Dr. Devender Kumar

Senior Principal Scientist , Paleo-Seismology

Dr. Devender Kumar

devender@ngri.res.in, devngri@gmail.com

Academic Identity
           

Specialization

Isotope Hydrology; Paleoseismology; Fission Track Thermochronology

Research Area

Dr. Devender Kumar completed graduation in science, post-graduation in Applied Geophysics and Ph.D. in fission track thermochronology from Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra (India). Presently a principal scientist at CSIR-NGRI, his research work include paleoseismology, low temperature thermochronology and isotope hydrology. His work on exhumation patterns in Higher Himalayan Crystallines (HHC) of NW Himalayas using fission track dating has been received well. He has also worked on establishing the chronology of historical and pre-historical large to great earthquakes in the north east India and Bihar-Nepal regions. Deciphering the thermal history of sedimentary basins and past climates are the current research interests.

 

Ongoing Research Projects

Honors & Awards

Endeavour India Executive Award 2007: By Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST), Government of Australia (Presently DIISR: Department of Innovation Industry Science and Research) 

Publications

Selected Peer Reviewed Publications: 

  1. Pandey, A. K. & Kumar, D. (2021). CSIR-NGRI's quest for understanding earth surface processes and liquefaction based paleoseismology in the Himalaya and adjoining region. Geol. Soc. Ind.
  2. Kiran. K. Reddy, Gupta, H.., Reddy, D.V. and Kumar, D. (2021). The suitability of surface waters from small west-flowing rivers for drinking, irrigation, and aquatic life from a global biodiversity hotspot (Western Ghats, India). Environ Sci Pollut Res (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13154-8.
  3. Kiran. K. Reddy, Gupta, H.., Upendra, U., Reddy, D.V., Rama Mohan K., and Kumar, D. (2021) Export of Particulate Organic Carbon by the Mountainous Tropical Rivers of Western Ghats, India: Variations and Controls. Science of the Total Environment, 751, 142115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142115
  4. Kumar, D., Reddy, D. V., and Arnott, R. D. (2020). Characterising the Ongole Coastal Dunefield of SE India: Formation and temporal constraints. Journal of the Geological Society of India, 96, 565-572. org/10.1007/s12594-020-1603-0.
  5. Kale, M.G, Pundalik, A.S. and Kumar, D. (2020). Fluvial facies and provenance of Late Pleistocene Baneta sediments, Central Narmada Basin, Madhya Pradesh, India. Journal of Earth System Science, (org/10.1007/s12040-019-1304-5).
  6. Kumar, D. and Tiwari, V. M. (2020). Institutional Report: CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute. Proc. Indian Natn Sci. Acad., v. 86 (1), p. 701-720. DOI: 10.16943/ptinsa/2020/49830.
  7. Reddy, D. V., Kumar, D. and Rao, N. P. (2017). Long-term Hydrochemical Earthquake Precursor Studies at the Koyna-Warna Reservoir Site in Western India. Jour. Geol. Soc. Ind., 90 (06), 720-727
  8. Kumar, D., Manglik, A., and Srinagesh, D. (2016). Institutional Report: CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute. Proc. Indian Natn Sci. Acad., v. 82 (3), p. 1097-1116
  9. Kumar, D., Reddy, D.V., and Pandey, A. K. (2016). Paleoseismic investigations in the Kopili Fault Zone of North East India: evidences from liquefaction chronology. Tectonophysics, 674, p. 65-75.
  10. Sahu, H. S., Raab, M. J., Kohn, B. P., Gleadow, A. J. W. and Kumar D. (2013). Denudation history of crystalline Eastern Indian Peninsula from apatite fission track analysis: linking plume-related domal uplift and the sedimentary record. Tectonophysics, 608, p. 1413-1428.
  11. Reddy D.V., Singaraju V., Rakesh Misra, Devender Kumar, Thomas P.J., K. Kameshwar Rao, and A.K. Singhvi (2013). Luminescence chronology of the inland sand dunes from SE India. Quaternary Research, v. 80 (2), p. 265-273.
  12. Trivedi, D, Raicy, M C, Kumar, D., Devi, K, Buynevich, I., Srinivasan, P, Iyer, N. R and Nair, R. R. (2012). Sediment characteristics of Tidal deposits at Mandvi, Gulf of Kuchchh, Gujarat, India: Geophysical, Textural and Mineralogical attributes. J. Geosci. V. 3 (3), p. 515-524, doi:10.4236/ijg.2012.33054
