Geological, geophysical, and inherited tectonic imprints on the climate and contrasting coastal geomorphology of the Indian peninsula

Ramkumar, Muthuvairavasamy; Menier, David; Mathew, Manoj Joseph; Santosh, M.

doi:10.1016/j.gr.2016.04.008

Cited by 37 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 98 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The 1,100‐km eastern coast of South India consists of river delta systems, vast coastal plains, extensive fluvial and marine sedimentary deposits, and so forth, revealing the prograding nature of the coast, which is evidenced by the prevalent cyclic sedimentation and subsidence and a general thickening of basin fill toward offshore. The selected major rivers Cauvery, Vaigai, and Thamirabarani that flow easterly and south‐easterly (Figure ) have deltaic platforms in their mouths (Ramkumar et al, ). The deltaic systems of these major rivers differ considerably from each other due to a myriad of morphological, climatological, and environmental processes.…”

Section: Regional Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Cauvery River has built a broad and huge delta whose delta head starts at ~24 m above MSL (mean sea level). All these deltas are Quaternary in origin, and their active present‐day lobe is Holocene in age (Ramkumar et al, ; Figures ).…”

Section: Regional Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Southern India is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, where all the east‐flowing rivers drain into the Bay of Bengal (BOB) and west‐flowing rivers into the Arabian Sea. Climatically, this unique geographical setting promotes differential heating between the Asian subcontinent and the ocean to the south that drives the most dramatic monsoonal wind system in the world (Chaitanya et al, ; Ramkumar et al, ). Driven by trans‐equatorial pressure differences, which, when coupled with the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the Indian monsoon system produces unique spatio‐temporal variations (Sushant, Balasubramani, & Kumaraswamy, ) resulting in juxtaposition of rainforest and rain shadow regions and concurrent flooding and drought situations in geographically adjacent areas.…”

Section: Regional Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Indian peninsular drainage is antecedent to the Western Ghats uplift (Sheth, ; Gunnel, Gallagher, Carter, Widdowson, & Hurford, ; Richards, Hoggard, & White, ), which is a post‐Deccan trap feature (Sheth, ; Ramkumar, Menier, Manoj, & Santosh, ; Richards et al, ) and resultant easterly tilt of the Indian Plate (Radhakrishna, ). The presence of extensive deltas along the east coast and their absence in the west coast, development of failed rifts, occurrences of Gondwana (sensu Ramkumar et al, ; Collins, Clark, & Plavsa, and references therein) sedimentary basins, and development of Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous rift basins coeval with rifting of the Gondwana supercontinent (Collins & Pisarevsky, ) are all major features of this region, although received only scant attention on a spatially restricted scale (e.g., Kale, ; Kale & Vaidyanadhan, ; Tandon, Chakraborty, & Singh, ). Previous studies focused on the structural (Gombos, Powell, & Norton, ) and geomorphic evolution of the Western Continental Margin (WCM) and Western Ghats Escarpment (WGE) (Gunnel et al, ), respectively.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies focused on the structural (Gombos, Powell, & Norton, ) and geomorphic evolution of the Western Continental Margin (WCM) and Western Ghats Escarpment (WGE) (Gunnel et al, ), respectively. Extensive studies have been carried out on the tectonic (Acharyya & Lahiri, ; Balakrishnan, ; Banerjee, Vaz, Sengupta, & Bagchi, ; Biswas, ; Banerjee, Bürgmann, Nagarajan, & Apel, ; Lal, Siawal, & Kaul, ; Dev, Radhakrishna, Chand, & Subrahmanyam, ; Ramkumar et al, ), geomorphic (Reddy & Shah, ; Agarwal, Dotiwala, Mitra, & Bhoj, ; Nair, ; Allison, Khan, Goodbred, & Kuehl, ; Avinash, Deepika, & Jayappa, ; Ramkumar et al, ), and basin evolution (Banerji, ; Mathur & Nair, ; Chari, Sahu, Banerjee, Zutshi, & Chandra, ; Radhakrishna, Chand, & Subrahmanyam, ; Jayalakshmi, Nair, Kumai, & Santosh, ) histories of the Indian sedimentary and river basins, coastal deltas, and offshore regions. Although these studies applied a variety of tools (e.g., Bhatt & Bhonde, ; Campanile, Nambiar, Bishop, Widdowson, & Brown, ; Karisiddaiah, Veerayya, & Vora, ; Kale & Vaidyanadhan, ; Kunte & Wagle, ; Ramkumar, ; Ramkumar, ; Ramkumar, Pattabhi Ramayya, & Gandhi, ; Ramkumar, ; Ramkumar et al, , ; Ramkumar, ; Ramkumar et al, , ; Sensarma, Rajamani, & Tripathi, ; Singh, Parkash, & Singhvi, ; Sinha & Tandon, ), there has not yet been a systematic synthesis to understand the landscape evolution at a regional scale.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Tectono‐morphological evolution of the Cauvery, Vaigai, and Thamirabarani River basins: Implications on timing, stratigraphic markers, relative roles of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, and transience of Southern Indian landscape

