In this paper,I examine the Twitter accounts of right-wing extremist groups(RWEGs)in India,arguing that the abjectification of Muslim masculinities is central to the narratives of Hindu supremacist groups.The abjectif...In this paper,I examine the Twitter accounts of right-wing extremist groups(RWEGs)in India,arguing that the abjectification of Muslim masculinities is central to the narratives of Hindu supremacist groups.The abjectification process on Twitter serves as a rhetorical device to:a)criticize and problematize Muslim masculinities;b)idealize and glorify Hindu and white masculinities;c)promote Hindu and white masculine nationalist projects;and d)unify Hindu supremacists against Muslim others.By analyzing the gender ideologies expressed implicitly or explicitly on the Twitter accounts of RWEGs,and using the“Love Jihad”conspiracy case as a focal point,I demonstrate how the abjectification of Muslim masculinities is constructed in opposition to the idealized Hindu masculinities.This study highlights the intersection of gender and nationalism in the digital discourse of Hindu supremacist groups,offering insights into the mechanisms through which social media platforms are used to reinforce and propagate Islamophobic ideologies.展开更多
Hindu nationalism was bom during India’s struggle for national independence in the 19th century,and its core tenet is the establishment of a state ruled by Hinduism.It stands together with secularism as one of the tw...Hindu nationalism was bom during India’s struggle for national independence in the 19th century,and its core tenet is the establishment of a state ruled by Hinduism.It stands together with secularism as one of the two major sociopolitical trends in India.Since the start of its rule in 2014,the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)has pursued a series of policies promoting the powerful rise of Hinduism as the mainstream ideology in Indian society.Although Hindu nationalism focuses on domestic affairs,it has imperceptibly shaped IndiaJ s foreign policy,and thus it has an ongoing influence on India,s relations with other major countries as well as its neighbors.As such,it has formed an important perspective and indispensible factor in observing India’s diplomacy.In the future,this momentum will continue to rise with the influence of Hindu nationalist organizations such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS)continuing to expand,but it will face challenges from the traditional trends of thought such as secularism and pluralism.展开更多
Prior to the collision and accretion of the Kohistan arc terrane during the late Cretaceous and the Indian plate after the early Eocene, the southern margin of Asia along the Hindu Kush, Karakoram and Lhasa block terr...Prior to the collision and accretion of the Kohistan arc terrane during the late Cretaceous and the Indian plate after the early Eocene, the southern margin of Asia along the Hindu Kush, Karakoram and Lhasa block terranes was an active Andean\|type continental margin. In south Tibet this margin was dominated by the calc\|alkaline Ladakh—Gangdese granite batholith, associated andesitic volcanic rocks and continental red\|beds. In contrast, the southern Karakoram exposes deep crustal metamorphic rocks and crustal melt leucogranites. New U\|Pb age dating from the Hunza valley and Baltoro glacier region has revealed four spatially and temporally distinct metamorphic episodes. M1 sillimanite grade metamorphism in Hunza was a late Cretaceous event, probably caused by the accretion of the Kohistan arc to Asia. M2 was the major kyanite and sillimanite grade event during late Eocene—Oligocene crustal thickening and shortening, following India\|Asia collision. Numerous melting events resulted in the formation of crustal melt granites throughout the last 50Ma with multiple generations of dykes and very large scale crustal melting along the Baltoro monzogranite\|leucogranite ba tholith during the late Oligocene—early Miocene. M3 metamorphism was a high\| T , low\| p contact thermal metamorphism around the Baltoro granite. In Hunza, younger staurolite grade metamorphism has been dated by U\|Pb monazites at 16Ma, with the Sumayar leucogranite intruded at 9 5Ma cross\|cutting the metamorphic isograds. In the Baltoro region the youngest metamorphism, M4, is the sillimanite grade Dassu gneiss core complex dated by U\|Pb on monazites as late Miocene—Pliocene (5 4±0 25)Ma with Precambrian protolith zircon cores (1855±11)Ma. Numerous gem\|bearing pegmatite dykes cross\|cut these rocks and are thought to have been intruded within the last 2～3Ma. Structural mapping, combined with U\|Pb geochronology shows that major metamorphic events can be both long\|lasting (up to 20Ma) and very restrictive, both in time and space.展开更多
In this paper, we analyzed the long-term changes in temperature and precipitation in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region based on climate datasets LSAT-V1.1 and CGP1.0 recently developed by the China Meteorological ...In this paper, we analyzed the long-term changes in temperature and precipitation in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region based on climate datasets LSAT-V1.1 and CGP1.0 recently developed by the China Meteorological Administration. The analysis results show that during 1901e2014 the annual mean surface air temperature over the whole HKH has undergone a significant increasing trend. We determined the change rates in the mean temperature, mean maximum temperature, and mean minimum temperature to be 0.104 C per decade, 0.077 C per decade, and 0.176 C per decade, respectively. Most parts of the HKH have experienced a warming trend, with the largest increase occurring on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and south of Pakistan. The trend of precipitation for the whole HKH is characterized by a slight decrease during 1901e2014. During 1961e2013, however, the trend of the annual precipitation shows a statistically significant increase, with a rate of 5.28% per decade and has a more rapid increase since the mid-1980s. Most parts of northern India and the northern TP have experienced a strong increase in the number of precipitation days (daily rainfall 1 mm), whereas Southwest China and Myanmar have experienced a declining trend in precipitation days. Compared to the trends in precipitation days, the spatial pattern of trends in the precipitation intensity seems to be more closely related to the terrain, and the higher altitude areas have shown more significant upward trends in precipitation intensity during 1961e2013.展开更多
