International Conference on DELTAS (Borneo venue): Depositional Systems and Stratigraphic Development

International Conference on DELTAS (Borneo venue): Depositional Systems and Stratigraphic Development
In conjunction with two meetings: 3rd Annual Meeting of International Geoscience Programme (IGCP) - Project No. 475 Deltas in the Monsoon Asia-Pacific Region (DeltaMAP), and 2nd Annual Meeting of CCOP Project Integrated Geological Assessment for Deltas in Southeast and East Asia (DelSEA)
January 1318, 2006 Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei
ABSTRACTS AND PROGRAMME
Universiti Brunei Darussalam IGG, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST
International Conference on DELTAS (Borneo venue): Depositional Systems and Stratigraphic Development
In conjunction with two meetings: 3rd Annual Meeting of International Geoscience Programme (IGCP) - Project No. 475 Deltas in the Monsoon Asia-Paci c Region (DeltaMAP), and 2nd Annual Meeting of CCOP Project Integrated Geological Assessment for Deltas in Southeast and East Asia (DelSEA)
ABSTRACTS AND PROGRAMME
Compiled by
Yoshiki SAITO, Toru TAMURA and Joseph J. LAMBIASE
Universiti Brunei Darussalam IGG, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST
Conference organizers/sponsors International Geoscience Programme (IGCP) Coordinating Committee for Geoscience Programmes in East and Southeast Asia (CCOP) Universiti Brunei Darussalam IGG, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST SE & E Asia Regional IPO Node of IGBP-LOICZ-II World Deltas Network(WDN) Total E & P Deep Offshore Borneo B.V. Brunei Shell Petroleum Sdn. Bhd. Local organizer Joseph J. Lambiase, Universiti Brunei Darussalam Field excursion leader Joseph J. Lambiase, Universiti Brunei Darussalam IGCP-475 DeltaMAP project: Co-leaders Steven Goodbred, Jr.: Earth and Environmental Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA Yoshiki Saito: IGG, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST, Tsukuba, Japan CCOP DelSEA project: Leader Yoshiki Saito: IGG, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST, Tsukuba, Japan Published from Department of Petroleum Geoscience, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam Tungku Link, Brunei BE 1410 Tel: +673-246-3051, Fax:+673-246-1502, E-mail: lambiase@fos.ubd.edu.bn January 2006.
3rd Annual meeting of IGCP-475 DeltaMAP and 2nd meeting of CCOP DelSEA
Conference Programme An International Conference on DELTAS (Borneo venue): Depositional Systems and Stratigraphic Development
13 January, 2006 Evening: registration 14 January, 2006

0800 Registration 0830 Welcoming remarks from the conference organisers 0845-0900 Y. Saito, Asian deltas and Borneo meeting Session 1: River, Delta and Shelf Systems (1) 0900-0950 KEYNOTE PAPER: C. A. Nittrouer, A. Ogston, J. Crockett and C. Palinkas, Recent advances in understanding river-delta-shelf systems in diverse settings 0950-1010 S.S. Chun, J.K. Kim and S.J. Choi, Comparison of seasonal and long-term sedimentation in the Mankyung River Estuary and Gomso Bay embayed tidal flat, South Korea 1010-1030 R. Sinha, The Ganges dispersal system: geomorphic diversity and implications for sediment flux modeling 1030-1050 Coffee break Session 2: River, Delta and Shelf Systems (2) 1050-1110 K. Schwarzer, T.C. La, P. Czerniak, K. Ricklefs and C.T. Thanh, Wet and dry season sedimentation in mangrove areas examples from Can Gio (Vietnam) 1110-1130 X.T. Le, K. Schwarzer, T.L. Bui and K. Ricklefs, Different sedimentary patterns in the Can Gio mangrove estuary of the Saigon River 1130-1150 Wang. G.Q. and Shi X.F., Grain size characteristics of suspended particulate matter in the Yangtze River Estuary 1150-1210 Y. Zhu, Evolution of bottom sediment distribution on the continental shelves of the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea and East China Sea during the Holocene from simulation studies 1210-1330 Lunch break Session 3: Poster short summary (27) 1330-1600 1600-1620 Coffee Break
Session 4: Sedimentary Processes, Facies, and sequences (1) 1620-1700 B.S. Parsons and D.J.P. Swift. Depositional systems stratigraphy of a barrier-spit complex: application of mesoscale stratigraphy to Chesapeake bay mouth, Virginia, U.S.A. 17:00-1720 J. Liu, Y. Saito, H. Wang, Z. Yang, L. Zhou, Y. Liang and R. Nakashima, Sedimentary evolution of the Holocene subaqueous clinoform off the Shandong Peninsula in the Yellow Sea 1729-1740 M. Yamaguchi, T. Sugai, O. Fujiwara, H. Ohmori and T. Ogami, Three-dimensional analysis of the latest Pleistocene to Holocene incised-valley fill in the Nobi Plain, central Japan
15 January, 2006
0845-1000 CEREMONY 1000-1030 Coffee break Session 5: Sedimentary Processes, Facies, and sequences (2)
1030-1110 KEYNOTE PAPER: J.A. MacEachern, S.G. Pemberton, K.L. Bann and J.P. Bhattacharya, The unique ichnological signature of deltaic deposits 1110-1130 B.G. Jones, C.A. Hopley and C.R. Sloss. Holocene progradation of the Macquarie rivulet delta, New South Wales, Australia. 1130-1150 A. Bhattacharya, Studies on the sedimentation patterns and stratigraphy of tidal flats on the GangesBrahmaputra Delta 1150-1210 Z. Liu, C. Colin, K.P. Le, S. Tong, W. Huang and S. Boulay, Major elements and clay minerals of surface sediments in the Pearl, Red and Mekong rivers drainage basins 1210-1230 Poster short summary 1230-1400 Lunch break 1400-1630 Poster view time Session 6: Environment and Human Impact
1630-1650 S. Goodbred and P. Youngs. Geochemical fingerprinting of source-area erosion and development of the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta. 1650-1710 K. Anbarasu, Geomorphology as a control for beach placer deposits a model for exploration 1710-1730 B. Purkait, The Cenozoic climate and its impact on marginal seas in Indian territory: inferences from seabed sediment of coastal Orissa, Bay of Bengal 1730-1800 M.Q Hassan, M.S. Hossain, M. Alam and M.M. Alam, Environmental issues on Bangladesh coastal areas: a case study
16 January, 2006
Session 7: Borneo Deltas 0830-0920 KEYNOTE PAPER: J.J. Lambiase, Depositional processes, facies, morphology and stratigraphic succession of Borneo deltas: challenging the models 0920-0940 H. Darman, The Holocene deltaic system in the Tarakan Basin, Indonesia 0940-1020 S. Husein and J.J. Lambiase, Modern depositional systems of the Mahakam Delta, Indonesia 1020-1050 J.E.A. Storms, R. M. Hoogendoorn, M.A.C. Dam, A.J.F. Hoitink and S.B. Kroonenberg, Late Holocene evolution of the Mahakam Delta, East Kalimantan, Indonesia 1050-1110 Coffee break 1110-1230 Poster view time 1230-1330 Lunch Break
1330 Plenary business meeting

1500 Depart from UBD for Baram Delta field trip
Poster Presentations
South Asia to Southeast Asia K. Anbarsu, Response of sea level changes to coastal processes H.M. Bandaru, P. Subraelu and K.N. Rao, Recent changes in the coastal forms on the Krishna Delta, India S.R. Khan, M.B. Islam and M. A. Ali, Evolution of the Holocene Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta in Bangladesh M. B. Islam and S. R. Khan, Emerging hazards in the deltaic coastal plains of Bangladesh A. Sulaiman and V.R. Vijayan. Marine geology coastal mapping in Pulau Langkawi, Malaysia S. Aziz, Subsidence trends and sea level fluctuation on the Mahakam Delta, Indonesia T.K.O. Ta, V.L. Nguyen, M. Tateishi, M. Umitsu, Y. Saito and I. Kobayashi, Delta evolution patterns during the last 3000 years in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam V. L., Nguyen, T.K.O. Ta, M. Tateishi, I. Kobayashi and Y. Saito, Late Quaternary stratigraphic development on the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam T. Tamura, Y. Saito, S. Sieng, M. Kong, B. Ben, S. Choup and S. Tsukawaki, Evolution of the Holocene sedimentary succession in the Cambodian Mekong River lowland X. T. Le, Sedimentation under different vegetation cohorts in the Can Gio mangrove estuary of the Saigon River A. Funabiki, V. P. Vu and S. Haruyama, River geomorphology in the western Red River Delta plain, Vietnam
East Asia and others Chen J., Chen Z.Y. and Wang Z.H., Pollen-spores distribution in Quaternary sediments of the Yangtze River coast: a new insight into river channelisation to the sea G. Yang, H. Yin and Z. Chen, Quaternary sedimentological study of the north Yangtze Delta, China: stratal configuration and depositional pattern Z. Wang, Z. Chen, Z. Wei, Z. Wang and T. Wei, Coupling controls of neotectonism and palaeoclimate on the Quaternary sediments of the Yangtze (Changjiang) coast Wei T.Y., Chen Z.Y., Duan L.Y., Gu J.W., Y. Saito, Zhang W.G., Wang Y.H., and Y. Kana , Sedimentation rates in relation to sedimentary processes of the Yangtze estuary K. Uehara, Y. Saito and Z. Yang, Monsoon-induced seasonality in the transport, deposition and resuspension of Chiangjiang-derived sediments in the East China Sea T. Sato and F. Masuda, Human activity and accumulation change of the Yahagi Delta, Japan I. Kobayashi, S. Tanaka, N. Shibuya, K. Teresaki, M. Tateishi, S. Tanabe, T. Nakanishi and Y. Shibata, Sedimentary facies and radiocarbon dates of Gn-1 core from the east-central area of the Echigo Plain, central Honshu, Japan T. Tamura, F. Nanayama, Y. Saito, F. Murakami, R. Nakashima and K. Watanabe, Depositional record of intrashoreface erosion due to forced regression on a tectonically-uplifted strand plain, Japan F. Murakami, T. Inoue, T. Tokuoka, A. Fukita, K. Watanbe, T. Tamura and F. Nanayama, Ground penetrating radar survey at the Yumigahama regressive barrier, southwest Japan F. Namayama, T. Tamura, F. Murakami, Y. Saito, K. Watanabe, V.L. Nguyen and T.K.O. Ta, Ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey of a prograding beach-shoreface system: an example from the Holocene deposits of the Kujukuri coastal plain F. Nanayama, T. Kanamatsu, R. Stein, K. Akimoto and the Exp. 306 Shipboard Science Party, Complete sedimentary sections drilled by multiple advanced piston coring south of the Central Atlantic ice-rafted debris belt (sites U1312 and U1313): preliminary results of IODP Exp. 306, North Atlantic climate 2 H. Kawahata and Y. Kitada, Contamination of metallic and non-metallic toxic chemical compounds in the coral reefs and adjacent river mouths in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan Y. Saitoh and F. Masuda, Autocyclic thermal oscillations in experimental quasi-steady turbidity currents R.A. Kostaschuk, P.V. Villard and J.L. Best, Influence of bedforms on the stability of a migrating salt-wedge
Jan. 2006
An International Conference on DELTAS (Borneo Venue): Depositional Systems and Stratigraphic Development
CONTENTS
No. Presentation
TITLE OF PAPER author(s)
1
MIDDLE TO LATE HOLOCENE PALAEOENVIRONMENT CHANGES OF THE ADYAR RIVER, CHENNAI, INDIA Hema Achyuthan
2
GEOMORPHOLOGY AS A CONTROL FOR BEACH PLACER DEPOSITS-A MODEL FOR EXPLORATION K. Anbarasu
3
RESPONSE OF SEA LEVEL CHANGES TO COASTAL PROCESSES K. ANBARASU
4
SUBSIDENCE TREND AND SEA LEVEL FLUCTUATION OF THE MAHAKAM DELTA, INDONESIA Said Azi Aziz
5
STUDIES ON THE SEDIMENTATION PATTERNS AND STRATIGRAPHY OF TIDAL FLATS ON THE GANGES- BRAHMAPUTRA DELT DELTA Asokkumar Bhattacharya
6
THE FIRST OBSERVATION OF A PALAEO-LOBATIC FEATURE IN LOWER TAPI RIVER BASIN, SOUTH GUJARAT, INDIA S. K. Biswa Biswas
7
POLLEN-SPORES DISTRIBUTION IN QUATERNARY SEDIMENTS OF THE YANGTZE RIVER COAST: A NEW INSIGHT INTO RIVER CHANNELIZATION TO THE SEA Chen Jing Jing, Chen Zhongyuan and Wang Zhanghua
8
COMPARISON OF SEASONAL AND LONG-TERM SEDIMENTATION BETWEEN MANKYUNG RIVER ESTUARY AND GOMSO-BAY EMBAYED TIDAL FLAT, SOUTH KOREA SeungSoo Chun, JongKwan Kim and Sung-Ja Choi
9
THE HOLOCENE DELTAIC SYSTEM IN THE TARAKAN BASIN, INDONESIA Herman Darman
10
SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY OF THE LATE QUATERNARY DEPOSITS OF THE RED RIVER BASIN, NORTH VIETNAM Doan Dinh Lam
11
THE VARIATION OF QUALITY IN THE MIDDLE-UPPER PLEISTOCENE - MEKONG DELTA - VIETNAM Dong Uyen Thanh and Nguyen Viet K Ky
12
CHANGES IN HYDROGEOLOGICAL CONDITIONS DUE TO NATURAL AND HUMAN INFLUENCES IN A FEW RIVER BASINS OF TAMIL NADU, INDIA L. Elango
13
MORE THAN THIRTY YEARS OF COASTAL ZONE STUDIES AND EXPERIENCE ALONG THE NILE DELTA, EGYPT Alfy Morcos Fanos
14
RIVER GEOMORPHOLOGY IN THE WESTERN RED RIVER DELTA PLAIN, VIETNAM Ayako FUNABIKI FUNABIKI, VU Van Phai and Shigeko HARUYAM HARUYAMA
15
A MEGACITY AND A BIOSPHERE IN A DELT DELTA Santosh Ghosh
16
GEOCHEMICAL FINGERPRINTING OF SOURCE-AREA EROSION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE GANGES-BRAHMAPUTRA DELT DELTA Steven Goodbred and Penny Young Youngs
17
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ON BANGLADESH COASTAL AREAS: A CASE STUDY M.Q. Hassan, M.S. Hossain, M. Alam and M.M. Alam
Jan. 2006
18
MODERN DEPOSITIONAL SYSTEMS OF THE MAHAKAM DELTA, INDONESIA Salahuddin Husein and Joseph J. Lambiase
19
VULNERABILITY OF INDUS DELTA AND ADJOINING AREAS TO GEO-HAZARDS Asif Inam, T.M.A. Khan, S. N. Ahmed, M. M. Rabbani, A. R. Tabrez and M. Danish
20
EMERGING HAZARDS IN THE DELTAIC COASTAL PLAINS OF BANGLADESH Md. Badrul Islam and Sirajur Rahman Khan
21
TRACE METAL CONCENTRATIONS IN THE SEDIMENT CORES OF DELTAIC ENVIRONMENT OF PULICAT LAKE , EAST COAST OF INDIA N. Jayaraju
22
FORMATION OF DELTAS IN NORTH-WESTERN COASTAL ZONE OF SRI LANKA U.de S. Jayawardena
23
HOLOCENE PROGRADATION OF THE MACQUARIE RIVULET DELTA, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA Brian G. Jones, Carl A. Hopley and Craig R. Sloss
24
CONTAMINATION OF METALLIC AND NON-METALLIC TOXIC CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS IN THE CORAL REEFS AND ADJACENT RIVER MOUTHS IN THE RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPA JAPAN H. Kawahata and Y. Kitad Kitada
25
EVOLUTION OF THE HOLOCENE GANGES-BRAHMAPUTRA DELTA IN BANGLADESH Sirajur Rahman Khan, Md. Badrul Islam and Md. Ahad Ali
26
SEDIMENTARY FACIES AND RADIOCARBON DATES OF GN-1 CORE FROM THE EAST-CENTRAL AREA OF THE ECHIGO PLAIN, CENTRAL HONSHU, JAPA JAPAN Iwao KOBAYASHI KOBAYASHI, Satoshi TANAKA, Noriyuki SHIBUYA, , Kouichi TERESAKI TERESAKI, , Masaaki TATEISHI TATEISHI, , Susumu TANABE TANABE, , Toshimichi NAKANISHI and Yasuyuki SHIBAT SHIBATA
27
INFLUENCE OF BEDFORMS ON THE STABILITY OF A MIGRATING SALT-WEDGE Kostaschuk, R.A., Villard, P.V. and Best, J.L.
28
DEPOSITIONAL PROCESSES, FACIES, MORPHOLOGY AND STRATIGRAPHIC SUCCESSION OF BORNEO DELTAS: CHALLENGING THE MODELS Joseph J Lambiase
29
SEDIMENTATION UNDER DIFFERENT VEGETATION COHORTS IN THE CANGIO MANGROVE ESTUARY OF THE SAIGON RIVER Le Xuan Thuyen
30
DIFFERENT SEDIMENTARY PATTERNS IN THE CANGIO MANGROVE - ESTUARY OF THE SAIGON RIVER Le Xuan Thuyen, , Klaus Schwarzer Schwarzer, Bui thi Luan and Klaus Ricklef Ricklefs
31
SEDIMENTARY EVOLUTION OF THE HOLOCENE SUBAQUEOUS CLINOFORM OFF THE SHANDONG PENINSULA IN THE YELLOW SEA Jian Liu, Yoshiki Saito, , Hong Wang Wang, , Zigeng Yang Yang, , Liangyong Zhou, , Yuan Liang and Rei Nakashima
32
MAJOR ELEMENTS AND CLAY MINERALS OF SURFACE SEDIMENTS IN THE PEARL, RED, AND MEKONG RIVERS DRAINAGE BASINS Zhifei Liu, Christophe Colin, Khanh Phon Le, , Shengqi Tong Tong, , Wei Huang and Sb S astien Boula Boulay
33
THE UNIQUE ICHNOLOGICAL SIGNATURE OF DELTAIC DEPOSITS James A. MacEachern, S. George Pemberton, Kerrie L. Bann and Janok P. Bhattacharya
34
RECENT CHANGES IN THE COASTAL FORMS IN THE KRISHNA DELTA, INDIA B. Hema Malini Malini, P. Subraelu and K. Nageswara Rao
35
DELTA BUILDING ON ORISSA COAST, EASTERN INDIA: DEPOSITIONAL AND STRATIGRAPHIC CONTEXT Manmohan Mohanti
ii
Jan. 2006
36
GROUND PENETRATING RADAR SURVEY AT THE YUMIGAHAMA REGRESSIVE BARRIER, SOUTHWEST JAPA JAPAN Murakami, F., Inoue, T., Tokuoka, T., Fukita, A., Watanabe, K., Tamura, T. and Nanayama, F F.
