High Resolution Facies Record on Late Holocene Flood Plain Sediments from Lower Reaches of Narmada Valley, Western India

Abstract

Abstract:A high resolution quantitative granulometric record for site Uchediya [21°43'2.22" N, 73° 6'26.22" E; 10 m a. s. l.] gives understanding towards accretion history of the late Holocene flood plain in the lower reaches of Narmada River. Two sediment facies (sandy and muddy) and seven subfacies (sandy subfacies: St MS+FS+CS , Sm FS+MS , Sl FS+VFS , and St MS + CS ; muddy subfacies: Fm SILT+VFS+FS, Fm SILT+VFS+FS (O) and Fm SILT+VFS+FS (T)) are identified based on cluster analysis supplemented with sedimentary structures observed in field and other laboratory data. Changes in hydrodynamics are further deduced based on various sedimentological parameters and their ratios leading to arrive at a depositional model.

Late Holocene flooding history of a tropical river in western India in response to southwest monsoon fluctuations: A multi proxy study from lower Narmada valley

“…Marine and continental multi-proxy palaeoclimate records from the Indian subcontinent show abrupt variations in the monsoon over the last two millennia (Agnihotri et al, 2002;Gupta et al, 2003;Sinha et al, 2007;Chauhan et al, 2009). However, the understanding on the response pattern of the monsoon-dominated fluvial systems to these late Holocene climatic excursions is limited (Kale and Baker, 2006;Kale, 2007;Sridhar, 2007;Sukumaran et al, 2012;Wasson et al, 2013).…”

Late-Holocene climate in the Lower Narmada valley, Gujarat, western India, inferred using sedimentary carbon and oxygen isotope ratios

“…Above this alluvial plain facies, there exists a reddish brown paleosol of thickness 4–5 m, formed between 15 and 10 ka BP in a comparatively wetter climate (Laskar et al, 2010). The overlying, stratified sediments forming the valley-fill terrace were deposited in the late Holocene, during historic and paleoflood events (Chamyal et al, 1997; Kale et al, 2003; Raj, 2008; Sukumaran et al, 2012). Instrumental weather records show several flood events since 1887 ce , the largest of which was in 1970 ce followed by 1968, 1973 and 1944 ce (Kale et al, 1994).…”

Multi-Proxy Records of Late Holocene Flood Events From the Lower Reaches of the Narmada River, Western India

“…at 2 cm intervals from 8 m thick sedimentary deposits. Highresolution granulometric data were generated using the sieve and pipette method, and their sedimentological relevance was discussed earlier by Sukumaran et al (2012b). In the present study, we attempt to integrate granulometric data with other proxies, such as MS and FMC, to determine the tracer capturing the flooding phases.…”

“…In the present study, we attempt to integrate granulometric data with other proxies, such as MS and FMC, to determine the tracer capturing the flooding phases. The description of facies and sub-facies of the Uchediya sediment sequence was decoded using high-resolution granulometric data by applying the cluster analysis method to 14 grain size fractions from 401 samples (Sukumaran et al, 2012b). Each cluster was quantitatively determined, compared, evaluated, and supplemented with field base details to derive the sediment sub-facies.…”

“…To assess the possibility of a change in sediment provenance, major element geochemistry was determined from seven distinct sedimentary depositional environments. Each depositional environment was identified and described in terms of subfacies level well before selecting the samples for analysis (Sukumaran et al, 2012b). The major oxide geochemistry of seven representative samples along the depth profile was studied using ICP AES with a microwave-digested sample, a facility made available by the Department of Earth Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology in Powai, Mumbai.…”