The Earth System Science (ESS)

National Programme on "Science of Shallow Subsurface Studies"

Due to increasing human settlement and urbanization, the land use for civic applications has drastically enhanced in recent times. However, the land development for this purpose is often accomplished without having much knowledge on shallow subsurface configuration of various lithological units, soil character, physical / chemical properties etc. These shallow subsurface features are very important to be considered while developing any land for urbanization. Also, most of the economic mineral wealth is found in top few meters to hundreds of meters in the crust. Although several agencies in India have conducted various geological/geophysical studies, they are basically focused on understanding deep structural configurations and the related geodynamic phenomena. Thus, there is a need to map the shallow sub-surface features of the earth, as they have close relationship with land use for urbanization.

Recognizing the necessity of these studies, PAC-ES recommended that an Expert Committee may be constituted to prepare a detailed document to concretize a national programme on 'science of allow sub-surface studies'. Accordingly an Expert Committee was constituted by DST to prepare a document on "Science of Shallow Subsurface" to take up as a National Programme. The Committee met twice during 2003 and several experts from multi-disciplinary earth sciences were invited to make presentations on various aspects that can be taken up under the programme.

Based on the inputs provided by the Members of the Committee and invited Experts, the Committee has submitted its report. The salient recommendations of the committee are given below:

The Committee recommended the use of following techniques for collection of subsurface geophysical data up to few hundred meters beneath the surface of the earth.

(a) Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT)
(b) Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
(c) Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR)
(d) Environmental Magnetism (EMag)
(e) High Frequency Seismic Sounding (HFSS)
(f) 3- D mapping using satellite data and GIS techniques.
(g) Geochemical Mapping

And also recommend application of geological including radioactive, radiogenic and stable isotopic, soil micromorphological and geomicrobiological techniques.

To initiate the above studies on priority, five regional zones and the working groups have been identified by the Committee. The following are five corridors where studies may begin.

Corridor Coordinator

In order to identify the actual transects, in each of the chosen corridors, to review the existing information along the corridors and to arrive at concrete research programs and groups, it was recommended to hold regional workshops in the five corridors by the identified coordinators (shown above) before the term of the present committee.

Regional workshops on four corridors in Ganga, Gujarat, Cauvery and Brahmaputra rivers were organized. During these workshops several experts working in these corridors made multi-disciplinary presentations and relevant projects are being formulated. So far integrated proposals on Ganga, Cauvery, Gujrat and Brahmaputra Corridors have been formulated and presently under review.