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Abstract:
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Continental shelf is of particular significance in marine geology ,
because it links the two basically different structural zones in the earth's crust; the
continents and ocean basins. The shelf area has much wider importance in many
fields of activity such as scientific, economic, social, political and strategic. The
pace of development has ultimately put pressure on mankind to look for exploitable
resources and accessibility to the continental shelf area and beyond. Added to the
above, the developmental activities in the coastal area would readily and directly
influence the innershelf sediments. This situation demands a thorough geological
knowledge of the continental shelf area. Moreover, a successful management of
the continental shelf zone requires an optimum data base on the physico-chemical
nature of the shelf sediments. Although sedimentological studies were carried out
along the western continental shelf of India, a well documented systematic study
of the inner shelf off Trivandrum coast is still found to be lacking. Considering the
physiographic settings and the vicinity of two renowned placer deposits at Chavara
and Manavalakurichi, such a sedimetological inventory has become all the more
vital.
In view of the above, a research programme has been drawn up to
account the salient sedimentological and mineralogical aspects of the innershelf
and beach sediments between Paravur and Kovalam, Trivandrum district, Kerala
(latitudes 8° 7'00" to 8° 47'45" and longitudes 76°43'00" to 77° 40'45"). The
findings are presented in six chapters formatted to address the aim of this
research. |