37
AN ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS OF HUMAN INTERFERENCE AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES ON THE DELTAS OF PENINSULAR INDIA K Shadananan Nair
38
COMPLETE SEDIMENTARY SECTIONS DRILLED BY MULTIPLE ADVANCED PISTON CORING SOUTH OF THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC ICE-RAFTED DEBRIS BELT (SITES U1312 AND U1313): PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF IODP EXP. 306 NORTH ATLANTIC CLIMATE 2 Nanayama, F., Kanamatsu, T., Stein, R., Akimoto, K. and the Exp. 306 Shipboard Science Part Party
39
GROUND PENETRATING RADAR (GPR) SURVEY OF A PROGRADING BEACH-SHOREFACE SYSTEM: AN EXAMPLE FROM THE HOLOCENE DEPOSITS OF KUJUKURI COASTAL PLAIN Nanayama, F., Tamura, T., Murakami, F., Saito, Y., Watanabe, K., Nguyen, V.L. and Ta, T.K.O.
40
LATE QUATERNARY STRATIGRAPHIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE MEKONG RIVER DELTA, VIETNAM NGUYEN Van Lap, TA Thi Kim Oanh, , Masaaki TATEISHI TATEISHI, Iwao KOBAYASHI and Yoshiki SAIT SAITO O
41
RECENT ADVANCES IN UNDERSTANDING RIVER-DELTA-SHELF SYSTEMS IN DIVERSE SETTINGS Charles A. Nittrouer, Andrea Ogston, John Crockett and Cindy Palinka Palinkas
42
GROUND WATER FLUX THROUGH POROUS COASTAL DELTA STRIP AND AN ENRICHMENT OF COASTAL ARABIAN SEA PRODUCTIVITY Joseph Sebastian Paimpillil
43
DEPOSITIONAL SYSTEMS STRATIGRAPHY OF A BARRIER-SPIT COMPLEX: APPLICATION OF MESOSCALE STRATIGRAPHY TO CHESAPEAKE BAY MOUTH, VIRGINIA, U.S.A. Brian S. Parsons and Donald J. P. Swift
44
THE CENOZOIC CLIMATE AND ITS IMPACT ON MARGINAL SEAS IN INDIAN TERRITORY: INFERENCES FROM SEABED SEDIMENT OF COASTAL ORISSA, BAY OF BENGAL BARENDRA PURKAI PURKAIT
45
FACTORS CONTROLLING SUSPENDED SEDIMENT CONCENTRATIONS ALONG THE EAST AND WEST COAST OF INDIA V. Ramaswamy Ramaswamy, , P.N. Sridhar Sridhar, , P.S. Rao and B. Veera Narayanan
46
GULF OF MARTABAN, A SEDIMENT SINK ON THE AYEYARWADY SHELF, NORTH ANDAMAN SEA P.S. Rao, V. Ramaswamy and Swe Thwin
47
AUTOCYCLIC THERMAL OSCILLATIONS IN EXPERIMENTAL QUASI-STEADY TURBIDITY CURRENTS Yu Saitoh and Fujio Masud Masuda
48
HUMAN ACTIVITY AND ACCUMULATION CHANGE OF THE YAHAGI DELTA, JAPA JAPAN Tomoyuki Sato and Fujio Masud Masuda
49
WET AND DRY SEASON SEDIMENTATION IN MANGROVE AREAS - EXAMPLES FROM CAN GIO (VIETNAM) Klaus Schwarzer Schwarzer, , La Thi Cang Cang, , Patrycja Czerniak Czerniak, , Klaus Ricklefs and Nguyen Cong Thanh
50
THE GANGES DISPERSAL SYSTEM: GEOMORPHIC DIVERSITY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR SEDIMENT FLUX MODELING Rajiv Sinha
51
LATE-HOLOCENE EVOLUTION OF THE MAHAKAM DELTA, EAST KALIMANTAN, INDONESIA Joep E.A. Storms, R.M. Hoogendoorn, M.A.C Dam, , A.J.F. Hoitink and S.B. Kroonenber Kroonenberg
52
MARINE GEOLOGY COASTAL MAPPING IN PULAU LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA Abdullah Sulaiman and V. R. Vijayan
53
DELTA EVOLUTION PATTERNS SINCE THE LAST 3000 YEARS IN THE MEKONG RIVER DELTA, VIETNAM TA Thi Kim Oanh, NGUYEN Van Lap, , Masaaki TATEISHI TATEISHI, , Masatomo UMITSU UMITSU, , Yoshiki SAITO and Iwao KOBAYASH KOBAYASHI
iii
Jan. 2006
54
EVOLVING CLAY MINERALOGY AND TRACE ELEMENT COMPOSITION OF THE INDUS RIVER SYSTEM Ali R Tabrez Tabrez, , Peter Clift Clift, , Asif Inam, Liviu Giosan, , M M Rabbani Rabbani, M Danish, Rehan ul Haq and Shaque ur Rahman
55
DEPOSITIONAL RECORD OF INTRA-SHOREFACE EROSION DUE TO FORCED REGRESSION IN TECTONICALLY UPLIFTED STRAND PLAIN, JAPA JAPAN Toru TAMURA, Futoshi NANAYAMA, Yoshiki SAITO, Fumitoshi MURAKAMI, Rei NAKASHIMA and Kazuaki WATANAB WATANABE
56
EVOLUTION OF THE HOLOCENE SEDIMENTARY SUCCESSION IN THE CAMBODIAN MEKONG RIVER LOWLAND Toru TAMURA, , Yoshiki SAITO SAITO, SIENG Sotham, KONG Meng Meng, BEN Bunnarin, CHOUP Sokuntheara and Shinji TSUKAWAK TSUKAWAKI
57
LITHOFACIES PALEOGEOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND PLIOCENE QUATERNARY EVOLUTION IN CONTINENTAL SHELF OF VIETNAM Tran Nghi, Dinh Xuan Thanh and Nguyen Thanh Lan
58
MONSOON-INDUCED SEASONALITY IN THE TRANSPORT, DEPOSITION, AND RESUSPENTION OF CHANGJIANG-DERIVED SEDIMENTS IN THE EAST CHINA SEA Katsuto UEHARA, Yoshiki SAITO and Zuosheng YAN YANG
59
GRAIN SIZE CHARACTERISTICS OF SUSPENDED PARTICULATE MATTERS IN THE YANGTZE RIVER ESTUAR ESTUARY Wang Guoqing and Shi Xuef Xuefa
60
COUPLING CONTROLS OF NEOTECTONISM AND PALEOCLIMATE ON THE QUATERNARY SEDIMENTS OF THE YANGTZE (CHANGJIANG) COAST WANG Zhangjiao, CHEN Zhongyuan, WEI Zixin, WANG Zhanghua and WEI Taoyuan
61
SEDIMENTATION RATES IN RELATION TO SEDIMENTARY PROCESSES OF THE YANGTZE ESTUARY Taoyuan Wei Wei, Zhongyuan Chen, Lingyun Duan, Jiawei Gu, Yoshiki Saito, , Weiguo Zhang Zhang, , Yonghong Wang and Yutaka Kanai
62
THREE DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE LATEST PLEISTOCENE TO HOLOCENE INCISED-VALLEY FILL IN NOBI PLAIN, CENTRAL JAPA JAPAN Masaaki YAMAGUCHI YAMAGUCHI, , Toshihiko SUGAI SUGAI, , Osamu FUJIWARA, Hiroo OHMORI and Takashi OGAM OGAMI I
63
QUATERNARY SEDIMENTOLOGICAL STUDY OF NORTH YANGTZE DELTA, CHINA: STRATAL CONFIGURATION AND DEPOSITIONAL PATTER PATTERN Guifang Yang Yang, Hongfu Yin and Zhongyuan Chen
64
EVOLUTION PROCESS OF DISTRIBUTION PATTERN OF BOTTOM SEDIMENTS ON THE CONTINENTAL SHELVES OF THE BOHAI SEA, YELLOW SEA AND EAST CHINA SEA DURING THE HOLOCENE: FROM A SIMULATION RESULTS Yurong Zhu
iv
Jan. 2006
1 MIDDLE TO LATE HOLOCENE PALAEOENVIRONMENT CHANGES OF THE ADYAR RIVER, CHENNAI, INDIA Hema Achyuthan
Department of Geology, Anna University, Chennai 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India. E-mail: hachyuthan@yahoo.com
Unlike the Cauvery River that has formed large delta, short rivers along the east coast Tamil Nadu have not developed delta zones. This is largely due to the provenance of sediments, efcency of the river to transport sediment load, distance of the rivers owing and geology of the river basins. River Adyar is one such short river that drains the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. This river drains the area bearing the Charnockites of Precambrian age and the sandstone and shale of the Upper Gondwana age. The Adyar River has formed an estuary supporting diverse vegetation. In this paper, Middle to Late Holocene chronostratigraphy was studied using palynology and geochemical data, obtained from three insitu sediment cores retrieved from Adyar River and the estuary zone, Chennai, India, is presented. These cores were collected along the Adyar River, which offered excellent cross-sections along the east west direction. The data reveals that the mangrove vegetation that existed until Middle Holocene (4180 130 Yrs. BP) became extinct since the Late Holocene. The tidal influx influenced the estuary 10 kms west inland (at Saidapet) from the present shoreline until Middle Holocene providing congenial environment for mangroves. The reasons for decline in mangroves since the Late Holocene (last 2000 Yrs. BP) is attributed due to the relative sea level and coastal conguration change and also supplemented by anthropogenic pressure. Geochemical analyses of sediments also provided information on the spatial extent and vertical distribution of metal contamination. Sediment samples were analyzed for organic matter, CaCO3% and trace metal content. The data reveals that there is an increase in the heavy metal concentration in the estuary zone of the river. The concentration of Ni increases towards the estuary. High concentration of Ni is present in Adyar estuary in the top sediments is due to anthropogenic activity and industrialization near Saidapet and the Adyar estuary. Ni is either incorporated into the Fe-oxyhydroxide, sorbed onto the surface or complexed with organic matter. The increase in Ni, Cr, Zn, and Co is due to leather and chrome plating industries.
Jan. 2006
2 GEOMORPHOLOGY AS A CONTROL FOR BEACH PLACER DEPOSITS-A MODEL FOR EXPLORATION K. Anbarasu
Department of Geology, National College, Tiruchirapalli-620001, India. E-mail: anbarasu_gk@yahoo.co.in
The study of Coastal geomorphology has acquired a new significance among the geoscientists as the landforms are not studied today simply as a resultant product of the coastal processes but viewed as indicators of paleo environment and climate, habitat for organisms, control for beach placer concentration, location for tourism development and port building etc. The study of coastal geomorphology has become a prerequisite for any coast related studies. Coastal landforms of Tamilnadu, India were examined with a view to understand their relation with beach placer deposits. The landforms along the coast broadly occur in ve segments in a diverse geomorphological set up. (i) The landforms of west coast of Tamilnadu, bordered in the landward side by dissected plateaus with intervening narrow entrenched valleys, suggests that the area is subjected to upliftment. The beaches of this segment are narrow with rich placers. (ii) The segment in the southern part of east coast of India has beaches bordered with beach ridges, dunes and associated landforms. The erosive landforms like cliff and terraces are also noticed near shore. The beaches of this region are rich in garnet sands. (iii) The coast north of the previous one has paleo deltaic landforms. The beaches are bordered in the landward side by deltaic plains with numerous fresh water lakes. The beaches are decient of placers. (iv)The segment with modern deltas has depositional landforms like beaches, beach ridges, cheniers, swales, lagoons with mangroves etc. The beaches are decient of placers but rich in silica sands. (v) The coast with lagoons and paleo barriers with intervening mudats bordered in the landward side by sandstone uplands are rich in silica sands. In general southern Tamilnadu coast is rich in placers where the erosional landforms are dominant. The northern Tamilnadu coast is rich in silica sands and decient of placers where the landforms are depositional in nature. The bearing of landforms on placer concentration is observed.
Jan. 2006
3 RESPONSE OF SEA LEVEL CHANGES TO COASTAL PROCESSES K. ANBARASU

Department of Geology, National College, Tiruchirapalli-620001, India. E-mail: anbarasu_gk@yahoo.co.in
Coast is place where multivariate agents like uvial, aeolian, marine, terrestrial etc. act either together or independently. A study with a view to understand the response of these agents to the sea level changes was carried out along the coast of Tamilnadu, India. Coastal landforms were interpreted to understand the processes involved in the origin and the response of the processes with the sea level then existing was also analysed. The meandering and shifting of rivers causing change in the regime of sedimentation, expanded lagoonal action, induced wave action causing cliff retreat, truncation of the river mouth causing subsided estuarine processes etc are some of the responses observed during the rise in sea level. On the other hand straightening of the river courses with deepening of valleys causing sedimentation in the bay mouth and in the shelf, shrinking of lagoonal action etc are responses observed during the lowering of sea level.
Jan. 2006
4 SUBSIDENCE TREND AND SEA LEVEL FLUCTUATION OF THE MAHAKAM DELTA, INDONESIA Said Aziz
GRDC (Geological Research and Development Centre), Jln. Diponegoro no. 57 , Bandung , Indonesia. E-mail: saziz@grdc.esdm.go.id
The Mahakam rivers is the third largest rivers in Kalimantan, Indonesia about 775 km long. The river mouth has developed into large delta system spread like a broad fan over the self-sea having a bare of 65 km and radius of about 30 km. Topographically Mahakam Delta subdued areas at the margins of basins they are extremely sensitive to subsidence trends and sea level uctuations in the basin. The delta is often major depositional centres and they tend to produce exceptionally thick sedimentary successions. The sedimentary successions or cycles of sedimentary succession are very importance clues for diterminating the delta conguration that either is formed by subsidence of tectonic activity or it is due to sea level rice.
Jan. 2006
5 STUDIES ON THE SEDIMENTATION PATTERNS AND STRATIGRAPHY OF TIDAL FLATS ON THE GANGES- BRAHMAPUTRA DELTA Asokkumar Bhattacharya
Department of Marine Science, Calcutta university, 35 B C Road, Kolkata 700 019, India. E-mail: asok_marine@yahoo.co.in
The westernmost part of the Ganges- Brahmaputra delta of Indian territory primarily belongs to the HugliMatla estuarine system and thus is transgressive in nature. The deltaic deposits of the Ganges system are overlain by intertidal deposits of north-south trending estuaries and tidal channel systems, the open sea side of which are macrotidal to mesotidal in amplitude and with semi-diurnal tidal regime. The wave climate is quite signicant in the intertidal areas with wave frequency (for waves >2 m high) ranging from 10-20% and largest waves from 3.7-4.9 m (Eisma, 1998). The intertidal flats include the vast mangrove mudflats of Sunderbans together with some lateral stretches of salt marsh and immature bare muddy deposits under regular reworking by currents and waves. High weathering rates, deforestation and agricultural practices contribute to enormous suspended sediment discharge into the system. Of the three recognizable intertidal zones, the lower flat lying between the mean low water spring tide (MLWST) and the mean low water neap tide (MLWNT) is generally sandy with at-crested and bi-crestal ripples as the dominant bed forms. The middle at lying above the lower at up to mean high water neap tide (MHWNT) is sandy interspersed with mud in shore-parallel runnels and megaripple troughs. This at is also ornamented with rhombic ripples on the shore-parallel beach ridges and linguiod ripples to megaripples on the intertidal creeks. The sediments of the middle at are intensely reworked by narrow belts of meandering creeks that cross the intertidal region. The creek deposits due to their lateral migration form narrow prisms of reworked sediments and leave behind a series of lag deposits often with oriented mud lumps or mud balls and inclined heterolithic foresets or longitudinal oblique bedding (Reineck, 1972). The higher flats lying above the upper boundary of the middle ats and reaching up to the mean high water spring tide (MHWST) are abundantly muddy with mangrove vegetation. Mangrove mud and marshy silty- clay exhibit deformed tidal bedding with slump structures in sections and characterize the estuarine higher ats. A conspicuous zone of transition is discernable between the ats because of change in the physical conditions across the shore proles (Bhattacharya, 2001). Key words: Intertidal ats, Ganges- Brahmaputra delta, Hugli-Matla estuary. References Bhattacharya, A, 2001. Sedimentary structures in the transitional zone between intertidal and supratidal ats of the mesotidal tropical coast of eastern India. Proc. Tidalites 2000. Park, Y.A. & Davis, Jr.R.A (eds,), Spec. Publ., 47-54. Eisma, D.1998. Intertidal Deposits. CRC Press. N.Y., 525. Reineck, H-E., 1972. Tidal ats. In: Rigby, .J.K, Hamblin W.K. (eds.), Recognition of ancient sedimentary environments. SEPM. Spec. Publ.17, 146-159.
Jan. 2006
6 THE FIRST OBSERVATION OF A PALAEO-LOBATIC FEATURE IN LOWER TAPI RIVER BASIN, SOUTH GUJARAT, INDIA S. K. Biswas
Geology Department, M. S. University of Baroda, Vadodara 390 002, India. E-mail: sunit_geol@yahoo.co.in
The lower Tapi river basin (LTRB), occupying a significant position along the western margin of Indian sub-continent, is characterized by an extremely well-preserved assemblage of palaeo-geomorphic features. These features reect the phases of changes of a uvial system within an area, with respect to the nature of their ow pattern, induced by combined effects of various geological processes. These features have been identied and delineated on the basis of digital satellite data (IRS 1C LISS III, 1998) and topographic maps. The study of satellite data has also revealed the presence of a distinct lobatic feature in the inland portion of the study area. This lobatic feature has been identied for the rst time and its presence is quite signicant from the point of view of understanding the land-sea boundary position during the Quaternary times with in the study area. The geometry of this lobe indicates that its proximal portion is narrow, steep and shows concavity, whereas the distal portion is broad, fanning out with gentle convexity. The sub-surface transverse as well as longitudinal profiles clearly demonstrates the presence of alternating sand and clay layers. Taking into account the geometry of the palaeo-lobatic features, it has been identied as the river dominated deltaic lobe and its presence is attributed to the palaeo-strandline position during the Quaternary times in the study area.