The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH hereafter) region is characterized by mountainous environments and a variety of regional climatic conditions. High-altitude regions in the HKH have the recent warming amplifications, espe...The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH hereafter) region is characterized by mountainous environments and a variety of regional climatic conditions. High-altitude regions in the HKH have the recent warming amplifications, especially during the global warming hiatus period. The rapid warming cause solid state water (snow, ice, glacier, and permafrost) to shrink, leading to increase in meltwater and there have been found more frequent incidences of flash floods, landslides, livestock diseases, and other disasters in the HKH region. Increasing awareness of climate change over the HKH region is reached a consensus. Meanwhile, the HKH region is often referred to as the water towers of Asia as many highaltitude regions store its water in the form of snow and/or glacier, feeding ten major large rivers in Asia. Therefore, the impacts of climate change on water availability in these river basins have huge influences on the livelihood of large number of population, especially in downstream regions. However, the scarcity of basic hydro-meteorological observations particularly in high-altitude regions of HKH limits rigorous analysis of climate change. Most studies used reanalysis data and/or model-reconstructed products to explore the spatial and temporal characteristics of hydro-meteorological processes, especially for extreme events. In this study, we review recent climate change in the HKH region, and the scientific challenges and research recommendations are suggested for this high-altitude area.展开更多
Based on the outputs from 21 CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5) models, future changes in the mean temperature, precipitation and four climate extreme indices (annual maximum of daily maximum temper...Based on the outputs from 21 CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5) models, future changes in the mean temperature, precipitation and four climate extreme indices (annual maximum of daily maximum temperature (TXx), minimum of daily minimum temperature (TNn), annual total precipitation when the daily amount exceeds the 95th percentile of wet-day precipitation (R95p), and maximum consecutive 5-day precipitation (RX5day)) over Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region are investigated under the greenhouse gas concentration pathways of RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. Two periods of the 21st century, 2036e2065 and 2066e2095, are selected, with the reference period is considered as 1976e2005. Results show general increase of the mean temperature, TXx and TNn under both scenarios, with the largest increases found during 2066e2095 under RCP8.5. Future precipitation is projected to increase over most part of HKH, except for the northwestern part. Intensification of the precipitation extremes is projected over the region. The uncertainties of mean temperature, TXx and TNn over the HKH1 subregions are the largest compared to the other three subregions and the overall HKH. Besides RX5day during 2036e2065 over HKH1, the uncertainties of R95p and RX5day tend to be larger following the increase of greenhouse gas concentrations. The multimodel ensemble medians of temperature and four extreme indices under RCP8.5 are projected to be larger than those under RCP4.5 in each of the subregions.展开更多
Landscapes in tectonically active Hindu Kush （NW Pakistan and NE Alghanistanl result from a complex integration of the effects of vertical and horizontal crustal block motions as well as erosion and deposition proces...Landscapes in tectonically active Hindu Kush （NW Pakistan and NE Alghanistanl 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 mt^unlain ranges （Hindu Kush-Karakorunl-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 （Hl）. stream-length gradient （SL）, fractal dimension （FD）, basin asymmetry factor （AF）, basin shape index （B,）, valley floor width to wllley height ratio （Vf） and motmtain front sinuosity （Star）. 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 ewfluate the distri- bution of relative tectonic activity in the study area. We defined tour classes to define the degree of rela- tive tectonic activity： class 1 very high （1.0 ≤ IRAT 〈 1.3）; class 2 high （1.3 ≥ IRAT 〈 1.5）： class 3--moderate （1.5 〉 IRAT 〈 1.8）; and class 4--low （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.展开更多
This study assessed the regional climate models (RCMs) employed in the Coordinated Regional climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) South Asia framework to investigate the qualitative aspects of future change in seaso...This study assessed the regional climate models (RCMs) employed in the Coordinated Regional climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) South Asia framework to investigate the qualitative aspects of future change in seasonal mean near surface air temperature and precipitation over the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region. These RCMs downscaled a subset of atmosphere ocean coupled global climate models (AOGCMs) in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) to higher 50 km spatial resolution over a large domain covering South Asia for two representation concentration pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) future scenarios. The analysis specifically examined and evaluated multi-model and multi-scenario climate change projections over the hilly sub-regions within HKH for the near-future (2036e2065) and far-future (2066e2095) periods. The downscaled multi-RCMs provide relatively better confidence than their driving AOGCMs in projecting the magnitude of seasonal warming for the hilly sub-region within the Karakoram and northwestern Himalaya, with higher projected change of 5.4 C during winter than of 4.9 C during summer monsoon season by the end of 21st century under the high-end emissions (RCP8.5) scenario. There is less agreement among these RCMs on the magnitude of the projected warming over the other sub-regions within HKH for both seasons, particularly associated with higher RCM uncertainty for the hilly sub-region within the central Himalaya. The downscaled multi-RCMs show good consensus and low RCM uncertainty in projecting that the summer monsoon precipitation will intensify by about 22% in the hilly subregion within the southeastern Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau for the far-future period under the RCP8.5 scenario. There is low confidence in the projected changes in the summer monsoon and winter season precipitation over the central Himalaya and in the Karakoram and northwestern Himalaya due to poor consensus and moderate to high RCM uncertainty among the downscaled multi-RCMs. Finally, the RCM related uncertainty is found to be large for the projected changes in seasonal temperature and precipitation over the hilly sub-regions within HKH by the end of this century, suggesting that improving the regional processes and feedbacks in RCMs are essential for narrowing the uncertainty, and for providing more reliable regional climate change projections suitable for impact assessments in HKH region.展开更多
