Abstract
Pre and post monsoonal changes in the environment have led to a noticeable variation in sediment characteristics, heavy mineral concentrations and their distribution. The current study aimed to find out the effect of seasonal fluctuations on the concentration of heavy minerals along the coast and the variations in sediment textures and distribution. The study has revealed the effect of seasons on the sediments supply and its distribution along coast in the study area. The total heavy minerals concentrations are more in post monsoon than in pre monsoon and the concentration also increases from south to north in parts of the study area because of seasonal circulation of currents from south to north along the shore. The micro textural study of the heavy mineral grains from different locations in the study area revealed the mechanical and chemical erosions on the grain surfaces.
Highlights
Climate fluctuations play a major role in the accumulation or removal of sediments in a specific area
This study shows that there is a correlation between the increase in the heavy mineral concentration and the decrease in the grain size of the sediments
Seasonal studies of modern sediments from a part of Visakhapatnam coast, east coast of India revealed that the sediment characteristics and heavy mineral concentrations in the study area are associated with fluctuations in seasonal monsoons
Summary
Climate fluctuations play a major role in the accumulation or removal of sediments in a specific area. The transport processes of big-sized and high-density sediments are active during seasons with heavy rains. Whereas, these sediments accumulate in the source area during the dry seasons. Weathering of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks by chemical, physical, and biological processes is the first step in the chain of processes that produce heavy mineral deposits (Boggs, 2006). The erosion of these rocks results in an increase in the concentrations of more resistant and higher specific gravity minerals (2.89). The coastal placer deposits are the most widespread, due to the fact that most of the rivers terminate on the coastal zone, as this region is the last point of the sediments’ journey
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