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Sedimentary sources in the surface and near-surface sediments of the Bay of Bengal

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Abstract

High quartz and low calcium carbonate percentages in the surface sediments of the Bay of Bengal adjacent to the Indian subcontinent result from the massive influx of terrigenous clastics. Fine-fraction (<2 μ) mineralogy and heavy minerals in (turbidite) sands suggest that sediments of the western Bengal Fan (high in smectite, sillimanite, garnet) have been derived from peninsular Indian rivers; sediments of the rest of the fan (high in illite, hornblende, epidote) are derived from Himalayan rivers. The sediments on the Ninety East Ridge and in the deep southerly areas beyond the reach of fan deposition result from thein situ alteration of volcanics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Elf Exploration Inc., 77002, Houston, Texas, USA

    V. Kolla

  2. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, 07306, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

    N. M. Rao

Authors
  1. V. Kolla
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  2. N. M. Rao
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Kolla, V., Rao, N.M. Sedimentary sources in the surface and near-surface sediments of the Bay of Bengal. Geo-Marine Letters 10, 129–135 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02085927

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02085927

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