We employed a double-difference algorithm （hypoDD） to relocate earthquakes within the region bounded by 66°E-78°E and 32°N-42°N in the period of 1964-2003 reported by the International Seismologi...We employed a double-difference algorithm （hypoDD） to relocate earthquakes within the region bounded by 66°E-78°E and 32°N-42°N in the period of 1964-2003 reported by the International Seismological Center （ISC）. The improved hypocentral locations delineate a double-layered Wadati-Benioff zone in the eastern Hindu Kush intermediate seismic belt. Based on this feature and other evidences, we propose that the intermediate-depth earthquakes beneath the Pamir-Hindu Kush region may occur in two collided subduction zones with opposite dip directions.展开更多
Changes in land use cover, particularly from forest to agriculture, is a major contributing factor in increasing carbon dioxide（CO2） level in the atmosphere.Using satellite images of 1999 and 2011, land use and land...Changes in land use cover, particularly from forest to agriculture, is a major contributing factor in increasing carbon dioxide（CO2） level in the atmosphere.Using satellite images of 1999 and 2011, land use and land use changes in the Kumrat valley KPK, Pakistan, were determined： a net decrease of 11.56 and 7.46 % occurred in forest and rangeland, while 100 % increase occurred in agriculture land（AL）. Biomass in different land uses,forest land（FL）, AL, and range land（RL） was determined by field inventory. From the biomass data, the amount of carbon was calculated, considering 50 % of the biomass as carbon. Soil carbon was also determined to a depth of 0–15and 16–30 cm. The average carbon stocks（C stocks） in all land uses ranged from 28.62 ± 13.8 t ha-1in AL to486.6 ± 32.4 t ha-1in pure Cedrus deodara forest. The results of the study confirmed that forest soil and vegetation stored the maximum amount of carbon followed by RL. Conversion of FL and RL to AL not only leads to total loss of about 56 %（from FL conversion） and 37 %（RL conversion） of soil carbon in the last decades but also the loss of a valuable carbon sink. In order to meet the emissions reduction obligations of the Kyoto Protocol, Conservation of forest and RL in the mountainous regions of the Hindu Kush will help Pakistan to meet its emissions reduction goals under the Kyoto Protocol.展开更多
The grassland in the Hindu Kush Himalayan(HKH) region is one of the large st and most biodiverse mountain grassland types in the world,and its ecosystem service functions have profound impacts on the sustainable devel...The grassland in the Hindu Kush Himalayan(HKH) region is one of the large st and most biodiverse mountain grassland types in the world,and its ecosystem service functions have profound impacts on the sustainable development of the HKH region.Monitoring the spatiotemporal distribution of grassland aboveground biomass(AGB) accurately and quantifying its response to climate change are indispensable sources of information for sustainably managing grassland ecosystems in the HKH region.In this study,a pure vegetation index model(PVIM) was applied to estimate the long-term dynamics of grassland AGB in the HKH region during 2000-2018.We further quantified the response of grassland AGB to climate change(temperature and precipitation) by partial correlation and variance partitioning analyses and then compared their differences with elevation.Our results demonstrated that the grassland AGB predicted by the PVIM had a good linear relationship with the ground sampling data.The grassland AGB distribution pattern showed a decreasing trend from east to west across the HKH region except in the southern Himalayas.From 2000 to 2018,the mean AGB of the HKH region increased at a rate of 1.57 g/(m~2·yr) and ranged from 252.9(2000) to 307.8 g/m~2(2018).AGB had a positive correlation with precipitation in more than 80% of the grassland,and temperature was positively correlated with AGB in approximately half of the region.The change in grassland AGB was more responsive to the cumulative effect of annual precipitation,while it was more sensitive to the change in temperature in the growing season;in addition,the influence of climate varied at different elevations.Moreover,compared with that of temperature,the contribution of precipitation to grassland AGB change was greater in approximately 60% of the grassland,but the differences in the contribution for each climate factor were small between the two temporal scales at elevations over 2000 m.An accurate assessment of the temporal and spatial distributions of grassland AGB and the quantification of its response to climate change are of great significance for grassland management and sustainable development in the HKH region.展开更多
The Hindu Kush Himalaya is the highest mountainous andplateau system in the world, sitting on most of the world'shighest peaks over 8000 m in height (Fig. 1). This regionencompasses an area of more than 4.3 millio...The Hindu Kush Himalaya is the highest mountainous andplateau system in the world, sitting on most of the world'shighest peaks over 8000 m in height (Fig. 1). This regionencompasses an area of more than 4.3 million km2 and is characterized by a diversity of physiographic landscapes, climate types and bio-systems, the largest cryosphere in the world beyond the two poles, and being the source of a number of highly important large rivers including the Brahmaputra, Ganges, Indus, Mekong, Yangtze, and Yellow Rivers. The HKH is populated by about 210 million people and an additional 1.3 billion people live in downstream basins of the ten large rivers originating from this region.展开更多
Hindukush is an active subduction zone where at least one earthquake occurs on daily basis.For seismic hazard studies,it is important to develop a local magnitude scale using the data of local seismic network.We have ...Hindukush is an active subduction zone where at least one earthquake occurs on daily basis.For seismic hazard studies,it is important to develop a local magnitude scale using the data of local seismic network.We have computed local magnitude scale for Hindukush earthquakes using data from local network belonging to Center for Earthquake Studies(CES)for a period of three years,i.e.2015–2017.A total of 26,365 seismic records pertaining to 2,683 earthquakes with magnitude 2.0 and greater,was used with hypocentral distance less than 600 km.Magnitude scale developed by using this data comes to be M_(L)=logA+0.929logr+0.00298r-1.84.The magnitude determined through formulated relation was compared with that of standard relation for Southern California and relation developed by the same authors for local network for Northern Punjab.It was observed that Hindukush region has high attenuation as compared to that of Southern California and Northern Punjab which implies that Hindukush is tectonically more disturbed as compared to the said regions,hence,seismically more active as well.We have calculated station correction factors for our network.Station correction factors do not show any pattern which probably owes to the geological and tectonic complexity of this structure.Standard deviation and variance of magnitude residuals for CES network determined using Hutton and Boore scale and scale developed in this study were compared,it showed that a variance reduction of 44.1%was achieved.Average of magnitude residuals for different distance ranges was almost zero which showed that our magnitude scale was stable for all distances up to 600 km.Newly developed magnitude scale will help in homogenization of earthquake catalog.It has been observed that b-value of CES catalog decreases when magnitude is calculated by using newly developed magnitude scale.展开更多
