Subsidence of Holocene sediments in the Godavari delta, India

doi:10.1007/s11707-010-0124-3

Front Earth Sci Chin

0, Vol.

Issue () : 410-416 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-010-0124-3

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Subsidence of Holocene sediments in the Godavari delta, India

K. NAGESWARA RAO¹(

), N. SADAKATA², Vasant SHINDE³, A. S. RAJAWAT⁴, AJAI⁴

1. Department of Geo-Engineering, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India; 2. Department of Geography, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan; 3. Department of Archeology, Deccan College, Pune, India; 4. Marine and Earth Science Group, Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad, India

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Abstract

The present study is an attempt to estimate the rates of subsidence in the Holocene sediments of the Godavari delta along the east coast of India. Two boreholes dug at Panangipalli village in the delta revealed Early Historic culture material such as potsherds including Coarse Red ware, Red-Slipped ware, Coarse Grey ware, and Black and Red ware, between 3.5 m and 9.0 m below the surface level. This suggests that the location was a human settlement of Andhra Satavahana period which flourished in the region between 3rd century BC and 3rd century AD. The fossil shells of Anadara sp. recovered from the borehole further downward at 11.5 m below the surface are considered to represent the intertidal swampy/ lagoonal environment. The age of the shells was determined through AMS ¹⁴C dating as 6400 cal a BP. The presence of about 2.5mthick intertidal swampy/lagoonal material between 9.0 m and 11.5 m depth, suggests post-depositional subsidence at an average rate of less than 1.0 mm·a^-1. However, a higher rate of subsidence of about 2.0 mm to 4.0 mm·a^-1 is estimated for the upper 9.0mthick floodplain sediment unit which embeds the Early Historic culture remains. The increased rates of subsidence during the last two millennia when compared to the earlier period in this part of the Godavari delta could be due to anthropogenic activity of deforestation and agriculture leading to accelerated soil erosion in the catchment and increased sedimentation in the delta.

Keywords Early Historic pottery Anadara shells subsidence of Holocene sediments Godavari delta east coast of India

Corresponding Author(s): NAGESWARA RAO K.,Email:nrkakani@yahoo.com

Issue Date: 05 December 2010

Cite this article:

K. NAGESWARA RAO,N. SADAKATA,A. S. RAJAWAT, et al. Subsidence of Holocene sediments in the Godavari delta, India[J]. Front Earth Sci Chin, 0, (): 410-416.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/10.1007/s11707-010-0124-3
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/Y0/V/I/410

Fig.1 Location of Panangipalli borehole site in the Godavari delta shown with a cross mark NE of the Gautami distributary course. Also shown are the three strandlines (1st, 2nd and 3rd) and seven delta lobes (1 to 7a and b) indicating the nature of delta growth during Holocene. The maximum Holocene transgression limit is marked by the innermost beach ridge. The delta prograded in three stages (I, II and III) since the mid-Holocene, i.e., after the maximum transgression limit with various delta lobes terminating at each stage (after ; ). Inset shows the location of Godavari river basin (shaded area) and its delta (enclosed in the box) in India

Fig.2 Borehole section and the properties of sediments recovered from Panangipalli site in the northern part of the Godavari delta. Occurrence of the early historic cultural material between 3.5 m and 9.0 m depth is schematically shown based on the data obtained from the two adjacent boreholes at the site. The AMS C date is based on the analysis of fossil shells of sp. recovered from 11.5 m depth in the borehole. Sediment composition (Sedi. Comp. in the Figure) at different depths is shown in horizontal bars with sand, silt and clay from left to right in their respective per cent ranges. The organic carbon contents in per cent values at different depths are also shown

Fig.3 Potsherds recovered from the borehole sediments at Panangipalli site (see the text for explanation and characterization of the pottery)

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