Jan. 2006
7 POLLEN-SPORES DISTRIBUTION IN QUATERNARY SEDIMENTS OF THE YANGTZE RIVER COAST: A NEW INSIGHT INTO RIVER CHANNELIZATION TO THE SEA Chen Jing1, Chen Zhongyuan2 and Wang Zhanghua2
1 Geography Department, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China. E-mail: jingpuppy@hotmail.com 2 State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, Shanghai, China.
Seven Quaternary sediment boreholes (100-350 m long) were recovered on the Yangtze coast of the eastern China. Numerous Pollen-spores samples were analyzed for examining pollen-climate changes in relation to glacial and interglacial oscillations. In total, twelve pollen-spore assemblages were identified in the Quaternary sediments, which coincides generally with glacial and interglacial periods of Gonz, Mindel, Riss and Wurm. Particular attention has been paid to Abies and Piece and (A&P) that is used as either high-latitude (>40o) or high-elevation (>4000 m) indicator for cold climate setting. However the present study shows that a certain proportion (~5%) of P&A pollen species are found in the Quaternary sediments of interglacial periods, which is most likely to imply the inuence of Yangtze River sediment provenance from the upper Tibetan plateau, and/or the inuence from local highlands during the early Quaternary. Two types of A&P can be grouped: 1) in those boreholes located in the river mouth area, A&P appears in the early and mid-Pleistocene sediments regardless glacial and interglacial epoch. In contrast, A&P occurs only in the late Pleistocene sediments only during interglacial epoch; 2) in those boreholes cited near the Taihu lake area, a few A&P appears in the early and mid-Pleistocene sediments, but not in the late Pleistocene and Holocene. Of note, terrigenous sediment dominates the early and middle Pleistocene and marine sediment overwhelms late Pleistocene and Holocene. It is proposed that A&P that appear throughout the early and mid-Pleistocene would imply high-elevation landforms in the middle and lower Yangtze regions (probably >3000 m), where it yields sediment sources, together with A&P to the Yangtze coast; nevertheless, the exclusive A&P in the interglacial marine sediments of late Pleistocene would indicate sediment sources from distal upper Yangtze plateau a signal of river channelization through the plateau. In addition, no A&P in the late Quaternary sediments of the Taihu region would suggest no direct sediment sources received from the upper plateau, instead of local provenance of the western highlands. This preliminary pollen-spore study suggests a younger Yangtze River that channeled into the river coast no earlier than 120 ka BP.
Jan. 2006
8 COMPARISON OF SEASONAL AND LONG-TERM SEDIMENTATION BETWEEN MANKYUNG RIVER ESTUARY AND GOMSO-BAY EMBAYED TIDAL FLAT, SOUTH KOREA SeungSoo Chun1, JongKwan Kim1 and Sung-Ja Choi2
1 Department of Geology, Chonnam National University, Korea. E-mail: sschun@jnu.ac.kr 2 Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Korea.
The distribution of surface sediment on the both Mankyung-river estuarine and Gomso-bay embayed intertidal flats, which locate in the southwestern coast of Korean Peninsula, shows the evident seasonal change. In the former at, net deposition and net erosion occur on most tidal ats in the outer part during summer and winter, respectively. On the other hand, in the innermost river-mouth tidal ats, net deposition occurs dominantly during winter season and weak net erosion during spring season. Tidal processes combined with weak waves are mostly responsible for the deposition/erosion/movement of sediment on these tidal ats, except in lower at than 2 km from the coast in which the parallel-laminated sand facies formed by strong wave energy are well developed. In the latter embayed tidal at, the pattern of seasonal variation in sedimentation can be divided into two areas: the outer part of tidal at shows a clear seasonal changemostly sandy at (wave-dominated; net erosion) in winter and mixed at (tide-dominated; net deposition) in summer, and the inner tidal at has not a clear changemostly muddy at during the whole year (very slight erosion in summer). The tidal at would be especially vulnerable to sea-level rise caused by global warming because they show the coarsening-upward pattern in sedimentary sequence, indicating the gradual retrograding of coastal line probably caused by deciency of sediment supply. In the long-term sedimentation, both tidal flats show very similar evolution pattern. 4-5 m thick columns in the outer part of both flats show a coarsening-upward pattern, whereas those of the inner part have a ning-upward pattern, suggesting that these tidal ats have been retrograded and prograded, respectively, since 5-6,000 years. That would be due to the deciency of sediment supply in the outer part which cannot compensate for the increase of accommodation space with sea-level rise. In the inner or inner-most part of both flats, the progradation (or aggradation) due to rapid fine-grained sedimentation indicates that the most portion of suspended materials in the subtidal environment moves into river mouth or bay head and is deposited and preserved there. The discrepancy between the erosion due to deciency of sediment supply in the outer part and rapid ne-grained sedimentation in the inner part would be caused by the continuous increase of wave energy at the outer coasts and by severe articial decrease of coastal accommodation space due to large-scale reclamation projects since the last 90 years. This fact suggests that the various recovery programs such as articial foundation of salt marsh to prevent from severe coastal erosion in the open coastal head areas and the loss of productive coastal environment in the bay-head areas should be needed for the sustainable future in these coastal zones.
Jan. 2006
9 THE HOLOCENE DELTAIC SYSTEM IN THE TARAKAN BASIN, INDONESIA Herman Darman
Brunei Shell Petroleum Sdn. Bhd. E-mail: Herman.Darman@Shell.com
Tarakan Basin is located in the northeast of Borneo Island, East Kalimantan province, Indonesia. Similar to Northwest Borneo and Kutei Basin, the sediments in the Tarakan Basin come from the core of the Borneo Island. The basin is bounded to the north by Semporna volcanic high, and to the south by Mangkalihat carbonate ridge. The Miocene to Pleistocene deltaic system has been discussed in several petroleum related publications as the Tarakan Basin is prolic at this interval. The Holocene system, however, were lack of attention due to limited petroleum exploration activities. Recent observation suggests that the 200 meters bathymetric contour is reflecting the coastline formed during the last glaciation (+ 12000 Years Ago). A delta plain developed at the centre of the basin, located in the southeast of Bunyu Island. When the sea level rose, the coast line move towards the northwest, the delta plain was drowned and covered by coral reefs. The structures developed in Pleistocene formed the islands and control the sediment distribution. Active Palu-Koro fault which goes from Sulawesi to the Tarakan basin is responsible for an uplift in the southern part of the basin. This high becomes the local sediment source of the modern Bulungan delta.
Jan. 2006
10 SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY OF THE LATE QUATERNARY DEPOSITS OF THE RED RIVER BASIN, NORTH VIETNAM Doan Dinh Lam
Institute of Geology, Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology, 84, Chua Lang, Dong Da, Hanoi, Vietnam. Email: ddinhlam@yahoo.com
From a point of view of sequence stratigraphy, the Late Quaternary deposits (the Upper Late PleistoceneHolocene) (Q13b-Q2) of the Red River Basin can be divided into 3 system tracks: Lowstand system track, transgressive system track and highstand system track. The lowstand system track consists of a slope fan, margin shelf delta and alluvial deposits. The transgressive system track consists of coastal deposits and lagoon-estuarine deposits. The highstand sysytem track consists of deltaic and alluvial deposits. Following surfaces were established: sequence boundary, transgressive surface, maximum floodinng surface, ravinment surfaces. Unconformity surface- the sequence boundary was established following the weathering surface of the lower late Pleistocene alluvial and coastal deposits, which is widely spread in the study area. This unconformity boundary of the sequence is well established also based on the shallow seismic data. The evolution of the Late Quaternary deposits of the Red River basin had gone throught 3 stages:-Lowstand stage, transgressive stage and highstand stage. Lowstand stage started ca 60-65 K yrs Bp and ended ca 15-16K yrs Bp. The transgressive stage began about 15-16K yrs Bp and ended about 7.5-8K yrs Bp. The highstand stage began from 7.5-8K yrs Bp untill present day. During the lowstand stage, the Red River basin had gone mailny erosion, denudation processes. Eroded sediments were deposited as a margin shelf delta and slope fan deposits on the margin shelf . During the transgressive stage, the coast transgressed landward and subsidence rate of the depositional basin was much more higher than depositional rate. Sediments deposited during this stage with retrogradational mechanism. During the highstand stage, depositional rate was exceeded a subsidence rate, the coast regressed seaward. Deltaic and alluvial deposits were formed during this stage with progradational and aggradational mechanism. The result of study has pointed out that at present in Vietnam it is beginning of the succeed new lowstand stage, but not new transgression as mentioned many Vietnamese researchers. Temporary rising sea-level at present must be considered as uctuation of a sea-level during lowstand only, that making confusion. The general trend of the sea level in the future should be lowering as a result of the beginning of the lowstand stage.
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Jan. 2006
11 THE VARIATION OF QUALITY IN THE MIDDLE-UPPER PLEISTOCENE - MEKONG DELTA - VIETNAM Dong Uyen Thanh and Nguyen Viet Ky
Faculty of Geology & Petroleum Engineering, University of Technology, HoChiMinh City, Vietnam. E-mail: thanhdonguyen@yahoo.com
The variation of groundwater quality is very complicated and can be easily changed with time and space, especially in Mekong Delta. In general, groundwater quality depends on many factors such as ions, colloids, etc... among of which TDS factor is the most important one since it can show an overview about the groundwater quality. The analytical results of the variation of TDS in time in this paper is based on the latest monitoring data (1995-2004) of the Middle-Upper Pleistocene in Mekong Delta Vietnam.
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Jan. 2006
12 CHANGES IN HYDROGEOLOGICAL CONDITIONS DUE TO NATURAL AND HUMAN INFLUENCES IN A FEW RIVER BASINS OF TAMIL NADU, INDIA L. Elango
Department of Geology, Anna University, Chennai 600025, INDIA. E-mail: elango@annauniv.edu
DeltaMap project study is being be carried out as a part of the research activities of the International Geoscience Programme in an area comprising from China to Pakistan, and Oceania. The present study was carried out in parts of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. This area is of great importance with regard to major goal of the DeltaMAP as population living in this part area are largely influencing the hydrogeological conditions. This region has high risk of geological hazard which includes tsunami, earthquakes, cyclones, river flooding, drought, coastal erosion and deposition and saltwater intrusion. Hence the present study was carried out with the primary aim of understanding the impact of natural and human influences on hydrogeological scenario with special emphasis to the groundwater quality in a few river basins of east coast of India in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The rivers that were considered for this study include Palar, Cheyyar, Chithar and Cauvery. All these rivers drain into Bay of Bengal. The chemical composition of groundwater in most of these river basins is strongly inuenced by rock water interaction, dissolution and deposition of carbonate and silicate minerals, ion exchange and surface water interactions. Groundwater chemical composition in the central part of the study area is mainly controlled by lakes and the river, which is explained by the mixing mechanism. Weathering of silicate minerals control the major ions such as sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium in groundwater in this area. The activity ratios indicate that the groundwater is in equilibrium with kaolinite, smectite and montmorrillonite, which are the major weathering products from feldspar and other silicates. The SI of calcite and dolomite were calculated, which vary with respect to season. Groundwater is under saturated with respect to calcite and dolomite during rainfall recharge and over saturated during dry periods. The ionic ratio of Ca/Mg explains the contribution of calcite and dolomite to the groundwater calcium, magnesium and bicarbonate content. In addition, the reverse ion exchange process controls the concentration of calcium, magnesium and sodium concentration in hard rock formations. In the case of sedimentary formations, dissolution of carbonate minerals and accessory minerals are the sources for Ca and Mg, in addition to cation exchange. During rainfall recharge followed by a rising water table, reverse ion exchange is predominant; and during the summer followed by the lowering of the water table, ion exchange is dominant. Therefore, in general, the groundwater chemistry of this area is principally controlled by the mixing of waters, evaporation, mineral equilibria, dissolution and deposition, and ion exchange processes. The groundwater quality is reasonably good in most part of the study area. However, the groundwater quality is affected in certain parts due to the natural processes such as rockwater interaction and human induced processes such as non point source of pollution such as application of agrochemicals and domestic wastes, and by seawater intrusion. Further work is under progress to determine the exact causes.
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Jan. 2006
13 MORE THAN THIRTY YEARS OF COASTAL ZONE STUDIES AND EXPERIENCE ALONG THE NILE DELTA, EGYPT Alfy Morcos Fanos
Emeritus Pro. Coastal Research Institute, 15 El-Pharaana Str., El- Shallalat 21514 Alexandria, Egypt. E-Mail: alfy_fanous@yahoo.com
The Nile delta is the only delta existing along the Southeastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. It is considered one of the most interesting natural laboratories not only because of its coastal processes and evolution (erosion/accretion) but also because of its economic importance related to Egyptian natural sources and land management. Its coast extends for 240 km from Abu Quir, near Alexandria, in the west to Port Said in the east, gure 1. The surface of the Nile Delta (20 000 km2) represents only 2.3 percent of the area of Egypt, but as much as 46 percent of the total cultivated area (55040 km2) and it accommodates approximately 45 percent of Egypts population. An extensive zone of the Delta lies below 1 m in elevation. The importance of this zone is well known by its high level of agriculture, fish production and its future expansion for aquaculture activities and more developments for urbanization. The coastal lagoons represent 0.25 of the total Mediterranean coastal wetlands which provide both staging and wintering areas for seasonal bird migrations and sh production. This delta was formed in the past ages from the large amounts of alluvium brought by the Nile causing the advance of its shores into the sea. This phenomenon was reversed since the year 900 causing erosion to Burullus hump while it started since 1900 for other parts of the Delta. The erosion was aggravated since the construction of the High Aswan dam in 1965, causing disequilibrium of the important parts at Rosetta and Damietta promontories and Burullus area. This paper presents a brief background of the Nile delta formation, its geomorphologic features and its evolution. Also it shows the experience of more than thirty years concerning: the coastal processes taking place along its coast, identifying the existing problems related to accretion/erosion phenomenon and the future ones due to new developments which include urban expansion, new industries, coastal roads and communities and illustrates the protective works and their impacts leading to potential actions for an integrated coastal zone management framework.
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14 RIVER GEOMORPHOLOGY IN THE WESTERN RED RIVER DELTA PLAIN, VIETNAM Ayako FUNABIKI1, VU Van Phai1 and Shigeko HARUYAMA2
1 Vietnam National University, Hanoi University of Science, Faculty of Geography, Department of Geomorphology, 334 Nguyen Trai St., Thanh Xuan, Hanoi, Vietnam. E-mail: bickey@nenv.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp 2 University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Frontier Science, Institute of Environmental Studies, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
The landforms of the Red River Delta Plain, Vietnam, is characterized by meandering belt of the Red River distributaries in western flood plain, sand-ridge complex in southeastern coast, and Holocene terrace in northeast. The western ood plain, where the Hanoi city and old Thang Long Castle are located, was the northern limit of Holocene shoreline transgression. From interpretation of aerial photographs and satellite images, and field survey we classified landforms in the western floodplain into 3 units; (1) Levees with abandoned channel lls along the Day River, which have been formed after the middle Holocene, are located on western side. They accompany archeological sites of the late Neolithic and Metal ages, and are partly covered by point bars of Historical ages. (2) Along the main stream of the Red River, natural levees with a maximum width near Hanoi of 10 km parallel the Day Rivers natural levees. These two Rivers natural levees have height 7-10m at maximum. (3) Between these two rivers, abandoned channels of the Nhue River ows with crevasse splay topography on overbank areas. The Pleistocene sediments emerged on the eastern side of the Nhue River channels may indicate that there are two main distributaries, the Day River and Red River, in the western oodplain during the late Holocene.
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Jan. 2006
15 A MEGACITY AND A BIOSPHERE IN A DELTA Santosh Ghosh

Centre for Built Environment, 2/5 Sarat Bose Road, Kolkata 700 020, India. E-mail: sghoshcbe@hotmail.com
1. Introduction Bengal delta, adjoining the Bay of Bengal is formed by two great rivers the ganges and the Brahmaputra, many small rivers and tributories and it is the largest delta in the world. It is one of the highly urbanised area including a megacity Kolkata, with a variety of industries, surrounded by fertile agricultural land, towns and villages. The lower Gangetic delta has rivers, canals, marshes, estuaries oodplain, mangrove forests, ora, fauna etc and small islands. A part of it is the Sunderbans biosphere, declared by the Unesco for rich biodiversity. The impact of the megacity Kolkata is large and sedimental deposits are changing land cover and ecology. 2. Environmental and Geological problems The rivers in the delta receive waste and pollution from upstream urbanisation along the Ganges and the Government initiated projects to reduce it. Expensive dredging is adopted yet sedimentation has raised river and canal bed, vulnerable to flooding and new small islands are appearing. Man mae activities in unsustainable development in low lying areas subject to submergence are being filled up for realestate development. There are geological problems out of this situation. Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority requested Geological Survey of India to delineate aquifer and potable groundwater zones because of chemical contamination like arsenic, uride etc. and to prepare geomorphological maps and guidelines for landuse/ urban planing interaction with geology. Within the megacity Kolkata, due to land subsidence and unequal settlements, buildings have collapsed and many buildings have tilted due to over-leading of soil and new areas are being waterlogged on the lower delta because of marshy land and land below sealevel there is soil erosion, water contamination, landslides etc. The tidal action of the Bay of Bengal inundates the whole of the Sunderbans in varying depth. Mudats are found in the estuaries and on the deltic islands. Mangrove forests reduce the disaster vulnerability but deforestation, unsustainable farming and shing practice, urbanisation with industrial, port and tourism activities are damaging ecosystem. The physiographic zone of this marineriverine delta is gradually advancing upon the shallow continental shelf. 3. Integrated planning and management For such complex delta besides human activities and environmental criteria, physical, hyrographic and biological criteria are to be integrated as suggested by the Unesco. Development of the Sunderbans in lower deltic region should be on the basis of conservation, environment and development, though three areas have been identied-core area, buffer zone and transition area. But regulation and control of sprawling growth of a megacity as well as coastal areas are necessory. These regulatory aspects are environmental, townplanning, architecture and governance. An integrated holistic plan in the framework of regional environmental management plan is required.