et al. 2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Peninsular India is an amalgam of transient landscapes evolved from the interactions between tectonic and climatic forcings. In order to appraise the tectono‐geomorphic evolution of South India, it is essential to understand the relationships between intrinsic and extrinsic processes and their geomorphic expressions at a river basin scale. Seven geomorphometric parameters, namely, longitudinal profile (Lp), asymmetry factor (Af), hypsometric curve and hypsometric integral (HI), mountain front sinuosity (Smf), river sinuosity (R), stream length gradient (Sl), and shape factor (Shp) were calculated for selected drainage basins of South India. Spatial analyses of these parameters in the light of systematic field mapping were attempted in this study. The results show the occurrences of southern sub‐basins with convex hypsometric curves indicating a youth stage and significant tectonic influence. The low and moderate Smf values within the basins are indicative of mountain fronts witnessing a high level of tectonic activity. The net effects of tectonic and geomorphometric processes are inferred to have been the responses of anti‐clockwise rotation of the Indian Plate and ridge uplift‐push from west. Directional change in Thamirabarani River Basin and drainage channel reorganizations in the Cauvery and Vaigai River basins stand testimony to these, among others. Amidst these, occurrences of tectonically quiescent regions and multiple incisions by river channels and flow of modern river channels in inherited palaeovalleys but on tangent directions of ancient flows are also observed. Five stages of landscape development are envisaged: First, inheritance of river basins from palaeodrainage systems; second, reversal of river flow directions during early part of Cenozoic and inception of evolution of modern river systems; third, during Miocene–Pliocene; fourth, during Pleistocene–Early Holocene; and fifth, during the Holocene–Anthropocene. The recent resurgence of tectonics is not only reflected in the shifting of axial rivers, but is also evidenced by seismicity and landslides/faulting. Together, transient nature of the Southern Indian Plate, first‐order control of tectonics, followed by climate and lithology over landscape evolution, inheritance of river valleys, synonymy of river basin responses to intrinsic and extrinsic geomorphic processes, however with unique signatures and basin‐scale responses, are inferred. Detailed morphometric studies and supplementation with precise age data may fine‐tune the proposed model. According to the model, inheritance of Mesozoic valley/structures during Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous, drainage reversal and initiation of Cenozoic–Recent river basin evolution, intense peneplanation during Miocene–Pliocene, intense incision during Pleistocene, periodic climatic extremes during Early Cenozoic, Palaeocene–Eocene, Oligocene and corresponding pedogenesis, and terrace formation and sedimentation have been recognized. Based on the numerical ages and documentation of basin‐scale distribution of s...

show abstract

Section: Regional Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Regional Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Regional Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Tectono‐morphological evolution of the Cauvery, Vaigai, and Thamirabarani River basins: Implications on timing, stratigraphic markers, relative roles of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, and transience of Southern Indian landscape

et al. 2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Discovery of buried historical structures in the Kaveri–Kollidam interfluve, southern India