In this paper,we introduce the tectonic setting,historical earthquake focal mechanisms and geodynamic environment of Tienshan and its neighboring regions, and draw a conclusion that large earthquakes in the Tienshan s...In this paper,we introduce the tectonic setting,historical earthquake focal mechanisms and geodynamic environment of Tienshan and its neighboring regions, and draw a conclusion that large earthquakes in the Tienshan seismic zone are governed mainly by the pushing from Hindu Kush-Pamir syntax. Secondly,the relationship of large earthquakes in the Hindu Kush-Pamir region and the Tienshan seismic zone is investigated,and synchronization features are found existing in the grouped large earthquakes between the large earthquakes in two regions. The relationship between intermediate-focus large earthquakes in Hindu Kush-Pamir and shallow large earthquakes in the Tienshan seismic zone is also discussed. The same synchronization characteristics are found,and the intensity and frequency of intermediate-focus earthquakes are fiercer, while large earthquakes in the Tienshan seismic zone are more intense,with a wider distribution range. The above results confirm the geodynamic correlativity between Hindu Kush-Pamir and the Tienshan seismic zone from the viewpoint of seismicity.展开更多
In the alpine regions of Hindu Kush,Himalayas and Karakorum, climatic and topographic conditions can support the formation of peat,important for the livelihood of the local communities,and ecological services alike. T...In the alpine regions of Hindu Kush,Himalayas and Karakorum, climatic and topographic conditions can support the formation of peat,important for the livelihood of the local communities,and ecological services alike. These peatlands are a source of fuel for the local community, habitat for nesting birds, and water regulation at source for rivers.Ground-based surveys of high-altitude peatlands are not only difficult, but also expensive and time consuming. Therefore, a method using cost-effective remote sensing technology is required. In this article we assessed the distribution and extent of highaltitude peatlands in a 2000 ha area of Broghil Valley using Landsat 8 data. The composite image was trained using a priori knowledge of the area, and classified into peatland and non-peatland land covers using a supervised decision tree algorithm. The Landsat-based classification map was compared with field data collected with a differential GPS. This comparison suggests 82% overall accuracy, which is fairly high for high altitude areas. The method was successfully applied and has the potential to be replicated for other areas in Pakistan and the highaltitude regions of the neighbouring Asian countries.展开更多
The high mountains of northern Pakistan comprise the western section of the Hindu KushKarakoram-Himalayas(HKH)region of South and Central Asia.They are home to some rare and endangered species of fauna and flora which...The high mountains of northern Pakistan comprise the western section of the Hindu KushKarakoram-Himalayas(HKH)region of South and Central Asia.They are home to some rare and endangered species of fauna and flora which form an important link in the biodiversity of the region as a whole.Increasing population and changing life styles in recent decades have brought unprecedented pressures on the biodiversity of this region.Along with the government,the non-governmental organizations(NGOs)and communities have a crucial role to play in conserving biodiversity.In this regard,a number of undertakings to protect depleting species have been initiated by governmental and nongovernmental entities.These efforts are commendable and some have produced positive results,but many exist on a small scale and,with a few exceptions,are not self-sustaining.This paper reports on some of these initiatives of conserving big mammal species like the Astor markhor,Blue sheep,Himalayan brown bear,Himalayan ibex and Snow leopard,with the aim of collating and highlighting them,identifying gaps in conservation and suggesting a way forward so as to promote conservation projects on a larger and more sustainable basis.展开更多
The Hindu Kush-Pamir region(HKPR)is characterized by complex ongoing deformation,unique slab geometry,and intermediate seismic activity.The availability of extensive seismological data in recent decades has prompted t...The Hindu Kush-Pamir region(HKPR)is characterized by complex ongoing deformation,unique slab geometry,and intermediate seismic activity.The availability of extensive seismological data in recent decades has prompted the use of deep learning algorithms to extract valuable insights.In this study,we present a fully automated approach for augmenting earthquake catalogue within the HKPR.Our method leverages an attention mechanism-based deep learning architecture to simultaneously detect events,perform phase picking,and estimate magnitudes.We applied this model to a ten-month dataset(January 2013-October 2013)from 83 stations in the region.Utilizing a robust criterion to evaluate the model’s probabilities,we associated phases at different stations and pinpointed earthquake locations in the region.Our results demonstrate a significant enhancement,revealing nearly four and a half times more earthquakes than previously documented in the International Seismological Center(ISC)catalogue.A notable portion of these newly detected events falls within the category of very low-magnitude earthquakes(<3),which were absent in the ISC catalogue.Notably,our spatiotemporal analysis reveals a concentration of crustal seismicity along poorly mapped neotectonic north and northeast-oriented faults in the western Pamir,as well as the Vakhsh Thrust System and the Darvaz Karakul Fault.These findings underscore potential sources of future seismic hazards.Furthermore,our expanded earthquake catalogue facilitates a deeper understanding of the interplay between crustal and intermediate seismic activity in the HKPR,shedding light on the deformation and active faulting resulting from Eurasian-Indian plate interactions.展开更多