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16 GEOCHEMICAL FINGERPRINTING OF SOURCE-AREA EROSION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE GANGES-BRAHMAPUTRA DELTA Steven Goodbred and Penny Youngs
Earth and Environmental Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235 USA. E-mail: steven.goodbred@vanderbilt.edu
Thick sediment sequences deposited by the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers in the delta of Bangladesh provide an excellent high temporal-resolution record of Himalayan erosion. These deltaic records represent a valuable tool for understanding erosional responses to well-documented changes in the South Asian monsoon. Using Sr and Nd isotopic composition at several sites in the delta, we are beginning to reconstruct the provenance history of Holocene sediments and the last glacial maximum (LGM). Since each river drains a unique set of Himalayan lithologies, we nd that the various regions of the Himalaya differ in their response to millennial-scale (monsoonal) and glacial-interglacial time scale climate changes. In particular, we note an increase in sediment production from the highest altitude regions (High Himalayan Crystalline Series) that correlates with maximum monsoon intensity in the early Holocene. This provenance shift is also associated with an increased sediment loading to the delta at that time. During the last glacial maximum, little to no sediment from the Tsangpo-reach of the Brahmaputra (Tibetan Sedimentary Series) was delivered to the delta, despite it being a major component at other times. This potentially reects sediment trapping in recently discovered ice-dammed lakes that existed episodically during the late Quaternary. On the delta proper, a closer examination of sediment provenance is helping elucidate the role of climate and erosion regimes on margin processes and sequence formation during this time. Sr results from numerous boreholes conrm that western portions of the delta were formed by the Ganges River, while eastern areas have been dominated by sedimentation from the Brahmaputra. However, Sr values through the Holocene do not change markedly and suggest that the river channels remained largely separate, unlike the major conuence of the modern channel conguration. Furthermore, relatively consistent Sr values at individual sites suggest that river channels remained relatively stable over long-periods of time (e.g., 1000s years). The apparently more active cycles of avulsion and migration during the latest Holocene may be a function of decreased accommodation space. Also, given that sediments from the two rivers are largely parsed among distinct regions of the delta, it appears that the system can be considered more an amalgamation of two distinct subaerial deltas than a truly mixed, single system. To date the geochemical ngerprinting of delta sediments has proven critical in beginning to unravel variability and complex responses in the GangesBrahmaputra source-to-sink system.
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17 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ON BANGLADESH COASTAL AREAS: A CASE STUDY M.Q. Hassan, M.S. Hossain, M. Alam and M.M. Alam
Department of Geology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh. E-mail: mqhassan@udhaka.net
Bangladesh has about 710 km long complex shoreline. It extends along the Bay of Bengal from the mouth of the Naf River in the southeast to the mouth of the Raimongal River in the southwest. The coastal morphology of the country is a very complex and dynamic system undergoing continuous changes as a result of active delta building processes. With the exception of the hilly region in the east, the entire central and western part of Bangladesh is drained by the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna Rivers, which together have developed one of the largest deltas of the world. Various factors, such as: i) the vast input of watersediment discharge brought by these rivers into the Bay of Bengal, ii) the interaction between the uvial and marine processes at the river mouth, iii) a favourable climatic setting, and iv) the cyclic nature of the delta system, combine to produce a coastal belt, which is exceptionably rich in agricultural and other renewable resources, like fisheries and forestry. Under natural conditions, the self-maintaining nature of the delta system ensures continuity of these coastal resources. In addition, a huge population of Bangladesh depends on this system for their survival. However, the overall sustainability of the resources depends largely on the environmental sustainability of the system, which appears to be extremely delicately balanced and fragile. The coastal zone of Bangladesh is unique in the sense that it is located at the land-sea interface, and is thought to be ecologically very sensitive. The zone may be described as the transitional area between the two environmental domains the continental and the marine. These domains are functionally dependent on each other in several different ways. The coastal zone occupies that part of the land which is inuenced by its proximity to the sea and that part of the sea affected by its proximity to the land. The main objectives of this study are to identify the major causes of this imbalance and to work out methodologies to quantify their impact on the environmental and socio-economic aspects of the coastal area. A major part of this study addresses these issues and problems in more detail and suggests possible solution to these problems. The main objectives of the present study are: 1) To identify the major environmental issues and important environmental components (IECs) of the coastal areas of Bangladesh. (2) To work out the methodology to be used to quantify human induced impact on coastal environment and the degree of environmental degradation. (3) To determine the trend of environmental changes in the coastal areas of Bangladesh and to identify the major forces responsible for causing these changes. (4) To identify major sources of baseline data to be used to compare and to quantify the changes. (5) To determine the degree of changes in the hydrological and sedimentation patterns introduced by human activities and develop methods to be used to quantify these changes, e.g., changes in rate of sedimentation or subsidence or salinity intrusion, etc. (6) To evaluate how the coastal geomorphology has changed over the last 50 years due to human activities? (7) To understand the impact of human activities on the coastal ecology including fauna, ora and biodiversity? Are the human induced changes in the physical system mainly responsible for the changes in the ecosystem? What will be the best way to examine the changes and to quantify them? (8) To understand the social and economic impact of human intervention on the coastal environment? (9) To investigate possible means to improve or to stop any further degradation of the coastal environment. (10) To understand
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the possible impact of sea level rise on the coastal environment. Our field observations on the environmental issues of the coastal areas of Bangladesh are considered the following points: sedimentation, water logging and drainage congestion, erosion and accretion, subsidence, cyclone, tidal ooding, sheries, agricultural, deforestation, aforestation, navigation, wetland, biodiversity, health and education. These points are direct relationship between poverty and natural environmental degradation. Majority of people living in the coastal areas are very poor. Most poor people are involved in exploitation of the natural resources, including forestry and shery resources of the area for their subsistence. This is contributing to a Vicious Negative Cycle of environmental degradation and erosion of resources base in the coastal area.
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18 MODERN DEPOSITIONAL SYSTEMS OF THE MAHAKAM DELTA, INDONESIA Salahuddin Husein and Joseph J. Lambiase
Dept. of Petroleum Geoscience, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Bandar Seri Begawan BE1410, Brunei Darussalam. E-mail: shddin@yahoo.com
The present-day Mahakam Delta has long been classied as a mixed uvial and tide-dominated prograding delta. Since the early 1970s, several sedimentological studies were carried out by a number of workers that mainly focused on sedimentary characteristics and sand body geometries, but little attention was given to the present-day depositional systems. The present study evaluates the present-day morphology, characterises the sedimentary facies and reviews their distribution with the respect to hydrodynamic processes to determine the depositional systems. The subaerial and subaqueous delta plains cover an area of about 2700 km2 and have a lobate, fan-shaped morphology. The subaerial delta plain is dissected by eight principal distributaries in the NE and SE that are separated by an interdistributary area with numerous tidal inlets. The adjacent subaqueous delta plain has a gentle slope to 5 m water depth where the slope abruptly increases on the delta front. Echo sounding proles taken across the subaqueous delta plain indicate it is dissected by several subaqueous channels which are offshore extensions of adjacent distributaries. Three hundred and twenty-eight bottom sediment samples and 5 shallow cores indicate that sand covers the bottom of the distributaries at the delta apex and gradually nes seaward, but does not extend to the channel mouths. Sand also occurs as elongate intertidal bars; most are perpendicular and attached to the shoreline, although a few are detached. Mud dominates the offshore, the abandoned distributaries and the distal reaches of the active distributaries. At the distal end of the southern delta plain, detrital organic debris is widely distributed along the shoreline. Hydrodynamic data collected at 22 locations indicates that the sediment transport pattern is a product of the interaction of uvial and sedimentary processes which are active along the entire length of the distributaries. Fluvial processes dominate the sandy reaches of the distributaries, while tides are the most important process in the lower reaches of active distributaries, the inactive distributaries and interdistributary area, and strongly affect the uvial-dominated area as well. Waves have a signicant inuence on the southern coastline, where they winnow mud, slightly modify the geometry of intertidal sand bars and concentrate detrital organic debris along the upper part of intertidal mud ats to form peat beaches and beach ridges. This study suggests that the Mahakam Delta is indeed a mixed uvial and tide-dominated system but uvial dominance is restricted to the upper reaches of the active distributaries and tides are the most important processes on the delta and dominate all other areas, except for minor wave re-working along the SE shoreline. The delta is presently subsiding and being transgressed and modied by marine processes. Fluvially-supplied sand is being stored onshore in the distributaries and is not reaching the shoreline. Approximately 5 m of ongoing subsidence has shifted the shoreline landward, submerging part of the lower delta plain and the distal reaches of the distributaries.
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19 VULNERABILITY OF INDUS DELTA AND ADJOINING AREAS TO GEO-HAZARDS Asif Inam, T.M.A. Khan, S. N. Ahmed, M. M. Rabbani, A. R. Tabrez and M. Danish
National Institute of Oceanography, ST. 47 Clifton Block 1, Karachi, PAKISTAN. E-mail: asif.inam@gmail.com
Indus delta is prone to storms/cyclones, as the creeks are critically located on the path of cyclones of the Arabian Sea. According to statistics, one cyclone is expected in a year in the Arabian Sea. About 75% of these cyclones end up at the Omani coast on the western Arabian Sea and the remaining 25% curve clockwise and cross the coast near the Rann of Kutch. Sometimes the cyclones cross the Indus Deltaic coast. The winds and low pressure creates storm surges which when combined with high tides, create destruction in the coastal areas. Besides cyclones, several depressions with less severe intensity frequently occur in the northern Arabian Sea during SW monsoon which are also associated with storm surges. These surges which are about 0.5 m in height, when combined with HHW are potential sources of erosion creating high waves at the open sandy coast and by increasing tidal water level favouring tidal inundation. Indus Delta was hit by a major cyclone on May 20, 1999. Tropical Cyclone 2A hit the delta with wind up to 270 km/h, and submerged 600 coastal villages in Thatta and Badin district. The sea water gushed 10km inland of the coast. The Cyclone 2A is said to be the biggest cyclone to have hit this area in this century. The earthquake hazards in the Indus Delta are due to the passive continental margin resulting mainly from intra plate active faults, particularly the Rann of Kutch Fault and Pab Faults. The severe earthquake of June 1819 resulted in the 6m uplift of 16 km wide and 81 km long block of alluvial land which blocked an eastern branch of the Indus River and resulted in ooding. The oldest record of a tsunami in the Indus Deltaic area dates back to an earthquake in the Kutch region, about 326 BC. The effects of 26th December 2004 were also felt along Pakistan coastline. Abnormal rise in water was detected by tide gauge in the Keti Bandar Area. Tide station measured abrupt rise and fall of sea water. At about 3:30 pm an abrupt rise and fall of sea level observed at Gwadar and Karachi coastal area. This phenomenon continued up to 5:00 pm in the evening. The observed tide indicate that the travel time of tsunami to reach Pakistan coastline was 7-8 hrs. The daming of the Indus River has drastically reduced the sediment and water nourishment of the delta and thus exerting tremendous pressure on the barrier islands. Strong wave action is rapidly eroding the barrier island and making the delta defenceless against the natural hazards. Any severe natural event in the future will not only impound the beleaguered deltaic area but would also destroy the coastal installation and local population.
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20 EMERGING HAZARDS IN THE DELTAIC COASTAL PLAINS OF BANGLADESH Md. Badrul Islam1 and Sirajur Rahman Khan2
1 Department of Geology and Mining, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi 6205, Bangladesh. E-mail: mbi@librabd.net 2 Geological Survey of Bangladesh, 153 Pioneer Road, Segunbagicha, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh.
The lower delta plain of the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta in Bangladesh occupy about 19,564 km 2 of area where about 20 million people inhabits are susceptible to natural hazards like river flooding, tidal surge inundation, water logging, bank erosion and salinity intrusion. Besides, anthropogenic-induced hazards resulted from deforestation and scanty sedimentation on the tidal plains as a consequence of construction of earth embankment along the river and tidal channels have been worsening the situation. Recent years, a new hazard has been reported in the south-western part of Bangladesh where ground cracks of centimeters to couple of centimeters wide and a meter to several kilometers long have developed on the surface without any ground shaking that human can feel. Ground surfaces as chunk have been found subsided irregularly to several centimeters along the cracks. After comprehensive study it is found that subsurface geology, excessive extraction of ground water and prolong dry season might be responsible for this type phenomenon. Sea level rise in recent years is causing serious land erosion along most parts of the coast except the present Meghna estuary. Water logging has also become a major threat in the last few decades and the condition is deteriorating day by day. Subsidence of the deltaic part is adding a new dimension in accelerating the inundation problem. The mean annual rate of 3.0 mm subsidence, 1.0-1.5 mm sea level rise and a very little or no sedimentation have already been showing adverse effect in the coastal areas and that may further aggravate in future. The area with severe water logging has increased from 31 km2 in 1981 to about 475 km2 in 1991. Besides, a considerable part of the plain including townships is becoming the victim of tidal inundation now a day during spring tides, which was not occurred even a decade ago. Inundation analysis with the help of GIS and taking elevation models of the delta plains shows that almost the entire lower deltaic plain may be inundated periodically of various depths by tidal water around 2050 s, when the combined effect of sea level rise and subsidence of the tidal plain is expected to add up to 40 cm. This will not only inundate the settlement areas and agricultural lands periodically but the beels and depressions in the upper and lower tidal deltic plains will also be under permanent deep water because of their poor drainage system. The susceptibility of inundation by tidal water is comparatively less in the estuarine part as well as the plains where there is no embankments so far. The at topography, unconsolidated sediments, and complex tectonics have impacts on the recurrence and intensity of the natural hazards. Use of remote sensing data with geographic information system (GIS) would help in integration, storage and analysis of geoscientic data for understanding the causes of these hazards.
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21 TRACE METAL CONCENTRATIONS IN THE SEDIMENT CORES OF DELTAIC ENVIRONMENT OF PULICAT LAKE , EAST COAST OF INDIA N. Jayaraju
Department of Geology, S.V.University, Tirupati-517 502, India. E-mail: naddimi_raju@yahoo.com
Threat to the fragile deltaic environment is alarming across the world. The present study area, Pulicat lake delta has no exemption in the Indian context. To realise this objective, five sediment core samples were collected from the deltaic environment depths varying between 1.0 to 4.5 m. The study examines the concentration and probable source of the trace metals (Co, Cr, Mn, Pb, Ni and Zn). Investigations reveal that Ni and Cr are rich in Kalangi estuarine sediments compared to other areas of the lake. This may be due to the mixing of Industrial outfalls and bioturbation. The cores collected from Northern part of the Delta is least affected by the metal mobility. The study shows that Southern and channel parts of the Delta are highly susceptible and an endemic threat awaits to the deltaic environment. In addition, it appears that the lake Pulicat, the second largest in India is gradually turning into a garbage bin along East Coast of India.
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22 FORMATION OF DELTAS IN NORTH-WESTERN COASTAL ZONE OF SRI LANKA U.de S. Jayawardena

Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. E-mail: udsj@pdn.ac.lk.
Geologically 90% of Sri Lanka is made up of Precambrian (more than 570 my old) crystalline rocks belonging to an ancient stable part of the earths crust known as Indian Shield. The sea water transgression in Miocene period, minor oscillation of sea level during post Miocene and Quaternary periods and possible minor tectonic activities within the earths crust have led to form sedimentary rocks and unconsolidated sedimentary deposits above the basement rock changing the shape of the coastal region in Sri Lanka. These activities have taken place along the coastal zone around the country but more evidences can be seen clearly in north-western and south-eastern coastal areas. This paper highlights the results of the visual observations and the studies of borehole logs in the north-western areas of the Island as a part of the study of the formations of deltas in Sri Lanka. Limestone deposits on the land areas above present sea level, sand bars, sand spits, lagoons, marshes and lakes along the coasts are the results of the coastal evolution. Raised beaches, old strandlines, beach rock, inland buried coral reef patches and marine shells below the present land levels, sunken forests and submerged river channels on the continental shelf are the other evidences. Outward movement of the sea level has changed the deposition. The borehole logs within some of these areas indicate a series of clays, silts, sands and gravels with occasional thin argillaceous limestone and evaporates above Miocene limestone bed. These deposits are thought to represent a transition from marine and lagoonal environment in the west (near the sea) to a deltaic and uvial environment in the east (land area). The stratigraphic studies from borehole logs indicate a discontinuation of the Miocene limestone bed and the level difference within a short distance. This is an indication for a possible tectonic activity such as a fault along the north-western coastal belt of Sri Lanka after Miocene probably during Quaternary period. The upward movement of the Miocene limestone bed has created a new shallow basin type landform and the present deltas are the results of the deposition of recent alluvium deposits within this shallow basin.
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23 HOLOCENE PROGRADATION OF THE MACQUARIE RIVULET DELTA, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA Brian G. Jones, Carl A. Hopley and Craig R. Sloss
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia. E-mail: briangj@uow.edu.au
Macquarie Rivulet forms a distinctive birdsfoot delta as it enters the shallow sheltered southeastern portion of Lake Illawarra, near Wollongong, on the New South Wales southern coast. Lake Illawarra is a coastal lagoon with a tidal range of less than 10 cm and the southeastern part of the lagoon is protected from the dominant westerly and southeasterly winds. In this situation, uvial processes control delta growth, with only minor inuence from wind-generated waves. This has resulted in the development of an elongate delta with adjacent shallow embayments. Following the post-glacial marine transgression that reached the delta area about 8000 years ago, Macquarie Rivulet has built up a succession of delta lobes. Initial deposition lled the palaeovalley to the west of the current delta and the rst recognisable delta lobes extended out into the lagoon to the north of the current delta, especially when accommodation space decreased as sea level began to fall about 3000 years ago from the Holocene highstand of +1.5-2 m. Amino acid racemisation dating of one of the earlier lobes gave a time span of 3000 to 2500 years ago. At a later stage the delta migrated even farther north and probably joined the adjacent Duck Creek delta. Soon after 1000 years ago an avulsion caused switching of the Macquarie course and the progressive growth of the delta in its current position. The stratigraphy of the delta has been delineated by vibracoring the deltaic succession and, where possible, dating the recovered deposits using radiocarbon, amino acid racemisation, 210Pb and 137Cs techniques. The stratigraphy revealed a 4 m-deep fluvial channel flanked by levee and crevasse splay deposits that grade laterally into organic-rich mud-dominated lagoonal deposits. During the last 200 years the rate of progradation of the delta has been rapid following deforestation of the catchment for rural and later urban development all of which have increased runoff and the amount of sediment transported to the delta. This has resulted in sedimentation rates of up to 31 mm/yr in the active delta-front region, decreasing to 4-6 mm/ yr in the adjacent sheltered bays. The rapid rate of delta progradation and distributary switching over the past 150 years can be derived from early maps of the delta together with information from rectied aerial photographs spanning the last 70 years. These images allow documentation of rates of rapid distributary growth followed by avulsion via crevasse enlargement to produce new distributaries with a gradient advantage. The current distributary now has welldeveloped clean mouthbar sands but subaqueous sand transport is limited to depths of less than about 1.5 m. At greater depths on the delta front and in the adjacent bays the sediments consist of silt and clay that has been deposited by rapid occulation as river-borne detritus mixes with the saline lagoon waters. The morphology of the Macquarie Rivulet delta thus reects delta modication as a consequence of human intervention superimposed on longer-term sea level changes.