  13. Jain, A. K., Lal, N. Sulemani, B. Awasthi, A.K., Singh, S., Kumar, R., and Kumar, D., (2009). Detrital-zircon fission-track geochronology of the Lower Cenozoic sediments, NW Himalayan foreland basin: Clues for exhumation and denudation of the Himalaya during the India-Asia collision. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 121 (3/4), p. 519-535, doi: 10.1130/B26304.1.
  14. Reddy, D.V., Nagabhushanam, P., Kumar, D, Sukhija, B.S.; Thomas, P.J., Pandey, A. K., Sahoo, R.N., Ravi Prasad, G.V. and Dutta, K. (2009). The great 1950 Assam Earthquake revisited: field evidences of liquefaction and search for paleoseismic events. Tectonophysics, 474, p. 463-472.
  15. Reddy, D.V, Kumar, D., Saha, D. and Mandal, M. K. (2008). The 18 August 2008 Kosi river breach: an evaluation, Current Science, V. 95 (12), p. 1668-1669,
  16. Sati, S.P.; Rana, N.; Kumar, D.; Reddy, D.V. Sundriyal, Y.P. (2008). Pull-apart origin of wider segments of the Alaknanda Basin Uttarakhand Himalaya, India. Himalayan Geology, V. 29 (3): p. 89-91.
  17. Thomas, P.J., Reddy, D.V., Kumar, D., Nagabhushanam, P., Sukhija, B.S. and Sahoo, R.N. Optical dating of liquefaction features to constrain prehistoric earthquakes in Upper Assam, NE India - some preliminary results. Quaternary Geochronology, V. 2 (1-4), p. 278-283
  18. Sukhija, B.S, Reddy, D.V, Nagabhushanam, P., S. K. Battacharya, A. Jani and Kumar, D. (2006). Characterization of recharge processes and groundwater flow mechanism in fractured granites using isotopic and geochemical tracers. Hydrogeology Journal, V. 14 (5), p. 663-674, doi: 10.1007/s10040-005-0461-6
  19. Reddy, D.V, Sukhija, B.S, Nagabhushanam, P. Koti Reddy, G., Kumar, D. and Lachssagne, P. (2006). Soil gas radon survey: a tool in delineation of groundwater potential fractures in granitic terrain. Journal of Hydrology, V. 329 (1-2), p. 186-195, doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2006.02.033.
  20. Sukhija, B. S., D. V. Reddy, Kumar D., and P. Nagabhushanam (2006), Comment on “Interpreting the style of faulting and paleoseismicity associated with the 1897 Shillong, northeast India, earthquake: Implications for regional tectonism” by C. P. Rajendran et al., Tectonics, 25, TC2009, doi:10.1029/2005TC001852.
  21. Reddy, D.V., Sukhija, B.S., Nagabhushanam, P. & Kumar, D. (2004): A clear case of radon anomaly associated with a micro-earthquake event in a Stable Continental Region. Geophysical Research Letters, 31, L10609, doi: 10.1029/2004GL019971
  22. Kumar, D., Jain, A. K., Patel, R.C. and Lal, N. (2003). Exhumation of the Himalayan Metamorphic Belt (HMB): Role of crustal – scale folds as revealed from fission track dating. NEWSLETTER (Deep Continental Studies in India), DST (Govt. of India), New Delhi, Vol. 13 (1), p. 18-20.
  23. Sukhija, B.S., Rao, G.V.S.P., Reddy, D.V., Kumar, D., Rao, J.M., Lakshami, K.J.P. and Rao, B. S. (2003). Paleomagnetism of Paleoliquefaction: An aid to Paleoseismology. Current Science, V. 84 (3) 280-283.
  24. Sukhija, B.S., Rao, M.N., Reddy, D.V., Nagabhushanam, P., Kumar, D., Lakshami, B.V. and Sharma, P. (2002). Paleoliquefaction Evidence of Pre-Historic Large/Great Earthquakes in North Bihar, India. Current Science, 83 (8), p. 1019-1025.
  25. Sukhija, B.S., Reddy, D.V., Nagabhushanam, P. and Kumar, D. (2002). Groundwater flow mechanism in fractured hard rocks: Isotope and geochemical evidence. Paper published in proceedings of the International Groundwater Conference (IGC – 2002) on “Sustainable Development and Management of Groundwater Resources in Semi-arid Region with Special Reference to hard-rocks” held during February 20 – 22, 2002 at Dindigul, Tamilnadu (India): Thangrajan, M., Rai, S.N. and Singh, V.S. (eds), Oxford and IBH publishing Co. (P) Ltd, New Delhi-Kolkata. Pages: 375-382
  26. Jain, A. K., Kumar, D., Singh, S., Kumar, A. and Lal, N. (2000). Timing, quantification and tectonic modelling of Pliocene – Quaternary movements in the NW Himalaya: evidence from fission track dating. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 179, p. 437 – 451.
  27. Lal, N., Mehta, Y. P., Kumar, D., Kumar, A. and Jain, A. K. (1999). Cooling and exhumation history of the Mandi Granite and adjoining tectonic units, Himachal Pradesh, and estimation of closure temperature from external surface of zircon. In: Jain, A.K. and Manickavasagam, R.M. (Eds.), Geodynamics of the NW Himalaya, Gondwana Research Group Memoir no. 6, p. 207 – 216. 