Upper mantle discontinuities play an important role in slab dynamics and mantle responses in the subduction zones.Despite increasing numbers of seismological observations in the Hindu Kush, fine structures of mantle d...Upper mantle discontinuities play an important role in slab dynamics and mantle responses in the subduction zones.Despite increasing numbers of seismological observations in the Hindu Kush, fine structures of mantle discontinuities still remain less explored, highlighting less understood interactions of the Indian slab and discontinuities. Here we collected a large dataset of several dense seismic networks/arrays, extracted near-source SdP waves in P-wave codas using the N-th root slant stackings, and then systematically imaged upper mantle discontinuities around the Indian slab beneath Hindu Kush. In comparison with the IASP91 model, we confirmed an abrupt topographic transition of the 410-km discontinuity(410) from uplifts of up to 41 km to depressions of less than 20 km near the slab edge and a slightly depressed 660-km discontinuity(660) with depths of 660 to 668 km below the slab front, as well as a fluctuating 300-km discontinuity(300) with depths of 264 to 337 km. We suggest that the 410 is elevated by the Indian slab due to the interior coldness, and deepened near the slab edge by the hot upwelling slab-entrained mantle that escapes below the slab bottom. Based on a depressed 410 inside the Indian slab and a 660with slight depressions below the slab, we infer that the subducted Indian slab currently stretches into the upper MTZ. Moreover,we interpret the fluctuant 300 as the coesite to stishovite phase transition in the subduction-zone mantle enriched in the eclogite.When considered alongside other studies, our results can provide more insights into the dynamics of the Indian slab and mantle responses.展开更多
文摘In this paper,I examine the Twitter accounts of right-wing extremist groups(RWEGs)in India,arguing that the abjectification of Muslim masculinities is central to the narratives of Hindu supremacist groups.The abjectification process on Twitter serves as a rhetorical device to:a)criticize and problematize Muslim masculinities;b)idealize and glorify Hindu and white masculinities;c)promote Hindu and white masculine nationalist projects;and d)unify Hindu supremacists against Muslim others.By analyzing the gender ideologies expressed implicitly or explicitly on the Twitter accounts of RWEGs,and using the“Love Jihad”conspiracy case as a focal point,I demonstrate how the abjectification of Muslim masculinities is constructed in opposition to the idealized Hindu masculinities.This study highlights the intersection of gender and nationalism in the digital discourse of Hindu supremacist groups,offering insights into the mechanisms through which social media platforms are used to reinforce and propagate Islamophobic ideologies.
文摘Hindu nationalism was bom during India’s struggle for national independence in the 19th century,and its core tenet is the establishment of a state ruled by Hinduism.It stands together with secularism as one of the two major sociopolitical trends in India.Since the start of its rule in 2014,the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)has pursued a series of policies promoting the powerful rise of Hinduism as the mainstream ideology in Indian society.Although Hindu nationalism focuses on domestic affairs,it has imperceptibly shaped IndiaJ s foreign policy,and thus it has an ongoing influence on India,s relations with other major countries as well as its neighbors.As such,it has formed an important perspective and indispensible factor in observing India’s diplomacy.In the future,this momentum will continue to rise with the influence of Hindu nationalist organizations such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS)continuing to expand,but it will face challenges from the traditional trends of thought such as secularism and pluralism.
文摘Prior to the collision and accretion of the Kohistan arc terrane during the late Cretaceous and the Indian plate after the early Eocene, the southern margin of Asia along the Hindu Kush, Karakoram and Lhasa block terranes was an active Andean\|type continental margin. In south Tibet this margin was dominated by the calc\|alkaline Ladakh—Gangdese granite batholith, associated andesitic volcanic rocks and continental red\|beds. In contrast, the southern Karakoram exposes deep crustal metamorphic rocks and crustal melt leucogranites. New U\|Pb age dating from the Hunza valley and Baltoro glacier region has revealed four spatially and temporally distinct metamorphic episodes. M1 sillimanite grade metamorphism in Hunza was a late Cretaceous event, probably caused by the accretion of the Kohistan arc to Asia. M2 was the major kyanite and sillimanite grade event during late Eocene—Oligocene crustal thickening and shortening, following India\|Asia collision. Numerous melting events resulted in the formation of crustal melt granites throughout the last 50Ma with multiple generations of dykes and very large scale crustal melting along the Baltoro monzogranite\|leucogranite ba tholith during the late Oligocene—early Miocene. M3 metamorphism was a high\| T , low\| p contact thermal metamorphism around the Baltoro granite. In Hunza, younger staurolite grade metamorphism has been dated by U\|Pb monazites at 16Ma, with the Sumayar leucogranite intruded at 9 5Ma cross\|cutting the metamorphic isograds. In the Baltoro region the youngest metamorphism, M4, is the sillimanite grade Dassu gneiss core complex dated by U\|Pb on monazites as late Miocene—Pliocene (5 4±0 25)Ma with Precambrian protolith zircon cores (1855±11)Ma. Numerous gem\|bearing pegmatite dykes cross\|cut these rocks and are thought to have been intruded within the last 2～3Ma. Structural mapping, combined with U\|Pb geochronology shows that major metamorphic events can be both long\|lasting (up to 20Ma) and very restrictive, both in time and space.
文摘In this paper, we analyzed the long-term changes in temperature and precipitation in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region based on climate datasets LSAT-V1.1 and CGP1.0 recently developed by the China Meteorological Administration. The analysis results show that during 1901e2014 the annual mean surface air temperature over the whole HKH has undergone a significant increasing trend. We determined the change rates in the mean temperature, mean maximum temperature, and mean minimum temperature to be 0.104 C per decade, 0.077 C per decade, and 0.176 C per decade, respectively. Most parts of the HKH have experienced a warming trend, with the largest increase occurring on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and south of Pakistan. The trend of precipitation for the whole HKH is characterized by a slight decrease during 1901e2014. During 1961e2013, however, the trend of the annual precipitation shows a statistically significant increase, with a rate of 5.28% per decade and has a more rapid increase since the mid-1980s. Most parts of northern India and the northern TP have experienced a strong increase in the number of precipitation days (daily rainfall 1 mm), whereas Southwest China and Myanmar have experienced a declining trend in precipitation days. Compared to the trends in precipitation days, the spatial pattern of trends in the precipitation intensity seems to be more closely related to the terrain, and the higher altitude areas have shown more significant upward trends in precipitation intensity during 1961e2013.
