Depositional environment and faunal assemblages of the reef-associated beachrock at Rameswaram and Keelakkarai Group of Islands, Gulf of Mannar, India

doi:10.1007/s11707-011-0165-2

Front Earth Sci

0, Vol.

Issue () : 61-69 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-011-0165-2

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Depositional environment and faunal assemblages of the reef-associated beachrock at Rameswaram and Keelakkarai Group of Islands, Gulf of Mannar, India

S. KRISHNA KUMAR¹(

), N. CHANDRASEKAR¹, P. SERALATHAN², PRINCE S. GODSON¹

1. Centre for GeoTechnology, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tamil Nadu, Tirunelveli 627012, India; 2. Department of Geology and Geophysics, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala, Cochin 682016, India

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Abstract

Reef-associated beachrocks from Rameswaram and Keelakkarai group of islands (Holocene) were studied to assess the depositional environment and faunal assemblages. The samples were collected from marine terraces and reef platforms. Granulometrically, they are coarse to medium grained, moderately to very well sorted and fine to very fine skewed in character. The fine-skewed nature of the sediments suggests the prevalence of the environmental condition of low energy. The microfaunas associated in beachrock reflect the reefal environment of deposition. Bivariant plots show that the sediments were predominantly deposited under beach environment. The C-M pattern indicates that the sediments are deposited by rolling and graded suspension. The Visher diagram of the study area samples clearly shows the presence of a dominant single saltation, lack of population and no surface creep population. The low diversity and fair preservation of faunas reflect the transgressive phase and the shallow marine environmental condition. The commonly preserved species such as Quinqueloculina sp. and Triloculina sp. indicate the low-energy environmental conditions.

Keywords depositional environment faunal assemblages granulometry Gulf of Mannar

Corresponding Author(s): KRISHNA KUMAR S.,Email:coralkrishna@yahoo.co.in

Issue Date: 05 March 2011

Cite this article:

S. KRISHNA KUMAR,N. CHANDRASEKAR,P. SERALATHAN, et al. Depositional environment and faunal assemblages of the reef-associated beachrock at Rameswaram and Keelakkarai Group of Islands, Gulf of Mannar, India[J]. Front Earth Sci, 0, (): 61-69.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/10.1007/s11707-011-0165-2
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/Y0/V/I/61

Fig.1 Location map of the study area

Fig.2 Outcrop photographs. (a) and (b) View of well-developed reef terraces and cliff formations of the coral Island (the upper and lower terraces about 0.8 and 1.6 m respectively). The upper part of the terraces is chiefly covered by aeolian sand dunes and stabilized by small grass-like plants. (c) Crusts of foraminifera, bryozoans, red algae and microbial coatings stabilized the coral framework. (d) Coarse-grained bioclastic facies consist of fragmented bivalves, gastropods, benthic foraminifera and red algae. This facies is associated with moderate to well rounded lithic fragments especially quartz and feldspar grains

Fig.3 Bivariant plots

Fig.4 C-M pattern

Fig.5 Log probability plots (Visher diagram)

Fig.6 Beachrock-associated microfaunal (Foraminifera) assemblages. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

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