210Pb dating of recent sediments from the continental shelf of western India: factors influencing sedimentation rates.

Abstract

Several cores from the continental shelf of the Arabian Sea along theIndian Coast were investigated for change in sedimentation rates duly constrained for chronology based on 210Pb and 137Cs dating techniques. The emphasis was to look for spatial and temporal variation in the sedimentation rate along the continental shelf of eastern Arabian Sea between Goa to Kochi for water depth ≤ 150m. This study showed varying sedimentation rates in coastal and distant sediment cores. Both 210Pb and 137Cs dating techniques showed comparable sedimentation rate in most sediment cores. The sedimentation in the continental shelf region of the coastal Arabian Seais primarily controlled by discharge of sediments from rivers during Indian summer monsoon. Increased sedimentation rate from the north (off Goa) to the south (off Kochi) wastriggered by high riverine flux and longshore sediment transport.