Arid Climatic Conditions Research Articles

Hydrologic modeling and flood hydrograph reconstitution under an arid climate condition: case of Gabes Watershed, South-Eastern Tunisia

Hydrologic modeling and flood hydrograph reconstitution under an arid climate condition: case of Gabes Watershed, South-Eastern Tunisia

Effect of Mulching on Vegetable Production: A Review

Vegetables have much importance as economic, nutritional, medicinal and industrial and also have employment opportunities. However, vegetable production is a costly enterprise as it requires heavy cultural practices such as irrigation, weeding, fertilizers and protection from biotic and abiotic stress. Many times the farmers loose the entire crop in rabi and summer due to inadequate irrigation facility. In addition, seedling establishment is a tedious job in arid and semi-arid climatic conditions due to water scarcity. To improve the productivity of vegetables where either particularly non-irrigated rainfed conditions, proper moisture management of the soil is necessary. Thus, in an attempt to reducing number of irrigation and chemical inputs for weed control, mulch may be a good alternative of conventional cultivation practice. It reduces the water evaporation by interfering the radiation falling on the soil surface and thus delays the drying of the soil and reduces the soil thermal regime during the day time. It also reduces the weed population and improves the microbial activity of the soil by improving the environment around the root zone. Therefore, the practices of mulching in vegetable production have been advised to cut-down the cost of cultivation and obtain quality produce with increased profits.

Creating an artificial neural network for predicting the dynamics of retrospective yield series

The article considers the specifics of constructing an artificial neural network (ANN) for predicting the dynamics of time series levels (TS) of grain yield in arid conditions on the example of the Volgograd region. In order to justify the choice of the architecture and hyperparameters of ANN, a preliminary statistical analysis of the simulated TS was performed. The autocorrelation functions of the retrospective yield series constructed in this case can be taken into account when choosing ANN hyperparameters for predicting grain yield. A number of ANN architectures based on recurrent layers, including LSTM, were analyzed. The best results of neural network modeling are obtained for cascading groups of layers of a seriesparallel architecture. The proposed neural network technology for predicting TS yield levels using a pre-forecast autocorrelation analysis of retrospective levels reduces the error of short-term forecasting of grain yield in the arid natural and climatic conditions of the Lower Volga region. Taking into account the results of autocorrelation analysis allows you to choose the values of ANN hyperparameters more reasonably. The achieved accuracy of the regression problem was 82..87%, which can be considered acceptable for planning agricultural production for 1-2 years. The ways of improving the accuracy of the neural network solution of the problem of predicting productivity in the arid conditions of the Lower Volga region using retrospective TS of productivity are formulated.

Factors controlling the distribution of oil shale layers in the Eocene Fushun Basin, NE China

The Fushun Basin is a typical continental basin filled with organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rocks, such as coal, oil shale and greyish green mudstone. Currently, research on this basin predominantly focuses on the enrichment mechanisms of organic matter in coal and oil shale and the controlling factors of coal seam transformation to oil shale. However, during the transformation stage, the deposition of oil shale ceased and was converted to interbeds of grey green mudstone and thin oil shale layers. The control mechanism of this type of sedimentary succession is still not clear. In this study, the thick oil shale in the upper part of the Jijuntun Formation (Unit I) and the high-frequency interbedded mudstone and thin oil shale in the Xiloutian Formation (Units II and III) were analysed as key strata. Organic and inorganic geochemical data were analysed to reconstruct the transformation of the various types and sources of organic matter and controlling factors including the palaeoclimate, palaeoweathering, bioproductivity, terrigenous clastic input, palaeosalinity, and redox conditions. Among these, Unit I was affected by humid climate conditions predominantly. The water depth and volume were large, and the input of terrigenous debris was low. Freshwater algae blooms and anoxic conditions led to a supply of organic matter and that was well preserved. This further resulted in a high abundance of organic matter in the sedimentary rocks. Unit II was affected by semihumid-semiarid and arid climate conditions. The lake became shallower while terrigenous clastic input and lake palaeosalinity increased; these changes represented the transition stage from freshwater to brackish water. The lake still exhibited suboxic/anoxic conditions, but the biological living space decreased, resulting in a limited organic matter supply and a low abundance of organic matter in the sediment. Unit III was affected by semihumid-semiarid climate conditions, and the palaeosalinity continued to increase. The lake had brackish water, with a high bioproductivity, a decreased water volume and a limited supply of organic matter. However, brackish water stratification occurred in the lake, which created a strongly anoxic environment and good preservation conditions, resulting in a secondary high abundance of organic matter. A comprehensive analysis indicates that the environmental change caused by the palaeoclimate was the main factor driving the oil shale deposition to cease and the onset to deposit grey green mudstone and thin oil shale in the Fushun Basin, Northeast Asia.

