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