Abstract
Reef-associated beachrocks from Rameswaram and Keelakkarai group of islands (Holocene) were studied to assess the depositional environment and faunal assemblages. The samples were collected from marine terraces and reef platforms. Granulometrically, they are coarse to medium grained, moderately to very well sorted and fine to very fine skewed in character. The fineskewed nature of the sediments suggests the prevalence of the environmental condition of low energy. The microfaunas associated in beachrock reflect the reefal environment of deposition. Bivariant plots show that the sediments were predominantly deposited under beach environment. The C-M pattern indicates that the sediments are deposited by rolling and graded suspension. The Visher diagram of the study area samples clearly shows the presence of a dominant single saltation, lack of population and no surface creep population. The low diversity and fair preservation of faunas reflect the transgressive phase and the shallow marine environmental condition. The commonly preserved species such as Quinqueloculina sp. and Triloculina sp. indicate the low-energy environmental conditions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Angusamy N, Rajamanickam V G (2006). Depositional environment of sediment along the southern coast of Tamil Nadu, India. Oceanologia, 48(1): 87–102
Armstrong Altrin Sam J, Ramasamy S (1999). Granulometry, Petrology, Geochemistry and Depositional environment of sand rich sequence of Kudankulam formation, Tamil Nadu. Journal of Indian Association of Sedimentologist, 18(2): 187–200
Banerjee P K (2000). Holocene and Late Pleistocene relative sea level fluctuations along the east coast of India. Mar Geol, 167(3–4): 243–260
Beavington-Penney S J, Racey A (2004). Ecology of extant nummulitids and other large benthic foraminifera: application in palaeoenvironmental analysis. Earth Sci Rev, 67(3–4): 219–265
Bricker O P (1971). Introduction: beachrock and intertidal cement. In: Bricker O P, ed. Carbonate Cements. Baltimore MD: Johns Hopkins Press, 1–3
Brueckner H (1989). Late quaternary shorelines in India. In: Scott D B, Pirazzoli P A, Honig C A, eds. Late Quaternary sea-level correlation and application. London: Kluwer, 169–194
Culver S J (1990). Benthic foraminifera of Puerto Rican mangrove lagoon system: potential for paleoenvironmental interpretation. Palaios, 5(1): 34–51
Davadarini A S, Ischenko L V, Shuvalov A R (1977). Reflection of mechanical differentiation in the grain size and mineral composition of shelf deposits in the Black sea and Bay of Biscay. Oceanology (Mosc), 17: 447–451
Davis R A Jr (1964). Foraminiferal assemblages of Alacran Reef Campeche Bank, Mexico. J Paleontol, 38: 417–421
Duane D B (1964). Significance of skewness in recent sediments, Western Pamlico Sound, North Carolina. J Sediment Petrol, 34(4): 864–874
Friedman G M (1961). Distinction between dune, beach and river sands from their textural characteristics. J Sediment Petrol, 31: 514–529
Friedman G M (1967). Dynamic processes and statistical parameters compared for size frequency distribution of beach river sands. J Sediment Petrol, 37: 327–354
Friedman GM(1979). Differences in size distributions of populations of particles among sands of various origins: Addendum to IAS Presidential Address. Sedimentology, 26(6): 859–862
Folk R L (1966). A review of grain-size parameters. Sediments, 6: 344–359
Folk R L, Ward M C (1957). Brazos River bars: A study in the significance of grain size parameters. J Sediment Petrol, 27: 3–27
Frost S H, Langenheim R L Jr (1974). Cenozoic Reef Biofacies. De Kalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 388
Gujar A R (1996). Heavy mineral placers in the near shore areas of south Kongan, Maharastra: their nature, distribution, origin and economic evaluation. DissertationTip, Tamil University, Thanjavur, 234
Halley R B, Harris PM, Hine A C (1983). Bank margin environment. In: Scholle P A., Bebout D G, Moore C H, eds. Carbonate Depositional Environments. American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), Tulsa, USA, 463–506