Assessing the Applicability of Low Impact Development Techniques in Arid and Semi-arid Regions

Low impact development (LID) techniques are increasingly used as a stormwater management strategy to maintain the hydrological conditions of developed areas and mitigate the negative consequences of stormwater runoff and nonpoint source pollution. Although LID techniques have been commonly used in moderate to humid areas, further information is needed on their effectiveness in semi-arid and arid regions. This study aims to examine and compare the effectiveness of LID techniques in arid and semi-arid climate conditions. First, a comprehensive study was conducted to rank LID techniques based on literature reviews while also incorporating different stakeholder priorities. Then, the city of Varamin, Tehran, Iran, was chosen as a low slope arid and semi-arid study region to assess the applicability of the best three high-ranked LID techniques using the storm water management model (SWMM). The results indicated that rainwater harvesting is the most effective technique in terms of stormwater quality and quantity management. The implementation of the rainwater harvesting technique across the case study is likely to decrease the average discharge, peak discharge, total volume, total runoff, and total suspended solids (TSS) by respectively 31.2%, 12.7%, 40.71%, 40.77% and 37.91%. Besides, rainwater tanks were projected to provide the water demands of home gardens during the five dry months, in addition to other domestic needs for water conservation objectives. The application of LID techniques in such water-limited regions can be useful for both stormwater management and water conservation.

Short-term forecasting of monthly water consumption in hyper-arid climate using recurrent neural networks

Freshwater supply is a major challenge in regions with limited water resources and extremely arid climatic conditions. The objective of this study is to model the monthly water demand in Kuwait using the nonlinear autoregressive with exogenous input (NARX) neural network approach. The country lacks conventional surface water resources and is characterized by extremely arid climate. In addition, it has one of the fastest growing populations. In this study, linear detrending is performed on the water consumption time series for the period from January 1993 to December 2018 to eliminate the influence of population growth before application to the NARX model. Monthly temperature data are selected as exogenous input to the NARX model, because they are strongly associated with the water consumption data. Correlation analyses are performed to determine the input and feedback delays of the NARX model. The results demonstrate that the recurrent NARX model is efficient and robust for forecasting the short-term water demand, with a Nash-Sutcliffe (NS) coefficient of 0.837 in the validation period. Seasonal model assessment shows that the model performs best during the critical summer season. The NARX-based recurrent model is established as a powerful and promising tool for predicting urban water demand. Thus, it can efficiently aid the development of resilient water supply plans.

Efficacy of Herbicides in Controlling Wild Onion (Asphodelus tenuifolius L.) in Cumin Grown under Arid Climatic Conditions

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of different herbicides for controlling wild onion (Asphodelus tenuifolius) in cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) during the rabi seasons (2018–2019 and 2019–2020) at Agricultural Research Station, Agriculture University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The experiment comprised eight herbicidal weed management treatments for wild onion applied to cumin in a three-replication randomized block design. Among the herbicidal weed management treatments, early post-emergence (8 DAS) application of oxyfluorfen 200 g/ha resulted in the lowest weed density and dry matter of Asphodilus tenuifolius, with maximum weed (Asphodilus tenuifolius) control efficiency at 40 days after sowing (DAS) during both experimental years. Likewise, the highest total efficiency of weed control was recorded with the application of oxyfluorfen 200 g/ha at 8 DAS. Oxyflourfen 200 g/ha used early post emergence (8 DAS) reduced the weed index more effectively than the other herbicides. It also recorded the highest number of branches/plant, plant height, umbels/plant, umbellates/umbel, seeds/umbellates, and seed yield. However, application of oxyflourfen @ 200 g/ha 8 DAS–early POE and pendimethalin 38.7 CS 500 g/ha + oxyfluorfen @ 150 g/ha 8 DAS–early POE were statistically similar in terms of plant growth, yield, and yield attributes. The net returns (366.49 USD/ha in 2018–2019 and 175.72 USD/ha in 2019–2020) and B:C ratio (1.70 and 1.33 in 2018–2019 and 2019–2020, respectively) were also superior, with oxyfluorfen 200 g/ha applied early post emergence.

