Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences
Title : | Multi-proxy analysis for constraining controls on spatial variability in physical and geochemical characteristics of soil and sediments of the Ponnaiyar River Basin, southern India |
Area of research : | Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. Pramod Singh, Pondicherry University |
Timeline Start Year : | 2023 |
Timeline End Year : | 2026 |
Contact info : | pramods@yahoo.com |
Equipments : | High end Desk top computer |
Details
Executive Summary : | Weathering is influenced by various factors such as bedrock, topography, and tectonics, which affect the textural, mineralogical, and geochemical characteristics of sediments. Physical sorting during transportation, depositional environment, and diagenesis also modify sediment characteristics. The derived sediment and solute loads carried by rivers record the imprints and relative influence of these factors. However, there is a lack of understanding on the mechanism and order of their influence. More textural, mineralogical, and geochemical data on sediments from diverse geological settings and environments are needed. Small and mid-order rivers are better suited for understanding the feedback relationship, as they respond faster to changes in geological, climatic, and tectonic influences in their water and sediment quality. The Ponnaiyar river in Tamilnadu is an important mid-order river in southern India, flowing through different lithologies of Archean-Proterozoic age. The basin's geomorphology shows significant changes from the initial flat gentle slope near the origin to relatively higher relief in the mid part. The main channel and tributaries exhibit structural control, making it suitable for testing tectono-geomorphic controls on the physical and chemical characteristics of sediments. There is a dearth of information on spatial and temporal variation in source area weathering, provenance, characteristics of sediment, and evolutionary history of the Ponnaiyar river basin. This study proposes an integrated and comprehensive investigation of textural, mineralogical, and geochemical study of the sediments from the Ponnaiyar river basin, using advanced remote sensing and structural geology techniques. |
Co-PI: | Dr. Subhadip Bhadra, Pondicherry University, Puducherry-605014, Dr. Kusuma KN, Pondicherry University, Puducherry-605014 |
Total Budget (INR): | 30,36,240 |
Organizations involved