Indicator Of Deposition Research Articles

Texture and mineralogy of beach sediments of Chavara and Manavalakurichi, South India - A comparative analysis

Chavara and Manavalakurichi are the two important areas with heavy mineral deposits in India. Surface samples were collected from five locations, each from Chavara and Manavalakurichi, and were analyzed for their textural parameters and mineralogy. Sediments from both regions are characteristically fine and medium sand. Chavara (CH) sands are moderately well sorted, whereas Manavalakurichi (MK) sands are moderately sorted to moderately well sorted sediments. Linear discriminate functions (LDF) calculated using the textural parameters show deposition environments of aeolian and shallow marine. Ilmenite predominantly exists along with other heavy minerals such as zircon, sillimanite, rutile, monazite, leucoxene, and garnet. The heavy minerals show an increasing trend towards, but its grain size becomes finer and well sorted. The berm and upper foreshore regions shows high concentration of heavy minerals.

Long-term primary production trends in the Laurentian Great Lakes: a comparison of geochemical methods

Sediment cores from 12 locations throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes basin were analyzed for geochemical indicators of primary production. Sediment analytes included organic and inorganic contents, carbonates, sediment accumulation rates, total organic carbon and nitrogen concentrations, carbon and nitrogen isotope composition, and trends in spectroscopically inferred chlorophyll a (and its main diagenetic products). When multiple indicators were considered, production records related to recent cultural eutrophication and catchment activities were clear in the paleorecords. Indicators derived from loss-on-ignition (organic and inorganic content) were strongly associated with periods of human settlement in the catchments that increased overall sediment loads to the lakes. The ratio of carbon to nitrogen tracked catchment inputs of carbon, especially during periods of watershed development in western Lake Superior. Sediment records such as chlorophyll a and δ13Corg appear to be reliable indicators of trends in past algal abundance, particularly in Lake Erie, which has a well-known history of higher production and cultural eutrophication. These analytes also correlated well with past measured water quality surrogates for lake primary productivity and stressor data such as human populations in adjacent watersheds. A comparison among indicators revealed that several show redundancy as good proxies of production or productivity, though context was important. For instance, heavier isotopes of carbon and nitrogen are often prescribed as sedimentary indicators of lake productivity, but these two analytes were negatively correlated in Lake Superior, possibly due to long-term increases in cyanobacteria or changes in the nitrogen source. An increase in sediment carbonates can indicate summer blooms of cyanobacteria (a phenomenon that was clearly apparent in Lake Ontario) or catchment erosion. To make convincing geochemical inferences of primary production in the Great Lakes, it is recommended that a weight of evidence be built through the use of multiple indicators.

Tidal sedimentary dynamics of the Early Pleistocene Messina Strait (Calabria, southern Italy) based on its modern analogue

The Messina Strait excursion opens a series of geological field trips associated with the 10th International Congress of Tidal Sedimentology (Tidalites), Matera, Italy, 5-7 October 2021. This guide aims at documenting a number of selected outcrops located along the eastern margin of the modern Messina Strait, in order to illustrate the sedimentary dynamics of the Early Pleistocene tide-dominated Messina Strait. Since the Pliocene, this extensional basin separated Sicily from Calabria, forming a wide non-tidal seaway. Successively, this basin turned into a ca. 10-15 km-wide and 40 km-long, tide-dominated strait during the Early Pleistocene, prior to its definitive closure following a Middle Pleistocene phase of tectonic uplift. As for today in its modern analogue, the ancient strait acted as a major conduit for marine water exchanges between the Ionian and the Tyrrhenian seas. Semi-diurnal, reverse bidirectional tidal currents flowed in phase opposition parallel to the strait margins, being subject to tidal amplification due to bathymetric restriction across the shallower strait-centre zone. This oceanographic setting partitioned the strait into specific environments. Nowadays, their sedimentary record is exposed in a series of outcrops across the western (Sicily) and eastern (Calabria) margins of the modern strait.A series of stops along a south-to-north transect covers a total distance of ca. 20 km. Outcrops of the first day show coarse-grained deposits lying adjacent to a block-faulted central horst and transgressively overlain by cross-stratified, mixed bioclastic-siliciclastic arenites. These strata record bypass and residual sedimentation in the strait-centre zone of the ancient strait. The second day, large- and medium-scale cross-stratification exhibiting a variety of tidal sedimentary indicators are observed, interpreted as the ancient northern tidal dune field. The third day focuses on one major section representing the north-eastern flank of the ancient strait, where subaqueous canyon-fill strata, mass-wasting deposits and tide-influenced delta front-facies are exposed.