Spatial and temporal rainfall variability and its controlling factors under an arid climate condition: case of Gabes Catchment, Southern Tunisia

Spatial and temporal rainfall variability and its controlling factors under an arid climate condition: case of Gabes Catchment, Southern Tunisia

Gene duplications and phylogenomic conflict underlie major pulses of phenotypic evolution in gymnosperms.

Inferring the intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of species diversification and phenotypic disparity across the tree of life is a major challenge in evolutionary biology. In green plants, polyploidy (or whole-genome duplication, WGD) is known to play a major role in microevolution and speciation, but the extent to which WGD has shaped macroevolutionary patterns of diversification and phenotypic innovation across plant phylogeny remains an open question. Here, we examine the relationship of various facets of genomic evolution-including gene and genome duplication, genome size, and chromosome number-with macroevolutionary patterns of phenotypic innovation, species diversification, and climatic occupancy in gymnosperms. We show that genomic changes, such as WGD and genome-size shifts, underlie the origins of most major extant gymnosperm clades, and notably, our results support an ancestral WGD in the gymnosperm lineage. Spikes of gene duplication typically coincide with major spikes of phenotypic innovation, while increased rates of phenotypic evolution are typically found at nodes with high gene-tree conflict, representing historic population-level dynamics during speciation. Most shifts in gymnosperm diversification since the rise of angiosperms are decoupled from putative WGDs and instead are associated with increased rates of climatic occupancy evolution, particularly in cooler and/or more arid climatic conditions, suggesting that ecological opportunity, especially in the later Cenozoic, and environmental heterogeneity have driven a resurgence of gymnosperm diversification. Our study provides critical insight on the processes underlying diversification and phenotypic evolution in gymnosperms, with important broader implications for the major drivers of both micro- and macroevolution in plants.

Texture properties and phenol extractability indices of the grape berry under pre- and post-veraison water deficit (Vitis vinifera L. 'Kékfrankos')

Optimal water supply is one of the most important factors in quality wine making. However, water availability is limited in several wine regions and water shortage is getting even worse due to climate change, especially under arid climate conditions. Therefore, proper water management of the vineyards, the amount and the timing of irrigation will play a crucial role in sustainable viticulture in the near future. In this study, the effect of timing of moderate water deficit on berry texture characteristics and phenolic maturity were investigated. 'Kekfrankos' grapevines were submitted to different water regimes: moderate water deficit from berry set until veraison (WD1), moderate water deficit from veraison until harvest (WD2), no water deficit (C). Concentration of the phenolic components of the grape berry skins and berry mixture for the Glories indices were measured by spectrophotometer (UVmini-1240 CE UV-VIS, Shimadzu, Japan). Cell and seed maturity indices (CMI%, SMI%) were also calculated. Berry texture characteristics were monitored by a TA.XT Plus Texture Analyser (Stable Micro System, UK). Berry skin and seed texture properties were affected by water regimes. Skin and seed hardness of WD1 were significantly lower than those of WD2. Significant differences were found in berry hardness between the treatments (C>WD1>WD2). Berry gumminess, resilience and chewiness of WD2 were lower compared to C and WD1. Anthocyanin extractability was higher when plants were not subjected to post-veraison water limitations (WD1). Furthermore, the seed maturity index was lower when water deficit occurred between berry set and veraison. Pre-veraison water deficit resulted in delayed ripening, softer seeds and thus higher phenol extractability compared to WD2 and C. Late seasonal water deficit resulted in thicker skins, which was accompanied by lower anthocyanin extractability than in WD1 and C. It seems that anthocyanin extractability is influenced by the actual water status of the grapevine rather than skin textural properties. However, there are some connections between skin texture parameters and maturity indices.