Hallock P, Glenn E C (1986). Larger foraminifera: Tools for paleoenvironmental analysis of Cenozoic carbonate depositional facies. Palaios, 1(1): 55–64
Jonathan M P, Ram Mohan V, Srinivasalu S (2004). Geochemical variations of major and trace elements in recent sediments, off the Gulf of Mannar, the southeast coast of India. Environmental Geology, 45(4): 466–480
Lidz B H, Rose P R (1989). Diagnostic foraminiferal assemblages of Florida Bay and adjacent shallow waters: a comparison. Bull Mar Sci, 44: 399–418
McBride E F (1971). Mathematical treatment size distribution data. In: Carver R E, ed. Procedures in Sedimentary Petrology. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 109–128
Mohan PM(1990). Studies on the texture, mineralogy and geochemistry of the modern sediments of the Vellar estuary, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin, 192
Moiola R J, Weiser D (1968). Textural parameters: An evolution. J Sediment Petrol, 38(1): 45–53
Murray J W (1991). Ecology and Palaeoecology of Benthic Foraminifera. New York: Longman, 397
Passega R (1957). Texture as characteristic of clastic deposition. Am Assoc Pet Geol Bull, 41: 1952–1984
Peebles M W, Hallock P, Hine A C (1997). Benthic foraminiferal assemblages from current-swept carbonate platforms of the northern Nicaraguan Rise, Caribbean Sea. J Foraminiferal Res, 27(1): 42–50
Rajamanickam G V (1983). Geological investigations offshore heavy mineral placers of Kongan coast, Maharastra, India. Unpublished Ph. D. Thesis, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, 258
Rajamanickam G V, Gujar A R (1984). Sedimentary depositional environment in some bays in central west coast of India. Indian J Mar Sci, 13: 53–59
Rajamanickam G V, Loveson V J (1990). Results of radiocarbon dating from some beach terraces around Rameswaram Island, Tamilnadu, In: Rajamanickam G V, ed. Sea Level Variation and its Impact on Coastal Environment, Tamil University, Thanjavur, 389–395
Rajamanickam G V, Gujar A R (1993). Depositional processes inferred from the log probability distribution. In: Recent E Researches in Sedimentology. Jhingran V, ed, Delhi: Hindusthan Publ Corp, 154–164
Rajamanickam G V, Gujar A R (1997). Grain size studies on the near shore sediments of Jaigad, Ambwahand Varvada Bays, Maharastra. J Geol Soc India, 49: 567–576
Rajshekhar C, Reddy P P(2002). Ecology of beachrock fauna of the south Andaman Island, Bay of Bengal. Curr Sci, 82(7): 881–885
Scholten J J (1972). Beachrock: a literature study with special reference to the recent literature. Zentralbl. Geol. Palaontol. Teil I, 1971: 351–368
Stoddart D R, Pillai C S G (1972). Raised reefs of Ramanathapuram, South India. Trans Inst Br Geogr, 56(56): 111–125
Streeter S S (1963). Foraminiferal distribution in the sediments of the Great Bahama bank (Andros Lobe), Ph. D. Thesis. New York: Columbia University, 228
Trenhaile A S, Van Der Nol L V, LaValle O L (1996). Sand Grain Roundness and Transport in the Swash zone. J Coast Res, 12(4): 1017–1023
Triffleman N J, Hallock P, Hine A C, Peebles M W (1991). Distribution of foraminiferal tests in sediments of Serranilla Bank, Nicaraguan Rise, southwestern Caribbean. J Foraminiferal Res, 21(1): 39–47
Van Andel T H, Poole D M, (1960). Sources of recent sediments in the northern Gulf of Mexico. J Sediment Petrol, 30: 91–122
Visher G S (1969). Grain size distributions and depositional processes. J Sediment Petrol, 39: 1074–1106
Williams E (1964). Some aspects of eolian saltation load. Sediment, 3(4): 257–287
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Krishna Kumar, S., Chandrasekar, N., Seralathan, P. et al. Depositional environment and faunal assemblages of the reef-associated beachrock at Rameswaram and Keelakkarai Group of Islands, Gulf of Mannar, India. Front. Earth Sci. 5, 61–69 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-011-0165-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-011-0165-2