was in not suitable regions. The techniques applied in this research may be used by local farmers to select cropping patterns and land suitability for rice crop.

The article proposes the three different types of envelope solitons: bright, dark and singular, to compound KdV-Burgers equation. The equation has been considered with variable coefficients and power law nonlinearity, which is the main interest of plasma physics. The ansatz approach is carried out to construct these solitons. The parameter regimes, for the existence of these solitons, are identified during the derivation of the solutions.

This approach represents the relative susceptibility of the topography of the earth to active deformation by means of geometrical distinctiveness of the river networks. This investigation employs the fractal analysis of drainage system extracted from ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model (GDEM-30m resolution). The objective is to mark active structures and to pinpoint the areas robustly influenced by neotectonics. This approach was examined in the Hindukush, NE-Afghanistan. This region is frequently affected by deadly earthquakes and the modern fault activities and deformation are driven by the collision between the northward-moving Indian subcontinent and Eurasia. This attempt is based on the fact that drainage system is strained to linearize due to neotectonic deformation. Hence, the low fractal dimensions of the Kabul, Panjsher, Laghman, Andarab, Alingar and Kocha Rivers are credited to active tectonics. A comprehensive textural examination is conducted to probe the linearization, heterogeneity and connectivity of the drainage patterns. The aspects for these natural textures are computed by using the fractal dimension (FD), lacunarity (LA) and succolarity (SA) approach. All these methods are naturally interrelated, i.e. objects with similar FD can be further differentiated with LA and/or SA analysis. The maps of FD, LA and SA values are generated by using a sliding window of 50 arc seconds by 50 arc seconds (50" × 50"). Afterwards, the maps are interpreted in terms of regional susceptibility to neotectonics. This method is useful to pinpoint numerous zones where the drainage system is highly controlled by Hindukush active structures. In the North-Northeast of the Kabul block, we recognized active tectonic blocks. The region comprising, Kabul, Panjsher, Andrab, Alingar and Badakhshan is more susceptible to damaging events. This investigation concludes that the fractal analysis of the river networks is a bonus tool to localize areas vulnerable to deadly incidents influencing the Earth's topography and consequently intimidate human lives.

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