Origin and Palaeo-Depositional Vicissitudes of Late Quaternary Sediments of Central Kerala, South India

Abstract

Study of Late Quaternary sediments has received much attention in recent years, as these particular sediments are associated with the finer particles and plays a pivotal role in elemental exchange between sediments and water. Clay minerals are reactive geological materials or particulates that regulate the overall physico-chemical milieu of aquatic environments. The clay mineral composition of sediments may give important clues to the conditions under which the sediments were deposited in addition to the climatic conditions, provenance etc. of the sediments. The composition and distribution of clay minerals have been used as indicators of sediment dispersal in various environments. Information on clay minerals is essential for a better understanding of the origin, early digenetic reactions and environment of deposition of the sediments. This clay mineral rich top layer containing organic matter and other nutrient elements which is the major life supporting systems of the wetland ecosystems. The nature of the nutrient dynamics in the wetland system is dependent on the quality and quantity of the clay minerals in the sediments. The present study is an attempt to understand the origin, geochronology and depositional environments of the clay sediments of the two river basins of central Kerala