Abstracts at conferences/seminars/symposia:

  1. Kiran. K. Reddy, Gupta, H., Reddy, D.V., Kumar, D. and Rama Mohan, K. (2020). Natural and Anthropogenic Influences on Nutrient Export from Tropical Mountainous Rivers into the Arabian Sea. Abstract, AGU Fall Meeting, 8 December 2020 (eLightning Session). The meeting was held virtually during 1-17 December 2020.
  2. Kale, M. G., Pundalik, Ashwin S. and Kumar, D. (2019). Depositional environment, petrography and provenance of middle pleistocene Dhansi Formation, central Narmada basin, Hoshangabad District, M.P. Abstract Volume, 36th Convention, Indian Association of Sedimentologists, AMD (DAE) Hyderabad., 07-08 Nov 2019
  3. Singh, S., Nandan, M.J., Surinaidu, L., Kumar, D., Rama Mohan, K. and Tiwari, V.M. (2019). Distribution of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in urban lakes of Hyderabad, a metropolitan city from Southern India. Abstract, FIGA 2nd Triennial Congress on Geosci. for Sustainable development goals during 13-16th Oct 2019 at CSIR-NGRI, Hyderabad, India.
  4. Kale, M. G., Pundalik, Ashwin S. and Kumar, D. (2017). Petrography of Baneta sediments, Central Narmada basin, Hoshangabad District, Madhya Pradesh. Abstract Volume, 34th Convention, Indian Association of Sedimentologists, SGB Amravati Univ., 19-20 Dec 2017
  5. Tyagi, A. K., Murari, M. K., Kumar, D., Singh, R.N. and Singhvi, A. K. (2014). Resetting of luminescence in sand dykes due to viscous heating: Theoretical considerations and experimental evidences. Abstract Vol. (p. 212) of 14th International conference on Luminescence and Electron Spin Dating (LED), held at Montréal, Québec, Canada during July 7-11, 2014
  6. Kumar, D., Sahu, H.S., Kohn, B.P. and Gleadow, AJW (2012). Thermal history analysis and provenance of Pranhita-Godavari Basin sediments, India: A borehole study using apatite fission track, organic maturity and zircon U-Pb data. Abstract volume, page 50. Thermo2012 – 13th International Conference on Thermochronology, held at Guilin (China) during 24-28 August 2012
  7. Sahu, H.S., Kumar, D., Kohn, B.P. and Gleadow, A.J.W (2012). An apatite fission track image of the Indian peninsula. Abstract volume, page 71. Thermo2012 – 13th International Conference on Thermochronology, held at Guilin (China) during 24-28 August 2012
  8. Sahu, H.S., Kumar, D., Kohn, B.P. and Gleadow, A.J.W (2012). Mapping out the geomorphic response of plume-related domal uplift in crystalline Eastern Indian Peninsula: Insights from apatite fission track analysis. Abstract presented at the 34th IGC held at Brisbane (Australia) during 5-10 August 2012.
  9. Kumar, D, Reddy, D.V. and Nagabhushanam, P. (2011). Paleoseismic investigations in the Kopili Lineament Zone, Northeast India. Paper presented at the International Symposium on “The 2001 Bhuj Earthquake and Advances in Earthquake Science: AES 2011” held at Institute of Seismological Research (ISR), Gandhinagar (India) during 22-24th January 2011. Abstract Volume page 28.
  10. Reddy DV, Kumar D. and Nagabhushanam P (2009). Evidences of paleo-seismic events in the Kopili lineament zone, NE India. Proc. of 16th convention of Indian Geol. Congress (IGC)-2009 (abstract volume), p. 83.
  11. Reddy, D.V., Kumar D., Thomas, P.J., Rao, K., Singaraju, K.V., Mishra, R. and Singhvi, K. (2009). Luminescence chronology of the inland sand dunes from SE India. Paper presented at the Second Asia Pacific Luminescence and Electron Spin Resonance Dating (APLED-2) Conference held at Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad during November 12-15, 2009.
  12. Reddy, D.V., Nagabhushanam, P., Kumar, D, Sukhija, B.S.; Thomas, P.J., Pandey, A. K., Sahoo, R.N., Ravi Prasad, G.V. and Dutta, K. (2008), The great 1950 Assam Earthquake revisited: field evidences of liquefaction and search for paleoseismic events. Himalayan J. of Sciences, 5 (8), p. 117.
  13. Sukhija, B.S., Reddy, D.V., Nagabhushanam, P., Kumar, D., Thomas, P.J., Sahoo, R.N. & Gupta. H.K., 2005. Paleoliquefaction evidences and radiocarbon chronology of paleoseismic events in the Shillong Plateau, North Bihar, Nepal & Upper-Assam. Workshop on “Himalayan Seismicity and Tectonics with Special reference to the 8th October 2005 Muzaffarabad Earthquake, 30-31 Dec. 2005, NGRI, Hyderabad, India.
