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A study on marine notches between Rameswaram and Kanyakumari and their implication on the sea level changes, East coast of India

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Abstract

A coastal geomorphic survey was undertaken along the southeast coast of Tamil Nadu from Rameswaram to Kanyakumari. Geomorphic interaction between sea–land formed the marine notches. The notches are used to delineate the significant sea level changes and local and regional tectonic activities. Based on the carbon dating method during the Mid-Holocene period, the sea level is expected to have been at least 1 m above from the present global mean sea level. But the altitude of these notches is approximately 12 to 25 m from the current average mean sea level. Notches corresponding to this sea level suggest the slow long-term uplift along the coastal tracts of southeast coast of Tamil Nadu.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are highly thankful to the Department of Industries and Earth Sciences, Tamil University, Thanjavur for providing the necessary assistance for this work. The authors are also thankful to Dr. D. Rajashekar Senior Scientist, Agharkar Research Institute, Pune and Dr. A.S.K Nair, Scientist, Centre for Earth Science Studies, Thiruvananthapuram for their critical suggestions and discussions during the course of this work. The author JDS personally acknowledges Association of Geoscientist for International Development Sao Paulo for extending the financial assistance to carry the fieldwork.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for GeoTechnology, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India, 627 012

    J. Dajkumar Sahayam & N. Chandrasekar

  2. Department of Geology, University of Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, 600 025

    S. Krishna Kumar & M. Suresh Gandhi

  3. Department of Disaster Management, SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India, 613 402

    G. Victor Rajamanickam

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  1. J. Dajkumar Sahayam
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  2. S. Krishna Kumar
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  3. M. Suresh Gandhi
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  4. N. Chandrasekar
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  5. G. Victor Rajamanickam
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Correspondence to M. Suresh Gandhi.

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Sahayam, J.D., Kumar, S.K., Gandhi, M.S. et al. A study on marine notches between Rameswaram and Kanyakumari and their implication on the sea level changes, East coast of India. Arab J Geosci 8, 2729–2738 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-014-1414-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-014-1414-y

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