Textural characteristics of surface and core sediments of Ilmenite-enriched coasts of Southwest, India

Abstract

Sediment samples from the foreshore and backshore regions between Thottappally and Kayamkulam, (Thottappally - Trikkunnapuzha=Northern; Trikkunnapuzha - Arattupuzha=Central; Arattupuzha - Kayamkulam=Southern), which are enriched with heavy minerals, were subjected to detailed textural evaluation. Through frequency curves, bivariate and CM pattern, the textual characteristics of black sand deposits have been brought out and their provenance has been discussed. Beach sands of the study area mainly comprise fine sand, moderately well- to well-sorted, with near symmetrical skewness in all three sectors. Kurtosis is platykurtic in the northern sector, whereas mesokuritic sediments in the central and southern sectors show a characteristic playtkuritc nature. In the Trikkunnapuzha - Arattupuzha and Aratupuzha - Kayamkulam sectors, sediments are mesokurtic to platykurtic, which shows that low energy conditions and high wave energy conditions must have prevailed. Sediment transportation is mainly by saltation. The bivariate textural plots indicate beach and inland involvement for these sediments. The CM pattern also indicates that the sources for the sediment deposition in the study area were beach with the influence of fluvial and high-energy waves.