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24 CONTAMINATION OF METALLIC AND NON-METALLIC TOXIC CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS IN THE CORAL REEFS AND ADJACENT RIVER MOUTHS IN THE RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN H. Kawahata1,2 and Y. Kitada2
1 Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Minamidai-1, Nakano, Tokyo, 164-8639 Japan. E-mail: kawahata@ori.u-tokyo.ac.jp 2 Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan.
Coral reefs are greatly stressed by human activity recently although they are characterized by high biological diversity and high primary productivity. In order to evaluate possible contamination of coral reefs by metallic and non-metallic toxic chemical compounds, heavy metals and endocrine disrupters nonylphenol (NP) and bisphenol A (BPA) in sediments were analyzed within coral reefs and in adjacent areas in Okinawa and Ishigaki Islands. Especially the mouths of the river where sediments were taken are located within a distance of 1 km in the coral reefs, which are under inuence of the river suspension and solutes to a variable extent. Contents of major inorganic elements, heavy metals, NP and BPA suggest that Okinawa and Ishigaki Islands have been polluted by endocrine disrupters and Zn but the level is much better than the areas in the industry countries with high population. Zn, NP and BPA are highly correlated with BOD5, a good proxy for level of pollution, and are not well correlated with the level of red soil contribution, which indicates that human waste in the city areas is much more responsible for these kinds of pollution than agricultural activities. Coral reefs in Okinawa and Ishigaki Islands have been disastrous due to propagation of a crown-of-thorns starsh, the red soil loads generated by farm land reformation and coral bleaching at higher seawater temperature. Metallic and non-metallic toxic chemical compounds, including endocrine disrupter will be another potential factor to degrade coral reef ecosystem.
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25 E VO L U T I O N O F T H E H O L O C E N E G A N G E S - B R A H M A P U T R A D E LTA I N BANGLADESH Sirajur Rahman Khan1, Md. Badrul Islam2 and Md. Ahad Ali1
1 Geological Survey of Bangladesh, 153 Pioneer Road, Segunbagicha, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh. E-mail: romu@bdonline.com, romu.gsb@gmail.com 2 Department of Geology and Mining, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi 6205, Bangladesh. Email:mbi@librabd.net
Study of older maps along with recent satellite imageries, interpretation of lithologs and radiometric dates of organic samples has given rise to new ideas on the evolution of the Holocene Ganges-Brahmaputra delta in Bangladesh. The present upper delta plain or moribund delta started to develop around 9.5k years BP near 24o latitude and prograded up to 23o latitude at the middle part of Holocene about 6k years BP. Radiocarbon dates of the basal peat present almost at the surface of the depressions or beels along the seaward margin of the upper delta plain indicates the age and extension of the plains. The formation of the lower delta plain along with the subaqueous delta started during the same time of mid-Holocene when switching of the Bahmaputra river into the Sylhet basin, an inland tectonic depression, and worldwide sea level rise (High stand of sea level) terminated the formation of the subaerial lower delta plain. The sea transgressed up to the present margin of upper delta plain but perhaps did not encroach farther north as previously thought because no signicant sediments are found on top of the peat deposits. Later, the sub aerial part of the lower delta plain has formed gradually and progradded seaward up to 21o 45 when the Brahmaputra river has changed back to its original course to the bay around 5.5k years BP. Since its formation the lower delta plain has grown seaward steadily through time but shows recent regression in most of the peninsulas with an exception of the present delta lobe at the Meghna estuary. Frequent avulsion of the major river systems and anastomosing characters of the tidal channels have made the surface deposits of the lower deltaic plains of varying ages of recent and sub-recent times contrasting to the deposits of the upper deltaic plains. A major part of the lower delta plain has formed between the midHolocene and 1800 AD and presently occupies an area of 10,017 km2. Lower delta plain formed during 1800-1900 AD, 1900-1950 AD, 1950-1980 AD and 1980-2002 AD presently occupy 3302 km2, 3885 km2, 2404 km2 and 806 km2 respectively. This reveals that almost half of the surface deposits of the lower delta plain is only ~250 years old due to continuous building and rebuilding of the tidal plains. Formation of new land in the estuaries took a new turn when a major earthquake struck Assam state of India in 1950 AD and several trillion cubic meters of sediment debris were released in the catchment areas of the Brahmaputra River. Gradual transportation of the earthquake-triggered sediments through the Brahmaputra River in the following years had built a considerable part of the delta especially the estuarine plains. Construction of cross dams between the mainland and off-shore islands and bars in the lower reach of the Meghna estuary started in 1960 made another major change in the active processes of the estuary. Crossdams helped in accreting the middle part of the estuary considerably farther seaward at the cost of massive erosion of the adjacent islands in the estuary. Release of huge amount of ne sediments due to the earthquake of 1950 AD expanded the estuarine peninsulas and offshore islands at a higher rate but the accretion of land was not evident in other parts of the delta plain. Seaward expansion of the delta plain especially in the smaller estuaries came to a halt at the middle part of seventies of the last century. This is due to the combined effect
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of sea level rise resulted from global warming and commissioning of dams in the upstream rivers as well as diversion of main ows through other rivers with an exception of the Meghna estuary where formation of new lands have been occurring unabatedly and adding to the mainland. Expansion or progradation of delta plain every time follows a major earthquake in the catchment areas and/or avulsion of major river systems when tremendous volume of sediments become available. Events of avulsion of the Ganges River from west to east to join the Meghna River between 1830 and 1850 AD, of the Brahmaputra River from east to west after 1897 AD Great Bengal earthquake and the Assam earthquake in 1950 AD contributed extra sediments for building a vast deltaic plain in the following years. Normal annual sedimentation usually keeps the delta plains in stable condition by compensating subsidence of the area but generally cannot help in the progradation of the delta plains.
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26 SEDIMENTARY FACIES AND RADIOCARBON DATES OF GN-1 CORE FROM THE EAST-CENTRAL AREA OF THE ECHIGO PLAIN, CENTRAL HONSHU, JAPAN Iwao KOBAYASHI1, Satoshi TANAKA2, Noriyuki SHIBUYA1, Kouichi TERESAKI1, Masaaki TATEISHI1, Susumu TANABE3, Toshimichi NAKANISHI3 and Yasuyuki SHIBATA4
1 Niigata Univ., Niigata, Japan. E-mail: iwaok@sea.plala.or.jp 2 Kyoto Univ. of Education. 3 Geological Survey of Japan, AIST. 4 NIES.
The Echigo Plain, situated in the central part of Honshu Island, is the largest coastal plain along the Sea of Japan. The plain has been developed accumulating the last glacial incised-valleys formed by paleoShinano, -Agano, -Ara and the other small rivers. The plain consists of two geomorphological systems, the meandering river system in the central part of the plain along the Shinano River, and the spit-lagoon system in the northern part of the plain along the present coast. The spit-lagoon system has been reclaimed by the sediments from the Agano, Ara, and the other small rivers. In 2004, a 42m-long core sediment named GN-1 has been obtained from the floodplain along the Agano River. Based on the lithology and the fossil components, the core sediment is divided into sedimentary facies A, B, C and D. Facies A (channel deposits) consists of gravel and gravely sand, facies B (oodplain deposits) consists of poorly sorted organic mud, facies C (swamp deposits) consists of well-sorted mud, and facies D (ood deposits) consists of upward-coarsening mud and sand. Thirteen radiocarbon dates of wood and plant fragments obtained from the core are 9610 to 5400 cal BP. Vertical facies succession and the evolution of the sedimentary environments in GN-1 site will be discussed in the conference.
1: peat, 2: silt, 3: gravel, 4: thinly lamination, 5: ripple, 6: rootlet, 7: bioturbation, 8: sedimentary facies AD, 9: 14C radiocarbon dates
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27 INFLUENCE OF BEDFORMS ON THE STABILITY OF A MIGRATING SALT-WEDGE Kostaschuk, R.A.1, Villard, P.V.2 and Best, J.L.3
1 Department of Geography, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada. E-mail: rkostasc@uoguelph.ca 2 Geomorphic Solutions, The Sernas Group, 141 Brunel Road, Mississauga, ON, L4Z 3X3, Canada. 3 School of Earth Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
Bars and dunes produce complicated bed geometry in the sand-bed estuarine reach of the Fraser River, Canada. Bed geometry has a significant influence on bed friction, stability and interfacial mixing of the tidally driven salt-wedge intrusion within the channel. To examine the inuence of bed geometry on the saltwedge acoustic, visualization with an echosounder and measurements of the velocity eld with an acoustic Doppler proler were made as the salt-wedge migrated over a at bed and a series of dunes. Over the at bed the salt-wedge was stable and large-scale entrainment only occurred near the head. Over the dunes the stratied ow became unstable due to rapid topographic forcing of the salt-wedge up the lee side of each dune. It is expected that bedforms have a signicant impact on mixing in all salt-wedge estuaries.
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28 DEPOSITIONAL PROCESSES, FACIES, MORPHOLOGY AND STRATIGRAPHIC SUCCESSION OF BORNEO DELTAS: CHALLENGING THE MODELS Joseph J Lambiase
Department of Petroleum Geoscience, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei. E-mail: lambiase@mail.ubd.edu.bn
Most of the modern deltas on Borneo lie on coastlines with low energy marine environments. Wave energy is especially low within the semi-enclosed seas surrounding the island and micro- to meso-tidal ranges prevail in most areas; this often results in mixed depositional signatures and rapid lateral variation in tide versus wave dominance. Despite the low energy conditions, marine depositional processes effectively redistribute fluvially-supplied sand so that sedimentary facies correspond directly to marine hydrodynamics. Delta morphology has a complex relationship with sediment supply, hydrodynamics and relative sea level change and is not a reliable indicator of dominant depositional process, which creates an inconsistent relationship between facies distribution and delta morphology. These relationships are illustrated by the Baram, Mahakam and Trusan Deltas. The Baram Delta has a cuspate shoreline geometry because of ongoing wave-dominant erosion on its anks. Deposition is restricted to a large, horseshoe-shaped mouth bar that is covered by mixed wave and tidal facies. The Mahakam Delta has a lobate geometry with multiple distributaries and tidal estuaries that has long been regarded as indicating a mixed uvial and tidal dominance. However, quantitative hydrodynamic measurements indicate that tidal processes dominate modern sedimentation and suggest that the fluvial component of the deltas morphology was inherited from a previous uvially-dominant, progradational phase. The Trusan Delta also has a lobate, apparently uvial-dominant morphology but is depositing almost exclusively tidal sediments. Its lobate geometry results from a complex interplay of sediment supply, hydrodynamics and subsidence; tidal processes are able to redistribute sediment into tidal facies but are unable to modify delta morphology. There are important stratigraphic consequences of the hydrodynamics, facies and morphology of the three deltas. The inconsistent relationship between facies and morphology means that subsurface sand body geometry cannot be predicted accurately from stratigraphic succession. Also, the low energy marine environment generates ichnofacies and microfossil assemblages that vary from those in higher energy settings, whilst sharp-based, wave-dominate sandstones can form with a relative sea level fall of only a few metres rather than requiring a major regression. Modern processes and ancient analogues of all three deltas suggest that transgressive successions are as easily preserved as progradational successions and ancient analogies of the Trusan Delta display thick, coarsening-upward retrogradational tidal successions, where ooding surfaces are marked by abrupt transitions from mud to sand.
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29 SEDIMENTATION UNDER DIFFERENT VEGETATION COHORTS IN THE CANGIO MANGROVE ESTUARY OF THE SAIGON RIVER Le Xuan Thuyen
Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology Sub-institut of Geography in Hochiminh city, Vietnam. E-mail: lexuanthuyen@hcm.vnn.vn
The short-term leveling by using a profilometer demonstrates clearly the different seasonal variation of sediment budgets under different bio-geomorphic features. In detail, we can note: - Landward gradual decrease of sediment dynamics - High accumulation rate of sediment under Avicennia and mixed Avicennia Rhizophora forest - Seasonal variation of sediment budgets following a main trend such as: erosion > accumulation during rainy season/ or mangrove receives a limited suspension derived directly from the high solid charge of the Saigon river.
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30 DIFFERENT SEDIMENTARY PATTERNS IN THE CANGIO MANGROVE - ESTUARY OF THE SAIGON RIVER Le Xuan Thuyen1, Klaus Schwarzer2, Bui thi Luan3 and Klaus Ricklefs4
1 Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology Sub-institut of Geography in Hochiminh City, Vietnam. E-mail: lexuanthuyen@hcm.vnn.vn 2 Kiel University, Institute of Geosciences, Coastal and Continental Shelf Research, Germany. 3 Faculty of Geology University of Natural Science in Hochiminh City, Vietnam. 4 Research and Technology Centre Westcoast, Kiel University, Bsum, Germany.
Can Gio is the largest mangrove biosphere reserve in Vietnam. It covers the entire estuary of the Saigon river downstream of Ho Chi Minh City and forms the natural transition zone between the Mekong river delta and the N-E upland region. In this area nine sediment cores were released from different geomorphic features, starting from the mouth of the estuary to inside the mangroves. Detail analysis (in cm-scale) of environmental indicators, like the distribution of microfossils (foraminifera), texture, sediment properties (grain size, water content, etc.) reveal the complexity of this sedimentary environment. Compared to the inter-distributary area of Mekong delta here the geological evolution developed under relatively conned condition with low riverine inuence. A facies analysis and a correlation with 14C-data coupled with a reconnaissance of geomorphic characters allow to reconstruct the main trend of the environmental evolution of the area. The sequences extend from outer sublittoral and inner sublittoral via a brackish water marshes to sandy beaches. However, the later stages of this trend are interrupted by episodes with limited marine inuence, characterised by the absence of microfossils. Recent geomorphic processes are investigated by short-term leveling using a prolometer. The results clearly demonstrate seasonal variability in sediment budgets of the different bio-geomorphic features.
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31 SEDIMENTARY EVOLUTION OF THE HOLOCENE SUBAQUEOUS CLINOFORM OFF THE SHANDONG PENINSULA IN THE YELLOW SEA Jian Liu1, Yoshiki Saito2, Hong Wang1, Zigeng Yang1, Liangyong Zhou1, Yuan Liang1 and Rei Nakashima2
1 Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology, Qingdao, 266071, P.R. China. E-mail: liujiain0550@vip.sina.com 2 IGG, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST, Central 7, Higashi 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8567, Japan.
There exists a subaqueous clinoform in the Yellow Sea, wrapping around the northeastern and southeastern end of the Shandong Peninsula. Controversy has long remained on its origin since it was firstly noted in the 1980s. In our recent investigation in the offshore area of the northeastern Shandong Peninsula, highresolution shallow seismic proles of about 1700 km were measured and two drilling cores penetrating the clinoform were recovered. We carried out description of lithofacies characters, identification of benthic foraminifera and ostracoda, grain-size measurement, analyses of mineral components, and AMS 14C datings of 28 samples for the cores, in order to decipher the sedimentary evolution of the clinoform in response to the postglacial sea-level changes. Shallow seismic proles show that the clinoform can be divided into three units: the lowermost seismic unit (SU 3, less than 2-3 m in thickness) showing retrogradational/aggradational stacking pattern, the middle seismic unit (SU 2, up to 35 m) showing prograding reflection pattern, and the uppermost seismic unit (SU 1, with a maximum thickness of 18 m) exhibiting aggradational reection pattern, and is underlain by a high-amplitude acoustic facies (SU 4, about 1 to 5 m) displaying subhorizontal, discontinuous to continuous reectors. Analyses of the two cores indicate that the clinoform is made up of three depositional units, DU 1, DU 2 and DU 3 in descending order, corresponding respectively to SU 1, SU 2 and SU 3. The depositional units are distinguished by distinct lithofacies characters and downcore distributions of benthic foraminiferal and ostracod assemblages. Mineral components of the cores suggest that the Yellow River-derived sediments are the predominant provenance of the clinoform. AMS 14C datings suggest that DU 3 was formed from about 11.6 to 9.6 cal kyr BP, DU 2 from 9.6 to 6.5 cal kyr BP and DU 1 after ca. 6.5 cal kyr BP, which is well consistent with the downcore distributions of benthic foraminiferal and ostracod assemblages. DU 2 was formed largely after the 8.4-8.2 cal kyr meltwater event which corresponds to a 6-cm sand bed in the basal part of core NYS-102. As a product under complex interactions of sediment supply, sea-level changes and hydrodynamic regimes, the clinoform can be regarded as a distal part of the tidal depositional system in the eastern Bohai Sea.
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32 MAJOR ELEMENTS AND CLAY MINERALS OF SURFACE SEDIMENTS IN THE PEARL, RED, AND MEKONG RIVERS DRAINAGE BASINS Zhifei Liu1, Christophe Colin2, Khanh Phon Le3, Shengqi Tong1, Wei Huang1 and Sbastien Boulay2
1 State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China. E-mail: lzhifei@mail.tongji.edu.cn 2 Laboratoire Orsayterre, FRE 2566, BAT. 504, Universit de Paris XI, 91 405 Orsay, France. 3 Oil and Gas Faculty, Hanoi University of Mining and Geology, Vietnam.