Bio-extraction of Potassium from Glauconite Nano-particle in an Alfisols of Southern India

ABSTRACT Glauconite is a potassium (K) bearing mineral, which generally contains 6–10% K2O and mostly available in various natural deposits in India. Glauconite mineral was converted to nano-particle form by grinding in a high-energy ball mill. The release of K from glauconite nano-particle in soil was studied in a pot culture experiment. Five different treatments viz., 0 mg K2O kg−1, 100 mg K2O kg−1, 150 mg K2O kg−1, 200 mg K2O kg−1 used glauconite nano-particle (GNP) as a K source and 100 mg K2O kg−1 from muriate of potash (MOP), were applied in soil to grow maize (Zea mays L.) plant. The highest K+ concentration was observed in shoot at the application of 200 mg K2O kg−1 through GNP and recorded 2 times more K+ concentration in shoots as compared to 0 mg K2O kg−1 treatment whereas 1.1 times more than the MOP treated soil at 5th harvesting stage. Selected plant physiological parameters namely electrical conductivity of plant cell, height, leaf area and nitrate reductase activity were also recorded maximum at 200 mg K2O kg−1 GNP treated soil. Overall, glauconite nano-particle could supply K throughout the growth period and enhanced biomass yield of maize plant without showing any K deficiency symptom.

Comparison of Late Neogene Uk′37 and TEX86 Paleotemperature Records From the Eastern Equatorial Pacific at Orbital Resolution

AbstractKey features of late Neogene climate remain uncertain due to conflicting records derived from different sea surface temperature (SST) proxies. To understand scenarios in which proxy‐derived temperature estimates can be used interchangeably or are instead measuring different aspects of the same system, it is necessary to explore both the consistencies and differences between specific paleothermometers. Here, we report orbital‐scale climate records from ODP Site 846 in the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) for the interval from ~5–6 Ma using alkenone and archaeal lipid paleothermometers. Results from both proxies are similar in their secular trends and magnitude of long‐term temperature change, and spectral analysis demonstrates that the records are coherent and in‐phase in both the obliquity and precession bands. However, we find that the temperatures reconstructed by TEX86 are consistently offset toward colder values by ~2 °C relative to Uk′37‐derived temperatures in global calibrations, or by ~0.8 °C in Bayesian‐based calibrations. All combinations of calibrations also yield approximately twice the amplitude of orbital‐scale variation in TEX86 relative to Uk′37‐derived temperature fluctuations. Both temperature proxies are negatively correlated with sedimentary alkenone concentrations, which we use as an indicator of increased export productivity. Removing this productivity contribution from TEX86 results in an adjusted TEX86 record with temperature sensitivity identical to Uk′37. In future applications, this signal may be decoupled using additional sedimentary indicators of paleoproductivity, which likely will be most important for upwelling zone environments. There remain other nonexplained factors that contribute to differences between TEX86 and Uk′37 that warrant additional investigation.

Geochemical characteristics and depositional environment of the Shahejie Formation in the Binnan Oilfield, China

Abstract Trace elements in sedimentary rocks are highly sensitive to palaeoaquatic environmental changes in a sedimentary environment, making them an effective means for studying the paleoclimate and paleoenvironment during the deposition of sediments. The trace elements and major elements of mudstone cores sampled in the Binnan Oilfield in China were tested by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP–MS). Strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), vanadium (V), nickel (Ni) and boron (B), which are all sensitive to the sedimentary environment, were selected as discriminant indicators, and the sedimentary environment of the Shahejie Formation in the Binnan Oilfield was studied by combining with sedimentary indicators. The results show that the equivalent B content and the Sr/Ba ratio discriminate the research area for salt water and freshwater sedimentary environments. The V/(V + Ni) ratio is between 0.65 and 0.81, meaning that this area has a highly reductive sedimentary stratum. The trend of the Rb/Sr curve indicates that the paleoclimate of the Shahejie Formation changed from dry to humid and then back to dry.