Spatial variations and controls on the hydrochemistry of surface waters across the Ili-Balkhash Basin, arid Central Asia

Climate variability influences both water quantity and quality in lakes and rivers, e.g., shifts in salinity caused by changes in the evaporation/precipitation ratio. However, knowledge about climate and human influences on water quality in some regions is scarce, which causes uncertainty when evaluating water resources and developing water management plans. We measured the chemical composition and stable isotope values (δD and δ18O) in water samples from the Ili-Balkhash Basin, arid Central Asia, to investigate factors that control hydrologic processes in the area, and explore how the arid environment influences local hydrochemistry and water resources. Isotope values in lake waters (−24.1‰ [δD] and −1.5‰ [δ18O]) are enriched relative to river waters (−84.6‰ [δD] and −12.4‰ [δ18O]), indicating that lake waters experience intense evaporation. In the upstream Ili River, waters with lowest δD and δ18O values are supplied mainly by glacial ice and snow melt, whereas lower reaches of the river are affected increasingly by evaporation and human water extraction. Waters of the Ili River and other small rivers that drain to Lake Balkhash are chemically similar, and of the Ca-HCO3 type. Gibbs diagrams indicate that mineral weathering is the key process that controls river water chemistry. On average, carbonate and silicate weathering contribute 55.1% and 26.7%, respectively, to the total dissolved ion load in the river waters, illustrating the strong control that regional geology exerts on streamwater chemistry. In contrast, lake waters are characterized as Na-Cl type, which results mainly from evaporation and some evaporite dissolution. Weathering in the area is controlled by climate, i.e. precipitation and temperature. Moreover, a negative correlation between lake water total dissolved solids and d-excess, and a systematic increase in chemical concentrations and stable isotope values downstream in the Ili River, reflect the fact that arid climate conditions promote evaporation and affect water quality. PCA analysis and mass balance calculation of water chemistry suggests that humans contribute only 6.6% of the major ion load to waters, which display increasing concentrations in the middle and downstream regions. There, effects of human-mediated weathering and transport of salts from agricultural irrigation are reinforced by higher temperatures and evaporation.

Peculiarities of grain productivity formation and its elements in varieties of spring barley in conditions of arid climate of Astrakhan region

On the territory of the Astrakhan region, the experience of studying varieties of spring barley of the VIR world collection, of various ecological and geographical origin, was laid in nonirrigation agriculture. According to the results of the studies, highly productive varieties of this crop were isolated. Selected varieties will be recommended for use in the selection process when creating new productive and locally adaptive varieties.

Performance Comparison of Vertical Flow Treatment Wetlands Planted with the Ornamental Plant Zantedeschia aethiopica Operated under Arid and Mediterranean Climate Conditions

This work compares the performance of vertical subsurface flow treatment wetlands (VSSF TWs) for wastewater treatment, planted with Zantedeschia aethiopica (Za), here operated simultaneously under two different climate conditions, arid and Mediterranean. The experimental setup was divided into two treatment lines for each climate condition: three VSSF TWs planted with Schoenplectus californicus (Sc) (VSSF-S), as the control, and three VSSF TWs planted with Zantedeschia aethiopica (Za) (VSSF-Z), as the experimental unit. The four treatment systems were operated at a hydraulic loading rate of 120 mm/d during spring and summer seasons, in two locations, Iquique (Atacama Desert, Chile) and Talca (Central Valley, Chile). The water quality in effluents, plant development, and water balance were used as performance measures. In terms of the water quality, the influents’ characteristics were similar in both climates and classified as “diluted”. For the effluents, in both climate conditions, average COD and TSS effluent concentrations were below 50 mg/L and 15 mg/L, respectively. In both climate conditions, average TN and TP effluent concentrations were below 40 mg/L and 2 mg/L, respectively. Furthermore, only total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in effluents to VSSF-Z had a significant effect (p < 0.05) in relation to the climate condition. Regarding plant development, Za showed a lower height growth in both climate conditions, with arid consistently 0.3 m and Mediterranean decreasing from 0.6 m to 0.2 m. However, the physiological conditions of the leaves (measured by chlorophyll content) were not affected during operation time in both climates. Water balance showed that it was not influenced by the climate conditions or plant, with water loss differences below 5%. Therefore, taking into account the water quality and water balance results, Zantedeschia aethiopica can be used in VSSF TWs in a way similar to traditional plants under arid and Mediterranean climates. However, its use has to be carefully considered because lower height could affect the esthetics for its implementation in the VSSF TWs.