Modern weathering and erosion occurred in East Asia is very signicant to understand natural environment change and anthropogenic impacts. Worldwide largest rivers in this region accumulate and transport weathered products to western Pacific marginal seas and deliver approximately 70% of the continental sediment discharge. This study reports major element geochemistry and clay mineralogy of surface sediments along the Pearl, Red, and Mekong Rivers, to investigate present weathering and erosion process in South China and Indochina Peninsula. Fieldworks were carried out during dry seasons (March 2004 for the Pearl River and January-February 2005 for the Red and Mekong Rivers) in order to reach the river bed to collect clay-to-silt channel deposits. About 45 samples from the Pearl River drainage basin, 30 samples from the Red River drainage basin, and 15 samples from the Mekong delta have been measured by XRD for clay minerals and XRF for major elements. The clay mineralogical results indicate that kaolinite (>55%) is distributed widely in the Pearl River drainage basin and thus imply warm and humid weather prevails in South China. Instead, smectite (<5%) is very exiguous in this region and may suggest very limited weathering of volcanic rocks. The Red and Mekong Rivers provide abundant illite and chlorite (totally >60%) and suggest limited chemical weathering occurred in the Indochina Peninsula and their source area, the eastern Tibetan Plateau. Major element results indicate very distinguishable differences among the three river drainage basins. The Pearl River is more chemical weathered than the other two rivers. The Red River is most physically eroded probably because of the activity of the modern Red River Fault through the Red River channel from the eastern Tibetan Plateau to the Bay of Beibu (northwest of the South China Sea). The Mekong delta is also very chemically weathered because it is situated in the tropic area and in the humid East Asian monsoon region. But it also receives physically weathered deposits from the eastern Tibetan Plateau. The major element and clay mineral investigation of the three river drainage basin imply the modern relationship between the East Asian monsoon climate (weathering) and tectonic activity (erosion). Key words: major elements, clay minerals, East Asian monsoon, Pearl River, Red River, Mekong River, South China Sea
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33 THE UNIQUE ICHNOLOGICAL SIGNATURE OF DELTAIC DEPOSITS James A. MacEachern1, S. George Pemberton2, Kerrie L. Bann3 and Janok P. Bhattacharya4
1 Dept. Earth Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby BC, Canada. 2 Ichnology Research Group, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. E-mail: George.Pemberton@ualberta.ca 3 Ichnofacies Pty, Calgary, AB, Canada. 4 Dept. of Geosciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA, 77204.
Ichnological analyses of numerous deltaic successions highlight recurring patterns reflecting physicochemical stresses imposed upon infaunal organisms through the dynamic interplay of river discharge, tidal ux, wave energy, and storm events. Ancient deltaic deposits from Canada, USA, Australia, and offshore Norway persistently show reductions in bioturbation intensity and impoverishment in ichnological diversity compared to their non-deltaic counterparts. Some facies, particularly those of the delta front, demonstrate sporadic colonization of substrates left denuded by autocyclic episodic deposition. Deltaic ichnological suites locally display size reductions of ichnogenera and a paucity of suspension-feeding ethologies. Resulting ichnological suites are overwhelmingly dominated by deposit-feeding behaviours, even in sandy facies. Departures from suites recording the archetypal ichnofacies commonly herald the onset of river discharge into the basin. River-induced stresses include episodic sedimentation and heightened depositional rates, marked salinity changes, hypopycnal-related buoyant mud plumes and concomitant water turbidity, distributary ood discharges with accompanying phytodetrital pulses, hyperpycnal-induced sediment gravity flows, and fluid mud deposition, all of which produce the overall depauperate nature of the ichnological suites. Freshet events during river oods, accompanied by hyperpycnal conditions, may lead to the episodic introduction of reduced salinity waters immediately above the bed. Such conditions may generate synaeresis cracks and inhibit recolonization of substrates in the delta front and prodelta. Wave energy serves to buffer stresses generated by heightened uvial discharge, by dispersing suspended sediment offshore and facilitating thorough mixing of waters of contrasting salinity. High mud concentrations near the delta front dampen wave energy, however, limit its effectiveness in remediating the benthic ecosystem, and may comprise an important factor in deltas sourced by high suspended-load rivers. In wavedominated settings, strong longshore drift extends river-generated stresses long distances down-drift from the distributary mouths. In asymmetric deltas, spatially discrete ichnological suites are generated: suites updrift of distributaries typically yield classic shoreface suites, whereas those down-drift commonly acquire stressed suites. Storm processes may be effective in dispersing mud and mixing waters, but also result in episodic erosion and deposition. Heightened precipitation, which commonly accompanies storms, promotes river oods, particularly in systems with small catchments, leading to periods of river-induced stress at the delta front. The ichnological effects of tidal ux are less well understood, but may trap mud plumes against the delta front, elevating water turbidity. Pronounced mud occulation associated with tidal mixing also leads to rapid deposition of thick, uid muds, particularly in low-lying areas. Fluid mud accumulations hamper or preclude colonization. Tidal energy also leads to marked changes in energy and salinity on a number of time scales. Recurring trace suites, characterizing the effects of river-, tide-, storm- and wave-domination of deltaic coasts can be recognized and differentiated from their non-deltaic shoreface counterparts. Ichnological suites of deltas are characterized by facies-crossing deposit feeding structures. High water turbidity precludes most suspension-feeding behavior, suppressing the development of the Skolithos Ichnofacies, even in sand-prone facies of the delta front. The resulting ichnological characteristics record the dynamic interplay of rivers, waves, storms and tides, both temporally and spatially on delta systems.
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34 RECENT CHANGES IN THE COASTAL FORMS IN THE KRISHNA DELTA, INDIA B. Hema Malini1, P. Subraelu2 and K. Nageswara Rao2
1 Department of Geography, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India. E-mail: bhmalini@yahoo.com 2 Department of Geo-Engineering, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India.
The river Krishna, draining about 251,356 km2 area in the semi-arid Deccan Plateau region, is the third largest river system in India. The subaerial part of the delta extends over 4700 km2 along the east coast of India. Earlier studies indicated rapid delta-growth during the Late Holocene and even in the early part of the 20th century. However, the 2004 satellite image showed that one of the three major distributaries has been closed by the emergence of a mudat across its mouth and even incipient mangrove growth. An attempt is made in this study to understand the trend in the changes at the delta-front coast through a multi-date satellite images and maps. The 1965 Corona satellite photograph showed a prominent seaward delta bulge in the central part of the 120-km-long delta-front coastline, where the three major distributaries are discharging their loads. Most part of this bulge, which is characterized by extensive mangrove swamps and tidal ats between widely spaced beach ridges indicate a rapid delta building into the micro-tidal environment of the Bay of Bengal. Prominent spits that have grown from the mouth of the westernmost distributary mark the Nizampatnam Bay to the west of the delta bulge. But by 1980, the coastline has experienced erosion rather than deposition with the net loss of 16.08 km2 of the area. There has been a progressive increase in the rate of erosion as evidenced by the loss of 16.216 km2 between 1980 and 1990. The erosion further continued and another 4.57 km2 between 1990 and 2000 and 10.53 km2 between 2000 and 2004 of land was lost. The water discharge through the river at the Prakasam Barrage, at the delta apex, showed manifold reduction, which indirectly indicates probable decrease in sediment loads delivered at the river mouths during the 1963-2004. From about a decadal average of 14.9 km3 during 1963-70, the river discharges had progressively decreased to 11.4 km3 in 1971-80, 6.9 km3 in 1981-90, 6.4 km3 in 1991-2000 and to a mere 0.22 km3 in the past four years of the present decade. Construction of series of large dams across the river during the period was apparently responsible for this phenomenal fall in river discharges. Understandably, there must have been a corresponding reduction in sediment loads as well, leading to accelerated erosion at the delta-front coast during the last four decades. Although certain locations showed accretion, it could only be due to the redeposition of sediments eroded from the other sections of the delta coast.
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35 DELTA BUILDING ON ORISSA COAST, EASTERN INDIA: DEPOSITIONAL AND STRATIGRAPHIC CONTEXT Manmohan Mohanti
Department of Geology, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar 751004, INDIA. E-mail: mmohanti@yahoo.co.in
Delta-complex of some major tropical river systems are located on the east coast of India. The Bay of Bengal Coast in the Orissa State is traversed by several large rivers out of which the Mahanadi river system is by far the largest and together with the Brahmani-Baitarani river systems joining at Dhamra river estuary in the north has formed a vast compound delta-complex in the Holocene that shows typical subaerial and marine/tidal inuenced transitional landforms comprising alluvial ood plain, natural levee, palaeochannel/ abandoned channel, merging with the coastal plain in the lower reaches where aeolian and marine/tidal inuenced land forms like sand dunes, beach, barrier-island, spit, shoal, swale, beach ridge, tidal at, tidal channels/creeks, and mangrove swamps are noticed in the deltaic coastal margin. The monsoon-driven delta system (during southwest monsoon of mid. June to mid. October) of Orissa coast has been built under heavy monsoonal water discharge with episodic high floods carrying 99% of annual suspended sediment load and bed load transport of sands to the shore face and to the Bay of Bengal. While the ne suspended clay and silt type of sediments are deposited in the alluvial ood plain, tidal at, tidal channel/creek and mangrove swamps building the subacrial alluvial flood plain facies and marginal delta front facies; a large part uxes into the inner shelf to be deposited in the pro-delta environment, In the monsoon during high oods, a turbid suspended sediment plume may enter into the marine shelf and may extend to a distance of 15 km or even more. The suspended matter concentration in the Mahanadi River may vary from 93.08-596 mg/l during the monsoon. During the southwest monsoon period of August 2005, measurement of suspended matter at the delta head at Mundali in the undivided Mahanadi river showed a concentration of 437 mg/l, the Baitarani and Brahmani rivers measured particulate concentrations of 385 mg/ l and 200 mg/l respectively. Suspended sediment in Dhamra estuary measured 650 mg/l. The major delta-forming Mahanadi river with average annual monsoonal fluvial discharge of ca.41,000 million cubic metres carries an annual monsoonal sediment load of ca. 30 million tons including bed load and suspended load from the delta head towards the sea. The suspended particulate load enters into the Bay of Bengal probably as a hypopycnal buoyant plume and/or friction-dominated plane jet depending upon the amount of uvial discharge and hydrodynamic state of the innershelf which is principally wavedominated during the monsoon and which may also be quite variable during times of high flood water discharge coinciding with severe cyclonic conditions. The sands carried as bed load are principally deposited in the shore region which acts as a depocentre for sands building up a complex of spits, bars, shoals and barrier-islands which may be breached during storms/cyclones and the sands getting redistributed in the nearshore region later. A strong northerly littoral drift of sands prevailing in the nearshore regime together with the uvial transport of sands again repair the barrier-island and spit-complex and these prograde in a northeasterly direction keeping harmony with the overall deltaic progradation in the coast. In the BaitaraniBrahmani river delta-complex the uvial discharge ranged between 3000 to 14,000 cumsec in the monsoon in contrast to 31,000 to 40,000 cumsec in the Mahanadi as a maximum of daily monsoonal uvial discharge.
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While Mahanadi mouth is microtidal, the Dhamra estuary mouth is mesotidal. Tidal currents and coastal currents have strongly influenced the formation of sandy shoals off the Dhamra estuary and the sandy deposition aided the formation of a cape-like prolongation suggesting deltaic progradation, New sandy islands are emerging near the Dhamra mouth. It seems that delta progradation in the Dhamra river mouthcomplex was rapid because of the shelter from wave action and currents from the south due to the formation of the Mahanadi delta. The Mahanadi basin conforms to the tectonic downwarp of the Gondwana graben and is largely filled with Quaternary sediments of the Mahanadi delta system. Geophysical investigations and on-land and offshore drilling for geohydrdogical and hydrocarbon exploration in the Mahanadi basin revealed basement conguration and stratigraphic succession of various sedimentary units. DSS proling revealed the basement with depressions and ridges. Faulting has affected the basement. Under the ridge, the basement may be at 200 m depth and in the depression it may be at 900 m to 2600 m depth. The Paradwip depression extends offshore. The depressions are filled with Tertiary and Quaternary sediments. A transect extending for about 40 km (from Delang to Puri) chosen for deep core drilling for geohydrological investigations, on the southwestern sector of the Mahanadi delta area on-land provided signicant informations of the subsurface stratigraphy that suggest the extension of the shoreline upto about 40 km inland from the present shoreline during Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene as evidenced by presence of marine fossils, glauconites and ironoolites in sediments found in the drilled core in that area. Sedimentary associations suggest transgressions and regressions in this part of the deltaic area during the Holocene. Subsurface sediments are largely siliciclastics with some limestones. Basement depth in the landward area may be 265 m and in the seaward side it is sloping and is deeper than 600 m. Elsewhere, near Balasore on the northeastern part of the coast, sediments recovered from wells during construction of piers for a bridge showed presence of glauconites and estuarine fossils that suggested extension of shoreline far inland upto about 35 km from the present shoreline. In Baripada area close to Balasore fossil mangrove hypocotyls and Neogene estuarine fossils were found about 70 km inland from the present shore suggesting extension of the sea further inland adjacent to an estuary during the Mio-Pliocene. Seismic stratigraphic study for hydrocarbon exploration by Oil India on the offshore part of the Mahanadi basin from about 10 m isobath to a little beyond the present shelf margin as well as drill well data have thrown light on the depositional system and sediment facies in the subsurface. In the northwestern part of the area, a NW-SE trending submarine canyon system cuts the Middle to Late Miocene sediments as well as the prograding self-slope system of Middle Pliocene age. The canyon system slopes down to sub-marine fans. The sub-marine canyons and fan facies may have hydrocarbon potential. The Miocena sedimentary facies was deltaic to shallow marine. The Miocene sediments were ne siliciclastics, sandstone, some limestone and occasional lignite layers. The Miocene sediment packages constitute prograding deltaic-shelf sequence unconformably overlying the Eocene carbonate platform facies with foraminiferal limestone and interbeds of ne siliciclastics. A major delta system existed since Miocene as seismic data indicate. Main delta building started in the Middle Miocene and continued till Recent experiencing several cycles of sea level uctuations. The depositional system during the Miocene was inuenced by three major cycles of sea-level changes corresponding to three major seismostratigraphic units. The wells drilled offshore provide an impression of the palaeoshelf margin in the Bay of Bengal from Eocene to present times. The Eocene shelf margin was approx. 10 km farther offshore from the present shelf margin and at places closer to it. Miocene shelf margin lying between the present shoreline and shelf margin gradually has shifted towards the present
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shelf margin as a result of progradation of deltaicshallow marine shelf during the Middle MiocenePliocene interval. The drilling data provided informations on sediment facies which are constituted of coarse and ne siliciclastics, carbonates and carbonaceous/lignite layers that range in age from Lower Cretaceous to the Recent. The drilled material was tuff and volcanics in Early Cretaceous along with some sedimentary layers. The environments ranged from innershelf to outershelf and bathyal, prograding delta system and carbonate platform.
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C and luminescence datings (OSL) in the Mahanadi deltaic area measured ages that suggest Early to
Late Holocene for the formation of the delta after the maximum sea level high stand around ca. 6000 B.P. Successive advancement of beach ridges implying former strandlines from the Subarnarekha river in the northern end and through BaitaraniBrahmaniDhamracomplex upto the Mahanadi river delta-complex in the southern end suggest coastal deltaic progradation in the Holocene forming the present day deltaic coast. Climate and anthropogenic forcings, sea-level change, tectonics and natural hazards are considered as the main controlling factors for the delta building and sustainability.
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36 GROUND PENETRATING RADAR SURVEY AT THE YUMIGAHAMA REGRESSIVE BARRIER, SOUTHWEST JAPAN Murakami, F. 1, Inoue, T. 2, Tokuoka, T. 3, Fukita, A. 3, Watanabe, K. 1, Tamura, T. 1 and Nanayama, F.1
1 IGG, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8567, Japan. E-mail: fumi-murakami@aist.go.jp 2 Ehime Univ. 3 The Tokuoka Lab.
1. Introduction The Yumigahama Peninsula is a large regressive barrier which divides the Nakaumi (brackish water lagoon) from Miho Bay, which faces to the Japan Sea. The length of the peninsula is about 17 km and the width is about 4 km. The peninsula is topographically divided into three zones based on the arrangement of beach ridges and inter ridge swales; the inner zone, the middle zone and the outer zone. The inner, middle and outer zones were formed during 6000-3000 yBP, 3000-2000 yBP and 1000-100 yBP by coastal progradation, respectively. The evolution of the Yumigahama barrier has been discussed based on results of topographic study and geological study by drilling cores so far. We tried to discuss the evolution of the barrier based on results of continuous subsurface prole by GPR (Grand Penetrating Radar). 2. Method GPR is a useful geophysical method to image continuously a subsurface sedimentary structure of coastal plains. The subsurface proling by GPR is similar to seismic reection proling, except that the GPR method uses reection of electromagnetic wave which is reected back to the ground surface at abruptly changed boundaries in dielectric properties (Fig.1). We used a Pulse EKKO 100 system with a 100 MHz antenna and 1000V transmitter manufactured by Sensors & Software Inc. in this study. Antennae separation is 1 m and step of measurement points of reection signal is 0.25 m. Common mid-point (CMP) surveys determined that the velocities of EM wave in the inner, middle and outer zones are 0.055 to 0.07 m ns-1, 0.06 to 0.08 m ns-1 and 0.09 to 0.11 m ns-1. These velocity values are used to convert two-way travel time to depth. Elevation measurement for terrain correction of GPR data is carried out by a total station system. 3. Results Over 2200 m of GPR profile data were obtained along survey lines, which crossed the barrier (Fig.2). The GPR profile shown in Fig.3, which is located around the present shoreline, reveals seaward-dipping reections. The break of reection slope ranges -2 m to -4 m in altitude. The shoreline positions at present and in 1948 are marked on the GPR prole. The shoreline migrated seaward about 100 m during about 55 years. The seaward-dipping reection shown by a solid line (Hrizon1948 reection on the GPR prole) is interpreted as beach prole around 1948. The reection with a gentle slope seen around the bottom of the GPR prole is interpreted as a seaoor prole about 400 years ago based on results of drilling core.
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Fig. 1. Schematic illustration of GPR reection and CMP survey method.
Fig. 2. Location map of GPR lines at the Yumigahama Peninsula.
Fig.3 GPR prole obtained around present shoreline.