文摘The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH hereafter) region is characterized by mountainous environments and a variety of regional climatic conditions. High-altitude regions in the HKH have the recent warming amplifications, especially during the global warming hiatus period. The rapid warming cause solid state water (snow, ice, glacier, and permafrost) to shrink, leading to increase in meltwater and there have been found more frequent incidences of flash floods, landslides, livestock diseases, and other disasters in the HKH region. Increasing awareness of climate change over the HKH region is reached a consensus. Meanwhile, the HKH region is often referred to as the water towers of Asia as many highaltitude regions store its water in the form of snow and/or glacier, feeding ten major large rivers in Asia. Therefore, the impacts of climate change on water availability in these river basins have huge influences on the livelihood of large number of population, especially in downstream regions. However, the scarcity of basic hydro-meteorological observations particularly in high-altitude regions of HKH limits rigorous analysis of climate change. Most studies used reanalysis data and/or model-reconstructed products to explore the spatial and temporal characteristics of hydro-meteorological processes, especially for extreme events. In this study, we review recent climate change in the HKH region, and the scientific challenges and research recommendations are suggested for this high-altitude area.
文摘Based on the outputs from 21 CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5) models, future changes in the mean temperature, precipitation and four climate extreme indices (annual maximum of daily maximum temperature (TXx), minimum of daily minimum temperature (TNn), annual total precipitation when the daily amount exceeds the 95th percentile of wet-day precipitation (R95p), and maximum consecutive 5-day precipitation (RX5day)) over Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region are investigated under the greenhouse gas concentration pathways of RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. Two periods of the 21st century, 2036e2065 and 2066e2095, are selected, with the reference period is considered as 1976e2005. Results show general increase of the mean temperature, TXx and TNn under both scenarios, with the largest increases found during 2066e2095 under RCP8.5. Future precipitation is projected to increase over most part of HKH, except for the northwestern part. Intensification of the precipitation extremes is projected over the region. The uncertainties of mean temperature, TXx and TNn over the HKH1 subregions are the largest compared to the other three subregions and the overall HKH. Besides RX5day during 2036e2065 over HKH1, the uncertainties of R95p and RX5day tend to be larger following the increase of greenhouse gas concentrations. The multimodel ensemble medians of temperature and four extreme indices under RCP8.5 are projected to be larger than those under RCP4.5 in each of the subregions.
基金Financial support to Syed Amer Mahmood from University of the Punjab,Lahore Government of Pakistan Remote Sensing GroupTU Freiberg,Germanypartial support from German Academic Exchange Association(DAAD)International Association of Mathematical Geosciences(IAMG)
文摘Landscapes in tectonically active Hindu Kush （NW Pakistan and NE Alghanistanl 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 mt^unlain ranges （Hindu Kush-Karakorunl-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 （Hl）. stream-length gradient （SL）, fractal dimension （FD）, basin asymmetry factor （AF）, basin shape index （B,）, valley floor width to wllley height ratio （Vf） and motmtain front sinuosity （Star）. 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 ewfluate the distri- bution of relative tectonic activity in the study area. We defined tour classes to define the degree of rela- tive tectonic activity： class 1 very high （1.0 ≤ IRAT 〈 1.3）; class 2 high （1.3 ≥ IRAT 〈 1.5）： class 3--moderate （1.5 〉 IRAT 〈 1.8）; and class 4--low （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.
文摘This study assessed the regional climate models (RCMs) employed in the Coordinated Regional climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) South Asia framework to investigate the qualitative aspects of future change in seasonal mean near surface air temperature and precipitation over the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region. These RCMs downscaled a subset of atmosphere ocean coupled global climate models (AOGCMs) in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) to higher 50 km spatial resolution over a large domain covering South Asia for two representation concentration pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) future scenarios. The analysis specifically examined and evaluated multi-model and multi-scenario climate change projections over the hilly sub-regions within HKH for the near-future (2036e2065) and far-future (2066e2095) periods. The downscaled multi-RCMs provide relatively better confidence than their driving AOGCMs in projecting the magnitude of seasonal warming for the hilly sub-region within the Karakoram and northwestern Himalaya, with higher projected change of 5.4 C during winter than of 4.9 C during summer monsoon season by the end of 21st century under the high-end emissions (RCP8.5) scenario. There is less agreement among these RCMs on the magnitude of the projected warming over the other sub-regions within HKH for both seasons, particularly associated with higher RCM uncertainty for the hilly sub-region within the central Himalaya. The downscaled multi-RCMs show good consensus and low RCM uncertainty in projecting that the summer monsoon precipitation will intensify by about 22% in the hilly subregion within the southeastern Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau for the far-future period under the RCP8.5 scenario. There is low confidence in the projected changes in the summer monsoon and winter season precipitation over the central Himalaya and in the Karakoram and northwestern Himalaya due to poor consensus and moderate to high RCM uncertainty among the downscaled multi-RCMs. Finally, the RCM related uncertainty is found to be large for the projected changes in seasonal temperature and precipitation over the hilly sub-regions within HKH by the end of this century, suggesting that improving the regional processes and feedbacks in RCMs are essential for narrowing the uncertainty, and for providing more reliable regional climate change projections suitable for impact assessments in HKH region.
基金partly sup-ported by the National Fundamental Science Program of China under(No.2004cb418406)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.90814002)Key Projects in the National Science & Technology PillarProgram during the Eleventh Five-year Plan Period(No.2008BAC38B02-4)
文摘We employed a double-difference algorithm （hypoDD） to relocate earthquakes within the region bounded by 66°E-78°E and 32°N-42°N in the period of 1964-2003 reported by the International Seismological Center （ISC）. The improved hypocentral locations delineate a double-layered Wadati-Benioff zone in the eastern Hindu Kush intermediate seismic belt. Based on this feature and other evidences, we propose that the intermediate-depth earthquakes beneath the Pamir-Hindu Kush region may occur in two collided subduction zones with opposite dip directions.