  14. Thomas, P.J., Reddy, D.V., Kumar, D., Nagabhushanam, P. and Sukhija, B.S. (2005). Optical dating of liquefaction features to constrain paleoseismic events in North East India – Preliminary results. 11th International Conference on Luminescence and Electron Spin Resonance Dating (LED - 2005), 24 – 29th July 2005, University of Cologne, Germany.
  15. Reddy, D.V., Thomas, P.J., Nagabhushanam, P., Sukhija, B.S., Lakshmi, B.V. and Kumar, D. (2005). Luminescence dating of an archaeological site in Central India. 11th International Conference on Luminescence and Electron Spin Resonance Dating (LED - 2005), 24 – 29th July 2005, University of Cologne, Germany.
  16. Kumar, D., (2005). Himalayan Cenozoic Exhumation: Erosion vs. Tectonics. Paper accepted for poster presentation in “AOGS 2005, the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society's 2nd Annual Meeting” being held at Singapore during 20-24 June 2005.
  17. Kumar, D., Kumar D, Jain AK, Lal N (2005) Tectonic exhumation and paleoseismic events from the Higher Himalayan Crystallines (HHC), NW Himalaya: evidences from fission track (FT) dating. Abstract Number: 58-SEA0725. Asia Oceania Geosciences Society. Session: Solid Earth. 2nd Annual General Meeting 20–24 June 2005, Singapore. http://www.asiaoceania.org/abstract/se/58-SEA0725.pdf
  18. Sukhija, B.S., Rao, M.N., Reddy, D.V., Nagabhushanam, P. & Kumar, D. (2004). Paleoseismological studies by NGRI in the Himalayan Belt. AMS User Interaction Meeting, Institute of Physics, Bhubaneshwar, August 26-27, 2004.
  19. Kumar, D. (2004). Fission Track dating and its applications in geosciences. Abstract, National seminar on “Geosciences and its related Scientific Experiments” held at National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad on 18th June, 2004, p. 15-17.
  20. Jain, A. K., Kumar, D., Patel, R.C. and Lal, N. (2003). Fold-controlled exhumation of the Himalayan Metamorphic Belt, NW Himalaya: Fission Track Dates from the Beas-Sutlej Valleys, Himachal Pradesh. Published in abstract volume of the 18th Himalayan-Karakoram-Tibet (HKT) workshop held in Ascona, (Switzerland) during April 2-4, 2003, p. 65-68.
  21. Sukhija, B.S. and Kumar, D. (2003). Role of Paleoseismology in Earthquake Hazard Assessment (In Hindi). Abstract, National seminar on “Achievements in Earth Sciences and their Social utility”, held at National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad on 25th April, 2003, p. 31.
  22. Sukhija, B.S., Rao, G.V.S. P., Nagabhushanam, P., Reddy, D.V., Kumar, D. and R.N. Sahoo (2003). Paleoseismic Investigations in Kachchh: Dating of Paleoliquefaction and Validating New Chronological Tools. Abstract Volume of the Indo-American Workshop on Seismicity and Geodynamics, held at Hyderabad during 6-10th October 2003 at NGRI, Hyderabad (India).
  23. Sukhija, B.S., Reddy, D.V., Nagabhushanam, P. and Kumar, D. (2002). Semi-arid fractured rock hydrology: Study of natural ground water recharge processes, flow mechanism and artificial recharge using environmental chloride approach. Paper accepted in 4th International Conference on Isotopes (4ICI), Capetown, South Africa, held during 10-14 March 2002.
  24. Lal, N. Awasthi, A. K., Jain, A. K., Soleimani, B., Singh, S. and Kumar, D. (1998). Fission track ages of detritus zircons from foreland basin sedimentary deposits in India: Implications for Early Himalayan evolution. Workshop on “Himalayan Foreland Basin with special reference to Pre-Siwalik Tertiaries” organised by Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology at University of Jammu, Jammu (India) during March 16 – 19, 1998.
  25. Lal, N., Mehta, Y.P., Kumar, A., Kumar, D. and Jain, A. K. (1996). Basin subsidence history of the Tertiary Belt of the Panjab Re-entrant as revealed by Fission Track Dating technique. “X National Symposium on SSNTD”, Oct. 3 - 5, 1996. Kurukshetra University, India.

Books

Research Scholars

Educational Qualification

M.Tech. (Applied Geophysics), Ph.D.

Proffessional Experience

Proffessional Affiliations