Stabilization of Black Cotton Soil by using Quarry Dust and Lime

The Population Is Increasing Day By Day So That No-Of Construction Activities Are Increasing Daily Which Turning The World Into A Concrete Jungle. The Need For Land Is Increasing For Construction Purpose. Black Cotton Soil Is Belonging To One Of The Major Soil Deposits In India. The Nature Of The Black Soil Is Highly Expansive. Its Nature Varies According To Moisture Present In The Soil. It Will Expand In The Presence Of Water And It Will Contract In The Absence Of Water. Due To This Nature, It Becomes A Very Danger To Construct A Structure In This Type Of Soils. It May Leave Severe Damage To The Foundation And Superstructure. Many Stabilization Methods Are Improved To Overcome This Problem. This Experimental Study Was Done One Black Cotton Soil To Improve Its Characteristics By Adding Admixtures Like Quarry Dust And Lime. Various Properties Like Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit, Maximum Dry Density, Optimum Moisture Content And California Bearing Ratio Were Studied By Adding Admixtures To The Black Cotton Soil. Experimental Study Shows An Effective Increase In Properties Of Black Cotton Soil. With The Help Of Studying Different Literature Papers, It Was Found That Black Cotton Soil Which Is Replaced With Quarry Dust Above 10% Shows Some Increase In Properties. Whereas For Lime It Is In Between 2% To 6%.

Paleolimnology supports aquatic management by providing early warnings of stressor impacts

Reavie ED. 2019. Paleolimnology supports aquatic management by providing early warnings of stressor impacts. Lake Reserv Manage. 36:210–217. Recent, abrupt transitions to undesirable states have emerged as a common phenomenon in aquatic systems. Anthropogenic drivers such as climate change, species invasions, and pollution can push an aquatic system past a critical threshold for preservation of ecosystem services, resulting in a new condition. Recognizing these transitions is important for management because ecosystem function or services are typically altered or lost. A lack of aquatic monitoring data makes predictions about future conditions difficult. Evidence from sedimentary records can provide a replacement for these missing data. Paleolimnology is a valuable tool for management of aquatic systems because it can provide detailed records of recent changes that may serve as an early warning of future degradation if stressors remain unchecked. This review provides several examples of ways imminent environmental problems can be forecast using a variety of sedimentary indicators, including diatoms, pigments, aquatic insects, and the remains of invasive zooplankton. Using a case example of recent eutrophication, I recommend modeling approaches to make future projections of conditions to support aquatic management.

Strength, Physicochemical and Morphological Characteristics of Fly Ash Stabilized Black Cotton Soil

Black Cotton (BC) soil is one of the problematic soil deposits in India. These soils are problematic due to their poor engineering properties and high shrinkage and swelling properties due to high affinity to water. This paper, explore stabilization of Black cotton soil having poor strength characteristic and high shrinkage and swelling characteristic, with Class F Fly Ash (FA) to verify its scope for use as soil sub-base construction material. Fly ash is a good soil stabilizing additive in alone or along with other additives. It improves the index and engineering properties of Black cotton soil as verified from previous research work. In this research work, a Laboratory experimental program was planned with Fly ash, variation from 0% to 50% and humid curing period varies from 0 to 28 days. In the first stage of the experiment, Atterberg’s limits and compaction test have performed on Black cotton soil with all mixture and found their respective Optimum Moisture Content (OMC) and Maximum Dry Densities (MDD). In the second stage of the experiment, UCS and CBR tests were carried out for immediate, 7, 14, 28 and 45 days curing periods. The Atterberg’s limits, OMC, MDD, UCS, and CBR of Fly ash stabilized Black cotton found much satisfactory at 20% FA and 28 days curing period. CBR and UCS value get increments of 77.91% and 83.45% respectively. From the physicochemical analysis through X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning of Electron Microscope (SEM), it was noticed That enhancement of strength is due to the pozzolanic reaction which causes the formation of new crystalline mineral of Alumino-Silicate-Hydrates (ASH) and Calcium- Alumino-Silicate-Hydrates(CASH) in void space of the matrix.

