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Analysis of current direction in a tropical fluvial system: A study of Ajay river basin within West Bengal, India

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Abstract

The Ajay is an ephemeral, monsoon influenced river, originated from the Chhotanagpur plateau at Batpar of Jamui, Bihar, flowing through heterogeneous lithology and merge with the river Bhagirathi in West Bengal. Here, an attempt has been made to study the directional relationship between paleo-flow and the present flow direction of the Ajay river in West Bengal. Paleocurrent data help to reconstruct the details of paleo-fluvial system, especially the sedimentary environment of the past. The present work was carried out on the basis of detailed field work at different river segments. In this work, paleo-directional data were obtained from the primary sedimentary structure. Present flow direction data were collected using floats, microform developed on active channel bed and also from sediment grain orientation. By using collected directional data, vector mean of paleo and present flow direction were computed. Analytical results reveal that difference is minimum between present and paleo flow direction in studied segments. The directional relationship between the paleo and the present flow direction was divergent in two segments, convergent in four segments and parallel in three segments. The results help us to understand the sedimentary environment and changing flow regimes of the studied segments.

Research highlights

  • Present and paleo-flow directions of the river are analyzed using vector resultant method.

  • Minimum difference found between present and paleo flow direction of the studied river segments.

  • Sediment successions of the river revealed periodic change in flow character and sediment supply.

  • Natural and anthropogenic factors combinedly affect the flow pattern and sedimentary environment.

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Acknowledgements

We are indebted to Dr U K Shukla, Professor of Sedimentology, Centre of Advanced Study in Geology, Banaras Hindu University, India for his kind support. We would like to express our gratitude to Dr Lakpa Tamang and Dr Mafizul Haque, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, University of Calcutta, India for their valuable and constructive suggestions during the planning and development of this research work. We are also grateful to Prof. Sunando Bandyopadhyay, Department of Geography, University of Calcutta, India for providing us researchable environment. The field and technical works were mainly assisted by Mr. Dayamoy Mandal, Mr. Manas Karmakar and Mr. Subhadip Pal, UGC-Junior Research Fellow, Department of Geography, University of Calcutta, India and Mr. Susanta Mandi, Guest Lecturer, Department of Geography, Arsha College, Purulia, India. We would also like to extend our thanks to Sk. Firoz for his great support during field work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700 019, India

    Monali Banerjee & Debasis Ghosh

  2. Department of Geography, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Purulia, West Bengal, 723 104, India

    Mrinal Mandal

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  1. Monali Banerjee
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  2. Debasis Ghosh
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Contributions

Monali Banerjee: Conceptualization of the study and preparation of first draft of the manuscript, data collection and processing, data computation and interpretation, figure and table preparation, manuscript preparation. Debasis Ghosh: Field assistance (total guidance), interpretation of the analyzed results and manuscript finalization. Mrinal Mandal: Providing technical support during laboratory work.

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Correspondence to Debasis Ghosh.

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Communicated by Santanu Banerjee

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Banerjee, M., Ghosh, D. & Mandal, M. Analysis of current direction in a tropical fluvial system: A study of Ajay river basin within West Bengal, India. J Earth Syst Sci 130, 9 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-020-01520-y

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