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37 AN ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS OF HUMAN INTERFERENCE AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES ON THE DELTAS OF PENINSULAR INDIA K Shadananan Nair
Cochin University of Science & Technology, India. E-mail: nair59@yahoo.com, shadananan@dataone.in
Role of deltas has been signicant in national as well as regional economic development and in maintaining food security. But, human impact and natural climate variabilities pose serious threat to deltas worldwide, the issue being more serious in developing countries like India where deltas are thickly populated, and millions, especially the poor depend on their resources for livelihood. Present study is a detailed assessment of the human impact and natural environmental changes in the deltas of South India, both in the west and east coasts. These deltas are rich in rice and coconut cultivation. Natural environment of these deltas have been continuously modified by human intervention such as control of river flow by dams and irrigation canals and dredging for ports. Deforestation at riverheads, sand quarrying in rivers and watersheds and riverbank agriculture cause erosion and large-scale sedimentation at the lower reaches of rivers. Industrial, urban and agricultural developments release tremendous pollutants that nally reach the deltas, affecting the soil and water quality. In the southern State of Kerala, failure in an agriculture development project has affected the natural flushing process, deteriorating the entire delta environment. Increased shipping activities release oil, grease and other wastes and introduce invasive species through ballasting, endangering the native sh population. Some of the coastal deltas near ports face serious environmental pollution from ocean related industries. Development projects including new dams and diversion canals invite saltwater intrusion far inland, affecting water quality and agriculture in deltas. Aquaculture and overuse of groundwater add to this. Recent tsunami has already affected freshwater and agriculture in all coastal deltas in the eastern side and it may take several years for the normal conditions to return. Deltas in south India face increasing threats from the pressure of fast rising population and possible extremes in climate, especially the frequency and intensity of storms and waves that may erode the deltas more in coming years. Any setback in agriculture in deltas will be disastrous, as satisfying the food requirement is becoming a challenge. Social issues such as competition for resources and increasing unemployment make unrest in communities. Globalisation, rapid industrialisation and changing Government policies make changes in living conditions that the delta regions may take time to adjust. Development activities without respecting Coastal Zone Regulation Act and increased tourism are threats to the delta environments, their traditions and native cultures. The country should take immediate measures to prevent such most prosperous and most densely populated regions from becoming unsuitable for human habitation. Unfortunately lack of finance, non-cooperation and inefficiency of various government bodies involved, corruption, and unnecessary political involvement with vested interests in development matters are always hurdles in India. India needs an appropriate policy for the total environment that includes coasts, rivers and deltas and a strong and impartial political will to implement the regulations. Some suggestions for such a policy have been provided, considering the environmental, economic, political and social scenarios.
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38 COMPLETE SEDIMENTARY SECTIONS DRILLED BY MULTIPLE ADVANCED PISTON CORING SOUTH OF THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC ICE-RAFTED DEBRIS BELT (SITES U1312 AND U1313): PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF IODP EXP. 306 NORTH ATLANTIC CLIMATE 2 Nanayama, F.1, Kanamatsu, T.2, Stein, R.3, Akimoto, K.4 and the Exp. 306 Shipboard Science Party
1 IGG, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8567, Japan. E-mail: nanayama-f@aist.go.jp 2 JAMSTEC. 3 Alfred-Wegener-Institut. 4 Kumatmoto University.
The overall aim of the North Atlantic paleoceanography study of Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 306 (2 March25 April, 2005) is to place late NeogeneQuaternary climate proxies in the North Atlantic into a chronology based on a combination of geomagnetic paleointensity, stable isotope, and detrital layer stratigraphies, and in so doing, generate integrated North Atlantic millennial-scale stratigraphies for the last few million years. To reach this aim, complete sedimentary sections were drilled by multiple advanced piston coring directly south of the central Atlantic ice-rafted debris belt (Sites U1312 and U1313). The main objective at Site U1312 was to obtain continuous records of surface and deepwater characteristics and their interactions with ice sheet instabilities during NeogeneQuaternary times. In this context, an important target at this site was the recovery of a complete undisturbed upper Miocene section by means of APC coring. The Holocene to upper Miocene sedimentary succession at Site U1312 consists of varying mixtures of biogenic and detrital components, primarily nannofossils, foraminifers, and clay minerals. At ~3.5 Ma, the progressive but oscillatory deterioration of the northern hemisphere climate, which gradually led to the onset of major continental ice sheets at ~2.7 Ma, is reected in the increase in detrital sediment input, followed by Late PliocenePleistocene climate-controlled short-term variability in detrital input. Average sedimentation rates were low during the late Miocene and in the latest Pliocene and Pleistocene (12 cm/k.y.) and higher in the Early Pliocene (38 cm/k.y.). The sedimentary sequence of Site U1312 representing the last ~11 m.y. will allow the study of short- and long-term climate variability and ocean/atmosphere interactions under very different boundary conditions, such as the closure and reopening of Atlantic/Mediterranean connections at the end of the Miocene (65 Ma), the closing of the Isthmus of Panama (4.53 Ma), and the onset of major northern hemisphere glaciation near 2.7 Ma. Site U1313 is very important for a Late Pliocene to Pleistocene stable isotope stratigraphy that can be interpreted in terms of ice sheet variability and changes in NADW circulation. At the site of Core VM 30-97, located close to Site 607, Heinrich events are marked by the distinctive detrital carbonate signature, and planktonic-foraminifer-derived SSTs warmed markedly during the Heinrich events and during the Last Glacial Maximum, in distinct contrast to the climate records from the subpolar North Atlantic. At Site U1313, four holes with a maximum penetration to 308.6 mbsf were drilled. The Holocene to uppermost Miocene sedimentary succession at Site U1313 consists primarily of nannofossil ooze with varying amounts of foraminifers and clay- to gravel-sized terrigenous components. The detrital components become
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much more important and variable in the Upper PliocenePleistocene interval of the sequence, probably reecting northern hemisphere ice sheet instability. Bio- and magnetostratigraphy indicate nearly constant sedimentation rates of ~4.14.5 cm/k.y. throughout the PliocenePleistocene time interval, whereas in the late Messinian, sedimentation rates were ~1314 cm/k.y. Correlation between the holes was excellent in the upper 168.5 mcd because of pronounced variations in nearly all physical properties measured. In particular, L* from color reectance measurements mimic variations in the global benthic oxygen isotope stack (e.g., Lisiecki and Raymo, 2005), and a preliminary age model was constructed by matching sharp L* variations with glacial and interglacial terminations. Alkenone-derived SSTs show variability from ~13o to 19oC during the Pleistocene, whereas temperatures of ~20o and 22oC are obtained for the Late Pliocene and the latest Miocene, respectively. Site U1313 provides a unique and complete PliocenePleistocene sediment section with remarkably constant sedimentation rates. This site will allow an optimal reconstruction of the phasing of the temperature records and its relationship to ice sheet instability and changes in deepwater circulation throughout the last 5 m.y. High sedimentation rates of 1314 cm/k.y. will allow a high-resolution study of paleoenvironmental change during the late Messinian.
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39 GROUND PENETRATING RADAR (GPR) SURVEY OF A PROGRADING BEACHSHOREFACE SYSTEM: AN EXAMPLE FROM THE HOLOCENE DEPOSITS OF KUJUKURI COASTAL PLAIN Nanayama, F.1, Tamura, T.1, Murakami, F.1, Saito, Y.1, Watanabe, K.1, Nguyen, V.L.2 and Ta, T.K.O.2
1 IGG, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8567, Japan. E-mail: nanayama-f@aist.go.jp 2 Sub-Institute of Geography, VAST, Vietnam.
The imaging of subsurface structure of a coastal plain by a geophysical continuous proling method gives well understanding of development of coastal plains. We applied GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) proling method to image the subsurface structure around the drilling site in the Kujukuri coastal plain, Chiba Prefecture facing the Pacific Ocean. In the Kujukuri coastal plain, the Holocene deposits are about 20 m thick and consist of an upward-shoaling beach-shoreface succession. The overall succession was formed by a prograding beach- shoreface system during the highstand in sea level of the last 6000 years. GPR is high-resolution geophysical profiling equipment based on propagation and reflection of electromagnetic waves (EM) in the frequency ranges 10-1000 MHz. The GPR method images sedimentary structures in the ground that are related to changes in dielectric properties. We used a SSI pulseEKKO 100 system, which consists of three unshielded antennae such as 50, 100 and 200 MHz, a console unit and a laptop personal computer. GPR reection survey in the Kujukuri coastal plain was carried out along three survey lines (totally 670 m in length). Common mid-point (CMP) gathers were measured in order to derive sediment velocities at each track line. Each profile was topographically corrected using elevation data measured by a total station system. GPR profile 1 is located at present foreshore to backshore. On the profile 1, the stratigraphy is divided into two units, Units 1 and 2 from the surface. Units 1 and 2 can be interpreted as the present foreshore to backshore facies and foreshore-shoreface facies, respectively. GPR proles 2 and 3 are located at the inter beachridge swale. Two units (Unit 1 and 2 from the top) can be recognized on the prole 3. Unit 1, in which parallel reections to the surface are recognized, is correlated with deposits of back marsh to lagoon facies. Also, the reections with a gentle slope to the seaward are recognized in Unit 2, which is correlated with deposits of foreshore to backshore facies.
Fig. 1. GPR prole 1 at present foreshore to backshore. The lower prole was improved our sedimentary interpretations.
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40 LATE QUATERNARY STRATIGRAPHIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE MEKONG RIVER DELTA, VIETNAM NGUYEN Van Lap1, TA Thi Kim Oanh1, Masaaki TATEISHI2, Iwao KOBAYASHI2 and Yoshiki SAITO3
1 Sub-Institute of Geography, Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology, 1 Mac Dinh Chi Str., 1 Dist., Ho Chi Minh City, 2 Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Niigata University, Niigata 905-2181, Japan. 3 IGG, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST. Tsukuba 305-8567, Japan.
Vietnam. E-mail: sedlap@hcm.vnn.vn
The Mekong River Delta (MRD), one of the largest deltas in Southeast Asia, is located at the mouth of Mekong River, Southern Vietnam. A high sediment yield caused from high precipitation due to the monsoonal climate, in combination with changes of sea level and topography of the Late Pleistocene sediments have resulted the huge delta plain for the last 6 ka. The delta has prograded more than 200 km from the Cambodian border to the present coastline. Estimation of the Last Glacial low stand of sea-level is about -120 m in Southeast Asia at around 18 to 20 14C ky BP. The drop in sea level led to the lowering of base level of the Mekong River, downcutting of the river, and formation of an incised valley system reaches over -70 m. Low stand uvial deposition was restricted to a broad, incised valley, whereas soil development and erosion occurred in the interuves. There is an obvious change of topography from the northwest to southeast in the MRD. It is +5 m Late Pleistocene terrace to the north and lowered down -3 to -4 m in the middle part then commonly -10 to -35 m around the present coastline of the delta. After the Last Glacial Maximum, the sea level rose rapidly and reached to -60 m at about 13 cal BP., to 0 m at 7 cal BP., and got a maximum level about +3.5 m at ca. 6.0-5.5 cal ky BP. The stratigraphic development at the lower delta plain shows a 45-50 m thick transgressive incised-valley ll sediments consisting of estuarine sand and sandy silt facies, dated 15-7 ky BP., and 10-13 m thick open bay mud facies dated 6.0-5.5 cal ky BP. The interuvial zones are about -20 m in altitude and are covered unconformably by Holocene deltaic sediments. During the sea-level highstand and the subsequent period of slightly falling in the last 6-5 ky, delta progradation was divided into tide predominance and tide- and wave predominance as follows: (1) A typical delta succession occupied around the present distributary channels during the last 6-5 ky. It is characterized by 15-25 m thickness consisting of prodelta mud facies, delta front sandy silt facies, sub- to intertidal at sandy silt facies. A tide dominated delta in the upper delta plain has been changed to present mixed tide- and wavedominated delta during the last 3 ky. (2) Tidal predominated progradation occurried the upper delta plain around 6-4.5 ky BP. It is characterized by 2-5 m thick intertidal mud facies and overlain the Late Pleistocene sediments. Since the last 3 ky uvial process has become predominant and ood plain sediments have caped the intertidal mud facies. (3) Tidal predominated progradation has occurred a deltaic margin at southern part of the MRD during the last 5-4 ky BP., and characterized by 15-20 m thick delta/shelf mud facies overlain the Late Pleistocene sediments.
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41 RECENT ADVANCES IN UNDERSTANDING RIVER-DELTA-SHELF SYSTEMS IN DIVERSE SETTINGS Charles A. Nittrouer, Andrea Ogston, John Crockett and Cindy Palinkas
School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. E-mail: nittroue@ocean.washington.edu
From a geological perspective, foreland basins are extremely important settings for accumulation of sediment and formation of margin stratigraphy. Rivers commonly transport much sediment into foreland basins, as a result of the proximity to mountain sources. This sediment can create deltas at river mouths and clinoforms on the adjacent continental shelves. The Adriatic Sea (east coast of Italy) contains a complex dispersal system with the Po River supplying sediment in the north, which is carried by a strong along-shelf current southward. About half of the sediment supply accumulates in and near the mouth of the Po, creating a wavedominated delta. The other half is transported southward, where it merges with a line source of sediment coming from a large number of rivers draining the Apennine Mountains. The combined input has created a shelf clinoform, with the highest accumulation rates at the south end of the dispersal system. Construction of dams on the Apennine Rivers has decreased sediment supply during the past fty years, and the clinoform structure might be the result of rapid accumulation during earlier periods when the rivers transported much more sediment. In the Gulf of Papua (south coast of Papua New Guinea), input of sediment from the Fly River enters a mesotidal environment and has created a tide-dominated delta, which is nourished by sediment discharge slightly increased by recent mining activity in the mountains. The sediment escaping the delta is transported northeastward and merges with the input of many other rivers, creating a shelf clinoform that stretches around the gulf. A number of factors conspire to produce irregular morphology along the foreset of the clinoform. These factors include partially lled shelf valleys in the southwestern portion of the gulf. Circulation has caused the greatest accumulation in the central gulf, which has filled shelf valleys and allowed bottomset sediment to extend to various distances offshore. The Adriatic Sea and the Gulf of Papua represent two different systems with some similarities (e.g., one dominant and many smaller rivers; presence of deltas and clinoforms; accumulation in a foreland-basin setting) and some differences (tidal amplitude; basin geometry; temperate versus tropical settings). The contrast of conditions allows recognition of the importance for various sedimentary processes impacting the creation of sedimentary strata in foreland basins.
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42 GROUND WATER FLUX THROUGH POROUS COASTAL DELTA STRIP AND AN ENRICHMENT OF COASTAL ARABIAN SEA PRODUCTIVITY Joseph Sebastian Paimpillil
Envirosolutions, Center for Earth Research & Environment Management, K.K. Road, Cochin 17, India. Email: psjoseph@eth.net
The lowlands or the coastal area of the southern Indian state - Kerala is made up of the river deltas, backwaters and the shore of the Arabian Sea. The Backwaters in Kerala are an exquisite network of canals, lakes, lagoons and deltas of about 44 rivers emptying into the Arabian Sea and is a self supporting ecosystem teeming with aquatic life. The canal avulsion is either to the north or south suggesting that the rivers are unable to cut-across the coastal alluvium to enter the sea directly and instead they deect and debouch. A number of lineaments trending N-S, NW-SE, NNW-SSE, WNW-ESE, and E-W are observed. The river distributory system in the coastal plains of central Kerala resembles a delta. The occurrence of lagoons (called Kayals) parallel to the coastline and of different sizes and plan-forms imply diverse evolutionary processes. These lagoons act as depositional centers for the modern river discharges. The investigations in Arabian sea coastal waters have sufcient hints of ground water seepage to Arabian sea through the narrow strip of submerged porous lime shell beds running almost parallel to the coast. The ground water flux is evident from the presence of pockets of low saline zones, rich in dissolved nutrients and high primary productivity extending in offshore directions from locations situated on the coastal narrow strip. These nutrient enrichments of coastal waters are clearly monitored at regions far away from any river mouth during the southwest monsoon and post monsoon months. The necessary forcing for the ground water ow to overcome the frictional resistance of porous medium is gained when the fresh water level in lake and the sea level difference had a critical value. Such conditions prevail during the peak southwest monsoon months due to heavy river discharges into the lake. The possibility of heavy rains and ash oods linked with cyclones are high with ongoing climate variability, such critical conditions can occur during other seasons and also at similar locations in the coastal region. Any noticeable change of the current oligothrophic nature of the coastal sea can contribute to the removal of atmospheric carbon through photosynthesis and later by planktonic grazing and sinking. The present study revealed the highest value of 14 mg/m3 for chlorophyll a, approximately 3 times greater than the peak values reported so far from these waters. A band of N/P > 15 funneling out from coastal region during non-mud bank period had provided an indication of external source of nitrogenous compounds into the coastal waters. The long-term (decadal) trend of chlorophyll showed a greening of the near-shore waters. The human population along the coastal belt with more than 70 % of households without proper sanitation facilities has resulted in concomitant increases in widespread use of septic tanks and nutrient inputs to coastal waters, particularly from regions occupying limestone beds. The ground water quality of the region had shown nitrate in sediment extract up to 12 M, ammonia (in water) 8 M, urea (in water) 14 M, urea (sediment extract) 15 M. The existence of subterraneous channels transporting the nitrogenous compounds to any coastal seas cannot be ruled out for regions where coastal wetlands are separated from coastal seas with narrow bands of porous lime shell bases.
