Granulometric Studies on Pennar Estuary, Nellore, South-East Coast of India

Praveena B.; Pramod Kumar M.; Lakshmi Prasad T.

Abstract

The ruling aspect of the present investigation is to study the textural characters as well as to understand the grain size relationship and distributionby engaging granulometric analysis, along the Pennar estuary, South east coast of India. An aggregate of 36 Surface sediment samples were retrieved and a comprehensive study of textural parameters and various size distribution of sediments were analysed at six various stations in six different micro – environments viz., dune, backshore, berm, upper foreshore (UFS), middle foreshore (MFS) and lower foreshore (LFS). These were further subjected to statistical treatment viz., Mean size (Mz), Skewness (Sk), Standard deviation (σI), and Kurtosis (KG). The procured results indicates that the sediment samples were coarse to fine grained, very negatively skewed to positively skewed, very well to moderately sorted, and platy tovery leptokurtic in nature and also indicates two mixed environments at some stations. Scatter plots were help to understand the mode of deposition, geological significance and transportation of grains along the coast. Scatter plots also divulges that the sediments along the coast were mainly associated with fluvial process. C-M diagrams demonstrate the type of transportation and deposition of the beach sediments. Ebbing and flooding shows prominent role in changing the characteristics of grains in the Pennar estuary, especially in the estuarine mouth and adjoining river areas.