Climate impact on fluvial-lake system evolution, Eocene Green River Formation, Uinta Basin, Utah, USA

AbstractIn light of a modern understanding of early Eocene greenhouse climate fluctuations and new highly seasonal fluvial system faces models, the role of climate in the evolution of one classically-cited continental, terminal lake system is re-examined. Detailed stratigraphic description and elemental abundance data from fifteen cores and seven outcrop regions of the Green River Formation were used to construct a ∼150 km cross section across the Uinta Basin, Utah, USA. Lake Uinta in the Uinta Basin is divided into five lake phases: (1) post-Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum, (2) peak Eocene hyperthermal, (3) waning hyperthermal, Early Eocene Climatic Optimum (EECO), (4) post-hyperthermal, and (5) post-EECO regimes, based primarily on climatically driven changes in fluvial style in combination with sedimentary indicators of lacustrine carbonate deposition, organic matter preservation, salinity, and lake depth. Basinwide siliciclastic dominated intervals were deposited by highly seasonal fluvial systems and record negative organic carbon isotope excursions associated with early Eocene abrupt, transient global warming (hyperthermal) events. Carbonate dominated or organic rich intervals record stable, less seasonal climate periods between hyperthermals, with lower siliciclastic sediment supply allowing the development of carbonate and organic matter preservation. The stratigraphic progression from alternating organic rich and lean zones to the overlying organic rich Mahogany and R8 zones represents the global transition out of the pulsed early Eocene hyperthermal climate regime to a time of sediment starvation and lake stratification, sequestering sedimentary organic carbon. This study provides a novel approach to terrestrial paleoclimate reconstruction that relies largely on unique sedimentary indicators and secondarily on isotopic proxy records within the context of a large basin-wide sedimentologic and stratigraphic data set, thus setting the stage for future detailed geochemical terrestrial paleoclimate proxy development.

Magnetic Anisotropy in Silurian Gas‐Bearing Shale Rocks From the Pomerania Region (Northern Poland)

AbstractAnalysis of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) and anhysteretic remanent magnetization (AARM) was conducted on unconventional gas‐bearing Silurian shale rocks from northern Poland. Samples of these rocks were collected from depths greater than 3,500 m from two drill cores. The aim was to investigate magnetic fabrics to verify current models of depositional conditions, current direction, and/or tectonic evolution. To obtain an in‐depth interpretation, rock magnetic studies, microscopic analyses, and graptolite orientation measurements were performed. The results indicate that the magnetic susceptibility is mainly governed by paramagnetic minerals (phyllosilicates) with a small contribution of ferromagnetic minerals, mostly magnetite. Typically, in the studied mudstones, the AMS and AARM fabrics are characterized by strong bedding‐parallel foliation, resulting mostly from compaction. The foliation is much weaker in the associated early‐diagenetic calcareous concretions. Although the mudstones are almost isotropic in the bedding plane, there is a slight tendency for grouping of magnetic lineation axes with an orientation of approximately NNW‐SSE. The corresponding orientation of the AMS lineation is preserved in the concretions, and the same trend also prevails in the preferred orientation of graptolites. Thus, we interpret this orientation to be related to paleocurrents. The observed directions show that during the Wenlock (Silurian) in the studied part of the Baltic Basin, the dominant currents had an orientation of circa NNW‐SSE along the margin of Baltica. Our results confirm that even in such fine‐grained sediments, in which there are no other unequivocal directional sedimentary indicators, paleocurrent directions can be determined by applying AMS and AARM methodology.

First record of the Miocene hominoid Sivapithecus from Kutch, Gujarat state, western India.

Hominoid remains from Miocene deposits in India and Pakistan have played a pivotal role in understanding the evolution of great apes and humans since they were first described in the 19th Century. We describe here a hominoid maxillary fragment preserving the canine and cheek teeth collected in 2011 from the Kutch (= Kachchh) basin in the Kutch district, Gujarat state, western India. A basal Late Miocene age is proposed based on the associated faunal assemblage that includes Hipparion and other age-diagnostic mammalian taxa. Miocene Hominoidea are known previously from several areas of the Siwalik Group in the outer western Himalayas of India, Pakistan, and Nepal. This is the first record of a hominoid from the Neogene of the Kutch Basin and represents a significant southern range extension of Miocene hominoids in the Indian peninsula. The specimen is assigned to the Genus Sivapithecus, species unspecified.