Ramkumar

Kumaraswamy

Balasubramani

et al. 2018

Archaeological Prospection

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Srirangam interfluve, formed between the Kaveri and Kollidam Rivers in southern India, has been a religious and cultural human settlement for over 2000 years of recorded history. It contains thousands of ancient, yet in use, man-made structures.Owing to its geographic location, and episodic catastrophic floods from the Kaveri and Kollidam Rivers, the region has been inundated frequently leading to the burial of many smaller structures. Thematic maps of geomorphology, vegetation index, land use, digital elevation model, slope, etc., have been generated through multi-temporal remote sensing satellite images. A compilation of historic (stone inscriptions, temple documents) and literature data followed by detailed survey of the region using vertical electrical sounding (VES) and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) through 200 and 400 MHz shielded antennas has led to the discovery of several buried manmade structures at various depths ranging from 0.54 to 3.55 m below ground level (b.g.l.) that were known only in the literature, hearsay and folklore. The VES, GPR and field surveys delineated four major soil/sediment horizons below the ground surface. Sedimentological characteristics of a massive river sand bed found overlying a weathered zone suggest deposition during a major catastrophic flood. The occurrence of flood deposits burying historic structures especially adjoining the regional tectonic structure indicate episodically active climatic and tectonic processes that played a significant role in the burial of ancient-historic land surface and manmade structures that were under desolation after invasion and desecration by war-lords of yore. This study demonstrates the potential of combining traditional knowledge and modern technologies to gain insights to locate historic/archaeological sites and discover buried structures.

show abstract

Opportunistic colonizers in the Kallankurichchi Formation, Cauvery Basin, South India: Implications on Maastrichtian environmental stress

Ramkumar

Siddiqui

Rai³

et al. 2020

Geological Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Serpulids are marine filter-feeding annelids that live in calcareous tubes. Their distribution, colonization, and proliferation are dependent on physical environmental variables, including energy conditions. This article documents the occurrences of serpulid colonies over opportunistic colonizing trace fossil of Ophiomorpha-rich sedimentary unit in the Lower Maastrichtian Kallankurichchi Formation of the Ariyalur Group, Cauvery Basin, South India and links them with ecosystem dynamics, as a function of changes in eustatic and other relative sea-level changes and attendant variations in environmental parameters. Present observations indicate episodic changes in faunal composition, diversity, and population, across the boundary between Kattupiringiyam Inoceramus limestone Member and Tancem biostromal Member of the Kallankurichchi Formation. The boundary marked a significant change from lowmoderate energy, to high-energy waters, thus replacing a filter-feeding community by an opportunistic community. The opportunistic colonizers/trace makers of Ophiomorpha irregulaire occupied the ecospaces vacated by the sea-level changes.Systematic studies of faunal association across the boundary indicate a sudden appearance of significant populations of Serpula colonies above the surface (i.e., after the changes in ecosystem conditions) and enhancement of intensity of sponge boring in benthic organisms. This means that the changes brought about by the newer environmental conditions were supportive for opportunistic colonizers followed by parasitic and commensalic organisms. Significant reduction of Gryphaea population that was increasingly replaced by Alectryonia, Exogyra, and Terebratula is also documented. These changes, collectively, indicate prevalent environmental stress due to relative sea-level variations and attendant ecological conditions, to which, the opportunistic colonizers and parasitic organisms responded positively, while the native organisms dwindled in population and were forced to parasitic invasions.

show abstract

Geological, geophysical, and inherited tectonic imprints on the climate and contrasting coastal geomorphology of the Indian peninsula

Cited by 37 publications

References 98 publications

Tectono‐morphological evolution of the Cauvery, Vaigai, and Thamirabarani River basins: Implications on timing, stratigraphic markers, relative roles of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, and transience of Southern Indian landscape

Tectono‐morphological evolution of the Cauvery, Vaigai, and Thamirabarani River basins: Implications on timing, stratigraphic markers, relative roles of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, and transience of Southern Indian landscape

Discovery of buried historical structures in the Kaveri–Kollidam interfluve, southern India

Opportunistic colonizers in the Kallankurichchi Formation, Cauvery Basin, South India: Implications on Maastrichtian environmental stress

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About