Study of Palaeoclimate Reconstruction Using Sediments and Micropaleontology in the Karankadu Estuary, Ramanathapuram District, Tamil Nadu, India

The study of sedimentary characteristics and paleontology is very useful in assessing the past environment of a study area. The Karankadu estuary study area is considered to be one of the most ecologically diverse in the Ramanathapuram district of southern India. The sedimentological and recent foraminiferal assemblages were studied using a drill core from the estuary. Foraminifera analyses, grain size analyses, heavy mineral analyses and XRD maps were prepared for the present study. A total of 30 species were identified from the following suborders: Rotalina, Lagenina, Mollusca, Miliolina, and Textularina. Grain size analysis identified the substrate as mostly silty clay. Heavy mineral analysis identified 90% of light minerals and 10% of heavy minerals. In XRD analysis, quartz and feldspar appeared as major minerals and garnet, zircon, hypersthene, magnetite and ilmenite as minor minerals. The present study shows that the environment is more diverse due to its quiet character and less responsive to hazardous events such as floods and waves.