Morphometrical analysis of Ceiba Mill. (Bombacoideae, Malvaceae) pollen: a sacred plant of the Mayan (Mesoamerican) civilisation

Ceiba, is a large tree used for ornamental landscaping in tropical regions of the world. It is found in tropical areas, including Mexico, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, West Africa, and Southeast Asia. The present work communicates the detailed pollen morphology of four Ceiba species growing in India including one hybrid, C. speciosa (A.St.-Hil.) Ravenna, C. insignis (Kunth) P. E. Gibbs & Semir, C. x insignis (cross between C. insignis and C. speciosa) and C. pentandra (L.) Gaertn., using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope (CLSM) and Light Microscope (LM) to highlight the taxonomic characterization of these species and document finer morphological details to correlate them with other Ceiba spp., growing around the world. Pollen grain is 4-5-colporate, brevicolpate; sub-oblate to prolate-spheroidal to sub-prolate; sexine reticulate (muri provided with scattered spinuloid excrescences, lumina reticolumellate) and mostly thicker than nexine. The multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) was applied on Ceiba and Bombax ceiba to numerical data obtained from pollen morphometry which clearly revealed a significant variation between different genus and species. A pollen key, based on these micromorphological data (especially pollen aperture and size of muri), is also presented for the Ceiba and B. ceiba. The study provides an analogue for precise identification of Ceiba pollen grains recovered in Quaternary and pre-Quaternary sedimentary deposits in India and other tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Besides, pollen preservation, evolutionary trend and palaeoecology are the other important implications of this study.

Trends and patterns of the commercial bank deposits in India in the Post-Liberalisation period

Trends and patterns of the commercial bank deposits in India in the Post-Liberalisation period

A Study and Implications on the Potential of Satellite Image Spectral to Assess the Iron Ore Grades of Noamundi Iron Deposits Area

Jharkhand is well known for the largest iron deposits in India. Noamundi is the main deposit, which is associated with shale, keolinite. The rock succession exposed in the southern Singbhum and Keonjhar and lying unconformably over the older metamorphics are known as Iron Ore Series (Ravindrakumar, 1986). This paper relates the assessment of grades of iron ore of the area. The study involves with pre-processing, FLAASH (Fast Line-of-Sight Atmospheric Analysis of Spectral Hypercubes) Atmospheric correction algorithms of EO-1 Hyperion data and evaluating the spectral characteristic by using ENVI 4.7 software package. The position of peak reflectance and absorption trough, continuums removal and absorption band depth are considered for assessment the spectral characters. The strong absorption observed is between the 860 to 900nm wavelength region and peak reflectance is observed in the 750 to 780nm wavelength region of the image spectra. The position of the NIR absorption trough shift to the direction of the longer wavelengths is due to decrease of iron content. Higher values of band depth indicate a better possibility of the iron occurrence. As a result, this spectral study enables the possibility to differentiate the grades of iron ores from hyperspectral satellite images.

Confocal (CLSM) and light (LM) photomicrographs of different plant pollen taxa from Lucknow, India: Implications of pollen morphology for systematics, phylogeny and preservation

Pollen morphology of 28 plant taxa belonging to 23 families from Lucknow, India is illustrated and described on the basis of observations from light microscopy (LM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The principal objective is to observe and document the widespread variation in pollen shape, size, aperture diameter and pollen wall architecture of the studied plant taxa. The pollen morphological characters of 28 plant taxa were subjected to Principal Component Analysis and Hierarchical Component Analysis (PCA and HCA) suggesting four clusters. Cophenetic correlation coefficient also validates the four group clustering. The study will improve precise identification of fossil pollen grains recovered in sediments, thus aid in pollen analysis of the Quaternary deposits in India and also in similar tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Also, the study has implications for comparative morphologic, taxonomic and phylogenic studies. Besides these, preservation potential of different pollen grains has been described on the basis of pollen wall architecture.

The Prospects for Expansion and Cost-Effective Development of Mineral Resources in the Mining and Industrial Areas of India

Exploitation of different kinds of mineral deposits is currently addressed to recover mostly the main product from an ore, with little effort either for its co-/by-products or for value-addition and creation of wealth from waste. Presently, mineral industry is facing many problems that make it less attractive for old and new entrepreneurs. To overcome them, there is a need for ‘Mega-, Micro- and Nano (10-9)-Scale’ (MMNS) investigations on both working and potential ore deposits. Salient aspects of these multi-disciplinary and multi-faceted, both field- and laboratory-based, investigations, together with their main objectives, during different stages of ‘Mineral Exploration and Exploitation’ (MEE) are presented. Brief description of some major explored and exploited ore deposits in India, along with their possible, high-value by-products, and waste from a few mining industries, both recommended for research, are listed. Nano-scale mineral technology, presently in its initial stage, may be effectively used to isolate valuable elements or molecules from ore and gangue minerals as well as has the potentiality for ‘Recycling and Reusing’ (R & R) of waste material, thereby serving the twin concept of value-addition and creation of wealth from waste. Some pertinent problems of mineral industry, which can be tackled by comprehensive MMNS studies, and some requiring future Research and Development (R & D), as well as expected results of such research are given. The objectives of these studies on ore deposits are (i) maximum recovery of both the main and valuable co-/by-products from ores for value-addition, (ii) utilization of their waste material for creation of wealth from waste and (iii) expansion and cost-effective development of mineral resources in mining and industrial areas of India.