Surface texture, mineralogy and stable isotope studies of nodular calcretes preserved in the YTT ash of Padang Terap river basin and lenggong valley, peninsular Malaysia: Implications in its origin and paleoclimatic reconstruction

Rounded to sub-rounded calcrete nodules, preserved in Youngest Toba Tuff (YTT, ~75 ka) ash, exposed at the Padang Terap river basin and Lenggong valley of Malaysia, have been investigated for their micromorphology, mineralogy and stable isotope compositions (δ18O and δ13C) with the aim to interpret their origin, climatic conditions and vegetational scenario in the studied areas. These nodules are associated with cylindrical, pipe-like, root calcretes and highly calcretized ant traces. The FESEM study shows dominance of sparry calcite and microsparite as groundmasses and presence of bacteria microfossils and microbial features. The microfossils are represented mainly by microcodium, calcified pedostructures and organic filaments, whereas, the microbial features as extracellular polymers substances (EPS) and bacillus type bacteria. Mineralogical compositions as reflected by X-ray diffractograms show dominant peaks of calcite followed by quartz, chlorite, illite and palygorskite. The δ18O and δ13C values suggest that the precipitation of calcium carbonate might have happened in in-situ manner that leached under the influence of meteoric water in presence of C4 dominated vegetation during the formations of the nodules. Presence of C4 vegetation in the area suggests that the same had revived after the YTT event. The study suggests that the CaCO3 would have been supplied to the host sediments by dust, rainwater and local geological set-ups during arid, semi-arid and humid climatic conditions.

The new early maturing spring barley variety ‘Fedos’

In recent years, the spring-summer period of the Rostov region is characterized with a lack of moisture supply in the initial period of plant growing and formation of generative organs, as well as in the filling period of spring barley grain. The highest productivity under these conditions, according to the study of previous years, has been formed by the middle-early and early-maturing varieties. The breeding work for the development of early-maturing spring barley varieties has been going on for many decades in the FSBSI Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”. The purpose of the current study was to develop a new highly productive early-maturing spring barley variety, adapted to the arid soil and climatic conditions of the south of Russia. The current paper has presented characteristics of the new early-maturing spring barley variety ‘Fedos’, adapted to the soil and climatic conditions of the arid Russian regions and resistant to negative environmental stress factors. The new variety was characterized by high yields (+0.4 t/ha to the standard one), large kernel (1000 kernel weight was more than 47 g), fairly high protein percentage in grain (+1.3% to the standard one). In comparison with the standard variety, the new variety has formed higher yields due to the increased number of productive stems per 1 m2 (on 12 pcs. more) and kernel weight per head (+0.2 g). In addition, the variety ‘Fedos’ produced large, well-filled kernel even in severely arid years (+5.6 g to the standard one). The new variety is more resistant to major leaf diseases than the standard one.

Accuracy Assessment of the SPEI, RDI and SPI Drought Indices in Regions of Iran with Different Climate Conditions

Considering the impact of drought on agricultural products and human food security, the selection of the appropriate drought index to assess drought conditions is very important. Therefore, in this research, based on the relationship between the percent annual yield loss (AYL) of winter wheat (Triticum sativum) and three commonly used drought indices, i.e. Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), Reconnaissance Drought Index (RDI) and Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), the accuracy of these indices was evaluated at 1-, 3-, 6- and 12-month time scales. Results showed that the average AYL at Ahvaz, Babolsar, Esfahan, Gorgan, Kerman, Mashhad, Ramsar, Rasht, Shiraz and Zabol was 66.64, 5.42, 97.52, 10.20, 98.57, 84.99, 2.47, 3.84, 77.03 and 97.07%, respectively. At stations with hyper-arid, semi-arid, Mediterranean, humid and hyper-humid type A climate conditions such as Zabol, Esfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz, Gorgan, Babolsar, Ramsar and Rasht stations, the calculated values of SPEI demonstrated the highest CC with AYL in winter wheat. At Kerman and Ahvaz, with arid climate conditions, the calculated values of the RDI had the greatest CC with AYL in winter wheat. Thus, in general, among the SPI, RDI and SPEI, the use of the SPEI is recommended for the assessment of drought characteristics.

Potentiality of tree variables as predictors in pavement roughness progression rate modelling

ABSTRACT This paper presents statistical evidence of roadside vegetation’s contribution to pavement roughness progression rates. Detailed statistical and regression analysis of the roadside vegetation data collected via satellite imageries and road roughness data collected via high speed road profiler was performed. Elaborative investigation on interaction between roadside vegetation and waveband roughness progression has provided a clear indication of tree variable’s contribution on road deterioration. Statistical parameters such as moderate Pearson correlation coefficient (r) values, low mean squared error (MSE), root mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE) values, high Willmott’s index of agreement (d) were obtained for training and validation datasets, that depicted the potentiality of tree variables as predictors in pavement roughness progression rate modelling. Statistical evidence showed that effect of trees on road deterioration was more noticeable on long wavelength roughness progression rates. This can be justified via prevailing soil moisture interaction in expansive soil deposits subjected to moisture withdrawal of deciduous trees in arid climate conditions. Overall, the findings of this paper exemplify on the necessity of considering the presence of roadside vegetation in road deterioration analysis, and suggesting the scope of improvement for prediction performance.