文摘Changes in land use cover, particularly from forest to agriculture, is a major contributing factor in increasing carbon dioxide（CO2） level in the atmosphere.Using satellite images of 1999 and 2011, land use and land use changes in the Kumrat valley KPK, Pakistan, were determined： a net decrease of 11.56 and 7.46 % occurred in forest and rangeland, while 100 % increase occurred in agriculture land（AL）. Biomass in different land uses,forest land（FL）, AL, and range land（RL） was determined by field inventory. From the biomass data, the amount of carbon was calculated, considering 50 % of the biomass as carbon. Soil carbon was also determined to a depth of 0–15and 16–30 cm. The average carbon stocks（C stocks） in all land uses ranged from 28.62 ± 13.8 t ha-1in AL to486.6 ± 32.4 t ha-1in pure Cedrus deodara forest. The results of the study confirmed that forest soil and vegetation stored the maximum amount of carbon followed by RL. Conversion of FL and RL to AL not only leads to total loss of about 56 %（from FL conversion） and 37 %（RL conversion） of soil carbon in the last decades but also the loss of a valuable carbon sink. In order to meet the emissions reduction obligations of the Kyoto Protocol, Conservation of forest and RL in the mountainous regions of the Hindu Kush will help Pakistan to meet its emissions reduction goals under the Kyoto Protocol.
基金Under the auspices of the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (No.XDA19030202)National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2020YFE0200800)+1 种基金International Cooperation and Exchange of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31761143018)National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.42071344)。
文摘The grassland in the Hindu Kush Himalayan(HKH) region is one of the large st and most biodiverse mountain grassland types in the world,and its ecosystem service functions have profound impacts on the sustainable development of the HKH region.Monitoring the spatiotemporal distribution of grassland aboveground biomass(AGB) accurately and quantifying its response to climate change are indispensable sources of information for sustainably managing grassland ecosystems in the HKH region.In this study,a pure vegetation index model(PVIM) was applied to estimate the long-term dynamics of grassland AGB in the HKH region during 2000-2018.We further quantified the response of grassland AGB to climate change(temperature and precipitation) by partial correlation and variance partitioning analyses and then compared their differences with elevation.Our results demonstrated that the grassland AGB predicted by the PVIM had a good linear relationship with the ground sampling data.The grassland AGB distribution pattern showed a decreasing trend from east to west across the HKH region except in the southern Himalayas.From 2000 to 2018,the mean AGB of the HKH region increased at a rate of 1.57 g/(m~2·yr) and ranged from 252.9(2000) to 307.8 g/m~2(2018).AGB had a positive correlation with precipitation in more than 80% of the grassland,and temperature was positively correlated with AGB in approximately half of the region.The change in grassland AGB was more responsive to the cumulative effect of annual precipitation,while it was more sensitive to the change in temperature in the growing season;in addition,the influence of climate varied at different elevations.Moreover,compared with that of temperature,the contribution of precipitation to grassland AGB change was greater in approximately 60% of the grassland,but the differences in the contribution for each climate factor were small between the two temporal scales at elevations over 2000 m.An accurate assessment of the temporal and spatial distributions of grassland AGB and the quantification of its response to climate change are of great significance for grassland management and sustainable development in the HKH region.
文摘The Hindu Kush Himalaya is the highest mountainous andplateau system in the world, sitting on most of the world'shighest peaks over 8000 m in height (Fig. 1). This regionencompasses an area of more than 4.3 million km2 and is characterized by a diversity of physiographic landscapes, climate types and bio-systems, the largest cryosphere in the world beyond the two poles, and being the source of a number of highly important large rivers including the Brahmaputra, Ganges, Indus, Mekong, Yangtze, and Yellow Rivers. The HKH is populated by about 210 million people and an additional 1.3 billion people live in downstream basins of the ten large rivers originating from this region.
文摘Hindukush is an active subduction zone where at least one earthquake occurs on daily basis.For seismic hazard studies,it is important to develop a local magnitude scale using the data of local seismic network.We have computed local magnitude scale for Hindukush earthquakes using data from local network belonging to Center for Earthquake Studies(CES)for a period of three years,i.e.2015–2017.A total of 26,365 seismic records pertaining to 2,683 earthquakes with magnitude 2.0 and greater,was used with hypocentral distance less than 600 km.Magnitude scale developed by using this data comes to be M_(L)=logA+0.929logr+0.00298r-1.84.The magnitude determined through formulated relation was compared with that of standard relation for Southern California and relation developed by the same authors for local network for Northern Punjab.It was observed that Hindukush region has high attenuation as compared to that of Southern California and Northern Punjab which implies that Hindukush is tectonically more disturbed as compared to the said regions,hence,seismically more active as well.We have calculated station correction factors for our network.Station correction factors do not show any pattern which probably owes to the geological and tectonic complexity of this structure.Standard deviation and variance of magnitude residuals for CES network determined using Hutton and Boore scale and scale developed in this study were compared,it showed that a variance reduction of 44.1%was achieved.Average of magnitude residuals for different distance ranges was almost zero which showed that our magnitude scale was stable for all distances up to 600 km.Newly developed magnitude scale will help in homogenization of earthquake catalog.It has been observed that b-value of CES catalog decreases when magnitude is calculated by using newly developed magnitude scale.