From the Other Side

I like the SEG SmartBrief e-mail newsletters I receive. I quickly check them for items of interest. I am going to have to do one of two things: stop reading the SmartBriefs or stop writing about them in this column. It is an either-or choice. But using them in this column is addictive. Thus, consider the item from the 7 April 2017 SEG SmartBrief regarding an air survey searching for mineral deposits in India, which stated the following: “The aircraft, which will map the region for a month and a half starting this week, will record minerals such as manganese, copper and lead as deep as 20 kilometers below the earth.” Maybe they meant meters rather than kilometers … sigh. (Editor's note: Those interested can sign up for the SEG SmartBrief e-newsletter by visiting seg.org/smartbrief .)

Reappraisal of palaeofloristics of Himmatnagar Sandstone vis-à-vis palaeogeographic significance

The state of Gujarat physiographically comprises three distinct zones–the Gujarat Mainland, the Saurashtra and the Kachchh. The sedimentary deposits of Himmatnagar Sandstone (23°36'00": 72°57'45") are mainly exposed in Gujarat Mainland. Palaeobotanical study reveals occurrence of plant fossils Matonidium, Weichselia, Cladophlebis, Gleichenia, Sphenopteris, Dictyophyllum, Pachypteris, Pagiophyllum and Araucarites. Bennettitales are absent. Numerically pteridophytes are represented by 61%, pteridosperms are represented by 7% and cyacads are represented by 7% while conifers are represented by 24%.
 The assemblage is compared and correlated with contemporaneous deposits in India and other Gondwanic continents and found that it is coeval to fossil floral assemblage of Dharangdhara Formation, (Saurashtra) and Bansa Formation of South Rewa (in central part of India) and Athgarh Formation on east–coast of India, in having common occurrence of Wealden frond Weichselia with dominance of pteridophytic fronds and conifers of family Araucariaceae. Due to common occurrence of pteridophytes and conifers (at generic level) the flora also resembles to Bluff flora of Alexander Island (Antarctica) and Barcó flora of Baqueró Formation of Patagonia (South America) indicating that the dispersal of biota might have taken place through Kerguelen Plateau or Gunners ridge via Antarctica.

Identifying key sedimentary indicators of geomorphic structure and function of upland swamps in the Blue Mountains for use in condition assessment and monitoring

Temperate Highland Peat Swamps on Sandstone (THPSS) are located at the headwaters of streams on low relief plateaus of Eastern Australia. Swamp sediment structure has a direct link to the high water tables, element cycling and carbon sequestration that are the characteristic functions of these systems. By comparing the sediment structure of intact swamps and channelised fills, we can gain an understanding of how changes in swamp geomorphology change both swamp structure and function. We examined the sedimentology of six intact and six channelised fill swamps in the Blue Mountains NSW, Australia. There were significant differences in texture, unit thickness, Carbon: Nitrogen (C:N) ratios and moisture content between intact swamps and channelised fills. The presence and thickness of unmodified contemporary sand layers in almost all channelised fills and its absence in almost all intact swamps was a distinctive structural difference. The two functional swamp layers, in terms of water and carbon storage were almost double the mean thickness in intact swamps than in channelised fills. Moisture content was 30% higher in intact swamps than in channelised fills. Mean C: N ratios for channelised fills were 25% lower than that of intact swamps. Peat forming potential, as defined by C:N ratios >27, started at a greater depth in the sediment profile (0.9m lower) in channelised fills than in intact swamps. It is clear from this study that these structural and functional indicators are important for assessing swamp condition and can also be useful in designing monitoring programs for management and rehabilitation that target key structural attributes that produce and maintain swamp function.