Advanced near-zero waste treatment of food processing wastewater with water, carbon, and nutrient recovery.

A near-zero waste treatment system for food processing wastewater was developed and studied. The wastewater was treated using an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR), polished using an outdoor photobioreactor for microalgae cultivation (three species were studied), and excess sludge was treated using hydrothermal carbonization. The study was conducted under arid climate conditions for one year (four seasons). The AnMBR reduced the total organic carbon by 97%, which was mostly recovered as methane (~57%) and hydrochar (~4%). Microalgal biomass productivity in the AnMBR effluent ranged from 0.25 to 0.8g·L-1·day-1. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) uptake varied seasonally, from 18 to 45mg·L-1·day-1 and up to 5mg·L-1·day-1, respectively. N and P mass balance analysis demonstrated that the process was highly efficient in the recovery of nitrogen (~77%), and phosphorus (~91%). The performance of the microalgal culture changed among seasons because of climatic variation, as a result of variation in the wastewater chemistry, and possibly due to differences among the microalgal species. Effluent standards for irrigation use were met throughout the year and were achieved within two days in summer and 4.5days in winter. Overall, the study demonstrated a near-zero waste discharge system capable of producing high-quality effluent, achieving nutrient and carbon recovery into microalgae biomass, and energy production as biogas and hydrochar.

Geoinformational technologies in the problem of assessing the pesticides’ impact on the arid zones soils’ condition

The work is devoted to establishing the influence of aridity on the risk of negative soil changes caused by residual pesticides presence in spring and autumn. Using the Earth’s remote sensing method, it is shown that the NDMI index is decreasing and aridity is increasing in the following direction: Lipetsk Oblast- Kursk Oblast - Voronezh Oblast-Belgorod Oblast-Ulyanovsk Oblast -Samara Oblast -Saratov Oblast - Penza Oblast -Orenburg Oblast --Stavropol Krai-Karachay-Cherkessia. Correspondence was established between the increase in region’s aridity and the increase in the risk increment value for the period from spring to autumn due to the presence of residual pesticide content in the soil. This circumstance can be associated with pesticides accumulation in the soil cover, an increase in their consumption and a decrease in destruction in conditions of arid climate. DDT and hexachlorocyclohexane cause the highest risk increment due to soil accumulation, trifluraline is more subjected to conversion in the soil, has less effect on risk change of soil agroecological condition.

Texture, mineralogy and geochemistry of Teri sediments from the Kuthiraimozhi deposit, Southern Tamilnadu, India: implications on provenance, weathering and palaeoclimate

The study examines about the red sand dune deposit locally designated as teri deposits; it is an omnipresent geomorphologic feature present in the coastal region of Thoothukudi and Ramanathapuram districts of Tamil Nadu, India. One of the inland teri sand dune outcrops is located around the Kuthiraimozhi village of Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu, India. Textural, mineralogical and geochemical studies were carried out in the teri sediments and its compact sandstone outcrops. The sediments are moderately sorted to well-sorted and finely skewed nature which indicates that fluvio-marine depositional environment. Geochemical analysis results of major, trace and rare earth elements for teri deposits help to predict the provenance, weathering status, depositional environment and climate. The geochemical study reveals that the sediments were derived from marine and non-marine sources. Teri sediments are geochemically classified as lithic arenite or wacke. Petrography and X-ray diffraction analysis reveal the predominance of quartz and feldspars along with the accessory minerals like ilmenite, rutile, garnet, magnetite, hematite, zircon, diopside, hypersthenes and biotite. Mineralogical observation illustrates that the teri sediments have originated from the weathering of felsic and mafic source rocks. The Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) values of sediments represent moderate to the high status of weathering conditions in the source area. The depositional environment indicates that the sediments are fine-grained with high maturity index. Despite that the sediments are formed by fluvio-marine sources, the reddening character in the teri deposits is due to oxidation and leaching of iron-bearing minerals by percolating surface water from high rainfall and groundwater fluctuation of the aquifer under arid and semi-arid climate conditions.