基金jointly sponsored by the National Key Technology R&D Program(2012BAK19B01-04)the Special Fund of Youth Working Group,Institute of Earthquake Science,China Earthquake Administration
文摘In this paper,we introduce the tectonic setting,historical earthquake focal mechanisms and geodynamic environment of Tienshan and its neighboring regions, and draw a conclusion that large earthquakes in the Tienshan seismic zone are governed mainly by the pushing from Hindu Kush-Pamir syntax. Secondly,the relationship of large earthquakes in the Hindu Kush-Pamir region and the Tienshan seismic zone is investigated,and synchronization features are found existing in the grouped large earthquakes between the large earthquakes in two regions. The relationship between intermediate-focus large earthquakes in Hindu Kush-Pamir and shallow large earthquakes in the Tienshan seismic zone is also discussed. The same synchronization characteristics are found,and the intensity and frequency of intermediate-focus earthquakes are fiercer, while large earthquakes in the Tienshan seismic zone are more intense,with a wider distribution range. The above results confirm the geodynamic correlativity between Hindu Kush-Pamir and the Tienshan seismic zone from the viewpoint of seismicity.
文摘In the alpine regions of Hindu Kush,Himalayas and Karakorum, climatic and topographic conditions can support the formation of peat,important for the livelihood of the local communities,and ecological services alike. These peatlands are a source of fuel for the local community, habitat for nesting birds, and water regulation at source for rivers.Ground-based surveys of high-altitude peatlands are not only difficult, but also expensive and time consuming. Therefore, a method using cost-effective remote sensing technology is required. In this article we assessed the distribution and extent of highaltitude peatlands in a 2000 ha area of Broghil Valley using Landsat 8 data. The composite image was trained using a priori knowledge of the area, and classified into peatland and non-peatland land covers using a supervised decision tree algorithm. The Landsat-based classification map was compared with field data collected with a differential GPS. This comparison suggests 82% overall accuracy, which is fairly high for high altitude areas. The method was successfully applied and has the potential to be replicated for other areas in Pakistan and the highaltitude regions of the neighbouring Asian countries.
文摘The high mountains of northern Pakistan comprise the western section of the Hindu KushKarakoram-Himalayas(HKH)region of South and Central Asia.They are home to some rare and endangered species of fauna and flora which form an important link in the biodiversity of the region as a whole.Increasing population and changing life styles in recent decades have brought unprecedented pressures on the biodiversity of this region.Along with the government,the non-governmental organizations(NGOs)and communities have a crucial role to play in conserving biodiversity.In this regard,a number of undertakings to protect depleting species have been initiated by governmental and nongovernmental entities.These efforts are commendable and some have produced positive results,but many exist on a small scale and,with a few exceptions,are not self-sustaining.This paper reports on some of these initiatives of conserving big mammal species like the Astor markhor,Blue sheep,Himalayan brown bear,Himalayan ibex and Snow leopard,with the aim of collating and highlighting them,identifying gaps in conservation and suggesting a way forward so as to promote conservation projects on a larger and more sustainable basis.
基金supported by Science and Engineering Research Board(SERB),Department of Science and Technology,under project grant no:SRG/2021/002244We would also like to thank IIT Roorkee for providing research facility and funds under project grant no:FIG/100840.
文摘The Hindu Kush-Pamir region(HKPR)is characterized by complex ongoing deformation,unique slab geometry,and intermediate seismic activity.The availability of extensive seismological data in recent decades has prompted the use of deep learning algorithms to extract valuable insights.In this study,we present a fully automated approach for augmenting earthquake catalogue within the HKPR.Our method leverages an attention mechanism-based deep learning architecture to simultaneously detect events,perform phase picking,and estimate magnitudes.We applied this model to a ten-month dataset(January 2013-October 2013)from 83 stations in the region.Utilizing a robust criterion to evaluate the model’s probabilities,we associated phases at different stations and pinpointed earthquake locations in the region.Our results demonstrate a significant enhancement,revealing nearly four and a half times more earthquakes than previously documented in the International Seismological Center(ISC)catalogue.A notable portion of these newly detected events falls within the category of very low-magnitude earthquakes(<3),which were absent in the ISC catalogue.Notably,our spatiotemporal analysis reveals a concentration of crustal seismicity along poorly mapped neotectonic north and northeast-oriented faults in the western Pamir,as well as the Vakhsh Thrust System and the Darvaz Karakul Fault.These findings underscore potential sources of future seismic hazards.Furthermore,our expanded earthquake catalogue facilitates a deeper understanding of the interplay between crustal and intermediate seismic activity in the HKPR,shedding light on the deformation and active faulting resulting from Eurasian-Indian plate interactions.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 42074101, 42374113, 42074103)the Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund (Grant Nos. CEAIEF20220201, CEAIEF20230204)+1 种基金the Science & Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program (Grant No. 2023FY101500)the TianHe Qingsuo Special Fund Project。
文摘Upper mantle discontinuities play an important role in slab dynamics and mantle responses in the subduction zones.Despite increasing numbers of seismological observations in the Hindu Kush, fine structures of mantle discontinuities still remain less explored, highlighting less understood interactions of the Indian slab and discontinuities. Here we collected a large dataset of several dense seismic networks/arrays, extracted near-source SdP waves in P-wave codas using the N-th root slant stackings, and then systematically imaged upper mantle discontinuities around the Indian slab beneath Hindu Kush. In comparison with the IASP91 model, we confirmed an abrupt topographic transition of the 410-km discontinuity(410) from uplifts of up to 41 km to depressions of less than 20 km near the slab edge and a slightly depressed 660-km discontinuity(660) with depths of 660 to 668 km below the slab front, as well as a fluctuating 300-km discontinuity(300) with depths of 264 to 337 km. We suggest that the 410 is elevated by the Indian slab due to the interior coldness, and deepened near the slab edge by the hot upwelling slab-entrained mantle that escapes below the slab bottom. Based on a depressed 410 inside the Indian slab and a 660with slight depressions below the slab, we infer that the subducted Indian slab currently stretches into the upper MTZ. Moreover,we interpret the fluctuant 300 as the coesite to stishovite phase transition in the subduction-zone mantle enriched in the eclogite.When considered alongside other studies, our results can provide more insights into the dynamics of the Indian slab and mantle responses.