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43 DEPOSITIONAL SYSTEMS STRATIGRAPHY OF A BARRIER-SPIT COMPLEX: APPLICATION OF MESOSCALE STRATIGRAPHY TO CHESAPEAKE BAY MOUTH, VIRGINIA, U.S.A. Brian S. Parsons1 and Donald J. P. Swift2
1 General Dynamics AIS, Herndon, Virginia, USA. E-mail: brian.parsons@gd-ais.com 2 Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
An analysis of the shallow marine facies in the Late Quaternary (Pleistocene and Holocene) section of Virginias Eastern Shore Peninsula has demonstrated that depositional systems (facies arrays bounded by source diastems) are a critical mesoscale stratigraphic element, connecting stratigraphy (bedding) with sequence-scale stratigraphy. These depositional systems were deposited by the coast-parallel progradation of the Pleistocene Barrier Spit (Eastern Shore Peninsula) during successive highstands. The distal end of the Holocene barrier island system appears to closely resemble the Pleistocene highstand growth area and thus serves as a partial modern analogue for interpreting the depositional environment of the highstand deposits. In order to test the hypothesis that facies bodies are organized into coherent depositional systems and are the building blocks of depositional sequences, it was necessary to (1) identify bounding surfaces and sedimentary facies from the Pleistocene Barrier Spits and from Smith and Fisherman Islands, and (2) identify corresponding dispersal environments from Fisherman Island, Smith Island and northern Chesapeake Bay Mouth. Identication of ancient bounding surfaces, distinct sedimentary facies, and corresponding modern dispersal environments required an integration of ground-penetrating radar data, drill cores, measured sections, grain size analysis, paleocurrent measurements, side-scan sonar data and CHIRP sub-bottom data. This work indicated that sedimentary facies can be identified on the basis of grain size and stratification and occur in ordered assemblages with gradational internal boundaries. Facies assemblages (depositional systems) are stacked in succession with diastemic boundaries that are laterally more persistent that individual facies. Depositional assemblages are easily identied using ground-penetrating radar and CHIRP sub-bottom data based on internal reflections located between much thicker and laterally more consistent diastemic surfaces. The investigated depositional systems are a series of tidal shoals, shoreface and beach-strandplain, each characterized by a facies array and bounded by source diastems. All of these systems prograded southward as the leading edge of the spit prograded, and as they did so, zones of erosion cut the bounding surfaces that separate them. The expanded depositional systems concept is applicable to a broad range of depositional settings and succeeds in providing comprehensive analysis of stratal architectures.
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44 THE CENOZOIC CLIMATE AND ITS IMPACT ON MARGINAL SEAS IN INDIAN TERRITORY: INFERENCES FROM SEABED SEDIMENT OF COASTAL ORISSA, BAY OF BENGAL BARENDRA PURKAIT
Environmental Geology Division, Eastern Region, Geological Survey of India, Block-DK-6, Sector-II, Salt lake, Kolkata-700091, India. E-mail: baren_purkait@yahoo.co.in
The monsoon system is a thermodynamic atmospheric circulation characterized by strong seasonality of wind direction, temperature and precipitation. The Asian monsoon comprises the southwest (Indian) monsoon and the southeast (east Asian) monsoon. The former is the major source of precipitation over the Indian subcontinent and the western part of Southeast Asia, and the latter has a dominant inuence over the eastern part of Southeast Asia and East Asia. The paper uses an integrated approach of sedimentological, mineralogical, geochemical, palaeontological and geochronological studies of a vibro-core seabed sample of 4.626 m length at a water depth of 13.2 m off Orissa coast of Bay of Bengal, Eastern India, to reconstruct the palaeo-climatic conditions of the Indian subcontinent at the sea margin during late Cenozoic. The sample was collected during the Geological Survey of India cruise ST-138 on board R.V. Samudra Kaustabh. The core sample studied is mainly of medium to very ne sand with clay admixture and shell fragments. A total of 16 sub-samples at an interval of 20 cm and core width of 5 cm out of the total core length, were prepared and numbered serially as 1, 2, 3, ....16 from top to bottom of the core for detailed study. Results of sedimentological study indicate that there are two distinct regimes of depositional sedimentary environments. The upper part of the core upto a depth of ~1.50m (sub-sample no.6), sediments are unimodally distributed, very fine sandy silt (mean size = 4.328 , 0.05 mm), very well sorted (sorting = 1.572 , 0.336 mm), with positive skewness (skewness = 0.349) indicative of preponderance of tails of ner sediments. The sediments are leptokutic distributed (kurtosis = 1.2) indicative of a relatively high energy of deposition. Sediments of the lower part of the core of > 1.5 m depth (sub-sample nos 8 to 16), are bimodally distributed indicating different provenances. Sediments are of ne sands (mean size = 3.395 , 0.095 mm), also very well sorted (sorting =2.697 , 0.154 mm) but better sorted than the upper part, and negatively skewed (skewness = - 0.231) indicating preponderance of tails of coarser sediments. The sediments are platykurtic distributed (kurtosis = 0.830) indicating a relatively low energy of deposition. Results of chemical analyses indicate that there is a gradual increase of Ca % upto almost the middle of the core with a proliferation of Ca % (maximum 7.47 %) at the core depth of ~ 2.40 m but the value of Ca % decreases down depth with the decrease of Sr value. From the core depth of ~ 1.50 m and shallower, there is almost a constant presence of Rb (~50 ppm) but with the increase of depth from ~ 1.5m, the Rb decreases with a general decrease of Sr (from > 3.20 m depth) and Ca (from > 2.40m depth). The elemental analyses indicate that Al is positively correlated with Mn, Ti, Mg and Fe indicating their terrigenous source whereas Al and Ca are negatively correlated indicating the authigenic nature of Ca. Results of XRD from the relative abundance of minerals indicate the presence of kaolinite (small amount) with Illite as trace amount reflecting the climatic variation from the humid (in the upper ~1.20 m of the
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core length) to a relatively arid climate below (>1.50 m of core length) where the trace amount of Illite was observed. A considerable amount of epsomite was also noted followed by aragonite in the upper part (~1 m) of the core. Presence of evaporite group of minerals like epsomite indicates prevalence of arid to semi-arid climatic condition at the time of deposition. It appears that the formation of epsomite demarcates a regressive phase of the coastline. Late Pleistocene Early Holocene aridity (12.5 to 10 Ky BP) appears to be the cause of the formation of epsomite. Intermittent occurrence of carbonates (calcite and dolomite) throughout the core from top to bottom, suggests intermixing of fresh water conditions with brine rich in HCO3, pointing to the short-term transgression and regression of the shoreline frequently, with uctuation in brine concentration and composition. The microfaunal assemblages indicate a shallow basin condition of brackish, lagoon to less than 30 m depth where the temperature is 15o to 33o C (tropical to sub-tropical regions), salinity brackish to normal. The presence of small fragile spines of some of the foraminifer species indicates that they live in water where the wave action and bottom agitation are not strong enough. Hence, they live on calm water. They are near shore species, since their complete tests and slender spines are preserved. Thus, the faunal assemblages throw light on the surrounding climatic condition of this region. Results of geochronological studies indicate that the ratios of 87Sr/86Sr for two sub-samples vary from 0.7092267 to 0.7092210. The results are very much comparable with the present day seawater radiogenic strontium content. Key words: Vibro-core, Seabed sample, Late Cenozoic, Asian monsoon, Palaeo-climate, Indian Territory, Bay of Bengal.
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45 FACTORS CONTROLLING SUSPENDED SEDIMENT CONCENTRATIONS ALONG THE EAST AND WEST COAST OF INDIA V. Ramaswamy1, P.N. Sridhar2, P.S. Rao1 and B. Veera Narayanan2
1 National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, India. E-mail: rams@darya.nio.org 2 National Remote Sensing Agency, Balanagar, Hyderbad, India.
Some of the largest rivers in the world, in terms of suspended sediment discharge, ow into the northern Indian Ocean. They include the Ganges-Brahmaputra, Indus, Ayeyarwady, Krishna-Godavari, NarmadaTapti, Mahanadi, Cauvery etc. The enormous sediment and nutrient discharged by these rivers have many implications, including transport of carbon, minerals and pollutants to the oceans and effects on biological productivity of the coastal seas. Suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) have been mapped along the entire coast of India using satellite images from IRS-P4 Ocean Color Monitor. Two sets of satellite images, one during the pre-SW monsoon and the other during the post-SW monsoon period, have been processed. Perennially high SSC is observed off the Indus Delta, Gulf of Kutch, Gulf of Khambhat, Palk Bay, Krishna-Godavari Delta, Vamsadhara River, Mahanadi Delta and the Ganges-Brahmaputra River Delta. Most of the large Peninsular Indian Rivers ow towards the east, into the Bay of Bengal. However, SSC concentrations are comparatively higher along the west coast of India due to a broader shelf and higher energy conditions. High SSC in the Palk Bay has been attributed to inux of suspended sediments from the Cauvery River, shallow bathymetry and high energy conditions due to coastal currents and long period waves. Gradual increase in SSC, from south to north, has been observed along both the east and west coast of India. This has been related to increase in tidal range from a micro-tidal regime in the south to macro-tidal conditions in the northernmost part of the study area. Main factors controlling SSC along the Indian coast during low river discharge periods are (i) availability of ne-grained sediments (ii) shallow bathymetry and (iii) resuspension processes - mainly tidal energy and seasonal monsoon currents.
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46 GULF OF MARTABAN, A SEDIMENT SINK ON THE AYEYARWADY SHELF, NORTH ANDAMAN SEA P.S. Rao1, V. Ramaswamy1 and Swe Thwin2
1 National Institute of oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, India. E-mail: psrao@nio.org 2 Department of Marine Sciences, University of Mawlamyine, Mawlamyine, Myanmar.
The Ayeyarwady River, fth largest in the world in terms sediment discharge, has formed a wedge shaped sub-aerial delta extending more than 250 km southwards from its apex. The Ayeyarwady drainage basin occupies an area of 410,000 Km2, covered with uvial sediments and comes under the inuence of southwest monsoon. High rainfall (2460 mm in the Ayeyarwady delta) and runoff during the months of July-September cause severe erosion of sediments. The Ayeyarwady discharges about 265 million tons of sediment annually into the northern Andaman Sea through its 9 distributaries spread across the delta. In spite of large sediment ux, the shelf at a distance of about 20 km from the river mouths is covered with relict sediments. Areas of erosion and/or sediment accretion are identified using distribution patterns of grain size and calcium carbonate content in surface sediments and seaoor morphology. The Ayeyarwady continental shelf displays three major sedimentary environments (i) a modern mud belt in the Gulf of Martaban, (ii) relict sands on the outer shelf and (iii) reworked sediments in the Mataban Canyon. Echograms and sub-bottom profiler records reveal a minimum of 18 m thick strata of modern sediments overlying relict sand layer in the Gulf of Martaban. Transport pathways interpreted on the basis of sediment texture complement information derived from bottom topography. The sediments discharged at the mouths of the Ayeyarwady are displaced eastwards by southwest monsoon currents and tidal forces and deposited in the Gulf of Martaban. From the comparison of depth data from various surveys, it appears that some part of the Gulf of Martaban has shoaled by more than 5 meters during the last three decades and is a major sink for the Ayeyarwady sediments.
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47 AUTOCYCLIC THERMAL OSCILLATIONS IN EXPERIMENTAL QUASI-STEADY TURBIDITY CURRENTS Yu Saitoh and Fujio Masuda
Department of Geology and Mineralogy, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. E-mail: yu-saitoh@kueps.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Two-dimensional experiments investigating the thermal variations of quasi-steady turbidity current are presented as analogue illustrations for hyperpycnal ows. Quasi-steady turbidity current has long duration and almost constant ow velocity when it is observed at a xed point, and is represented by hyperpycnal flow, which is supplied directly from river discharges. Thermal oscillations were observed in the experimental quasi-steady turbidity currents of higher temperature (1824 degree C), which were controlled to sustain a constant suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) and velocity when it released into a flume lled with colder water (1112 degree C) (Figure), although oscillations of the same periods could not be recognized visually. The oscillations can be related to the SSC of the turbidity current because the decrease of temperature can be attributed to the entrainment of the ambient colder water, which dilute the SSC of the ow. The oscillation sequences took the form of smooth, sine-curved trains of 57 times uctuations, and occur a few times intermittently in the whole temperature time series of each run. The periods of the oscillatory cycle ranged from 20 to 47 seconds, and the amplitude from 1 to 1.3 degrees C, averaged in each oscillation sequence. These temporal oscillations were observed to propagate upstream at the velocity of 0.3 0.8 m s-1 (Figure). The oscillations in the run of denser mixture (about 7.5 volume %) had longer periods and lower propagation speed than that has lower density (about 3.5 volume %). This suggests that the periods and the propagation velocities depend on the SSC of the turbidity current although it is uncertain about what is the origin of the generation of the oscillations. This study provides the analogue evidence for the existence of some autocyclic uctuations, which might be attributed to internal waves, in a quasi-steady turbidity current. Some ancient deltaic deposits, which have rhythmic alternative structures, are often attributed to internal waves of hyperpycnal flow. The field evidence for the existence of internal waves, however, have been absent yet although they are often observed in surcial river plumes, which are released to the receiving basin and have different properties from ambient basin water, as the forms of oscillations of velocity, density, or other properties.
Figure Temperature time series of an experimental quasi-steady turbidity current. Each measuring points is 2-cm above the sloping (10o) bottom. Note that the peaks and bottoms arrive a few seconds later at upstream.
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48 HUMAN ACTIVITY AND ACCUMULATION CHANGE OF THE YAHAGI DELTA, JAPAN Tomoyuki Sato and Fujio Masuda
Department of Geology and Mineralogy, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan. E-mail: t_sato@kueps.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Delta accumulation rate in millennium order during the late Holocene are presented based on facies analysis and high resolution 14C dating of samples from four boreholes on the lower Yahagi delta plain central Japan. Delta progradation started in 7 kyBP. Progradation rate was decreasing gradually because of trumpeted shape of incised valley. But accumulation rate abruptly increased from 6 to 11 (104 m3/y) during 3.7 ~ 1.7 kyBP (Fig.1C). Human activity was increased during 2.4 ~ 1.3 kyBP (Fig. 1B1, B2). Human activity was estimated by the number of archeological ruins (Aichi Prefectural Board of Education, 1988). It is about same age that the abruptly change of the delta accumulation rate and the increasing of the human activity. Human activity, for example, deforestation caused the abruptly change of the accumulation rate of the Yahagi delta. References Aichi Prefectural Board of Education, 1988, Remains distribution map (2).pp.71. Moriyama, A. and Ozawa, M., 1972, Geomorphology and Subsurface Geology of the Alluvial Plain of the lower Yahagi River, Central Japan. The Quaterary Research, 11 (4) 193-207 (in Japanese with English Abstract).
Fig. 1. Locality map of study area and distribution map of archeological ruins. (A) Location of the Yahagi river. Area of B is represented by rectangle. (B1) Archeological ruins before 2.4 kyBP. (B2) Archeological ruins during 2.4~1.3 kyBP. Area of C is represented by rectangle. (C) Borehole points (YG1~4) and Paleo-offshore break of the delta front. Accumulation area is presented by colored area. Contour map of subsurface structure is according to Moriyama and Ozawa (1972).
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49 WET AND DRY SEASON SEDIMENTATION IN MANGROVE AREAS - EXAMPLES FROM CAN GIO (VIETNAM) Klaus Schwarzer1, La Thi Cang2, Patrycja Czerniak1, Klaus Ricklefs3 and Nguyen Cong Thanh2
1 Institute of Geosciences, Coastal and Continental Shelf Research, Kiel University, Germany. Email: kls@gpi.uni-kiel.de 2 Vietnam National University-Departement of Physics, Section of Physical Oceanography - HCMC, Vietnam. 3 Research and Technology Centre Westcoast, Kiel University, Bsum, Germany.
Introduction: Spatial and temporal variability in sedimentation rates within mangrove areas is not well documented. The sedimentary response to seasonal variation (dry and wet season), tidal regime and root structure of different mangrove species is highly complex. This study focus on the identication of those processes which control the transport of suspended matter in mangroves and differentiation between marine and terrestrial inuence on sediment mobility and redeposition in those areas. Investigations were carried out as part of a Viet-namese-German research program, which focuses on ecological, hydrographical and sedimentological as-pects of reforested mangrove areas. The study site is embedded in the Saigon River system, located at the mouth of the Dong Tranh estuary, which is situated in the western margin of the South China Sea (Fig. 1). Tides are diurnal with a pro-nounced half-daily inequality and a tidal amplitude of almost four meters at spring tide and approximately one metre at neap tide. The sedimentary environment is characterised by a mixture of modern alluvial clay, silt and sand.
Fig. 1. Investigation area.
Methods: Observations of suspended matter, salinity, temperature and currents are performed using arrays of optical backscatter sensors (OBS), electromagnetic and mechanical current meters and stationary conductivity, temperature and water level probes. The instruments are installed in a tidal creak, discharging a specic area of the mangrove forest, and in the forest itself in a distance up to 30 m apart from the creek (Fig. 2). In order to calibrate the OBS sensors and to carry out particle size analyses, water samples were taken additionally. The measurements were combined with observations of erosion and redeposition in the forest by applying the tracer stick method (Schwarzer & Diesing, 2001).
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Fig. 2. Location of sensors in the creek and in the forest.
Results and Discussion: Data sets from different seasons are available for the investigation of suspended matter (SPM) dynamics in this reforested mangrove area where the higher parts (Fig. 2, forest station) are not inundated during neap tide. SPM concentration in the creek and in the forest mainly follows the amplitude of the tidal currents. Due to generally small particle diameters of around 5 m the depth distribution of the suspended solids in the water column is quite uniform. In the forest the amount of suspension load is smaller than in the creek showing that only a small amount of the particles transported in the creek reach the forest. The results reveal that during the dry season SPM dynamics is controlled mainly by tidal action which lead to a net import of sediments into the mangrove area. This is reected in redeposition rates measured with the tracer stick method. For a 3 month period the erosion/sedimentation is in the range of only 1 - 4 cm even in few meters distance from a creek. Tropical rainfall plays a dominant role during the wet season. During rainfall or shortly afterwards SPM concentrations can increase strongly in the creek as well as in the forest depending on the tidal situation (high - low, spring - neap, diurnal - semidiurnal). Compared to the dry season erosion and sedimentation rates are much higher and reach values up to 10 cm in an only 10 days period. In general tropical rainfall leads to a signicant export / turnover of sediments. References Schwarzer, K. & Diesing, M., 2001: Sediment redeposition in nearshore areas - examples from the Baltic Sea. - Coastal Dynamics 01 (Proc.), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE): 808 - 817.
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50 THE GANGES DISPERSAL SYSTEM: GEOMORPHIC DIVERSITY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR SEDIMENT FLUX MODELING Rajiv Sinha
Engineering Geosciences Group, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208016, India. E-mail: rsinha@iitk.ac.in
Quaternary sedimentation in different parts of the Ganges system have been inuenced by tectonics, climate and glacioeustasy. While tectonic and climatic effects are dominant in valley formation near the Himalayan Front, where major faults are active, climate was certainly an important factor near the craton margin in the Western Ganga Plains (WGP), where tectonic activity is minor and subsidence rates are moderate. Most rivers are incised in the western plains and age models for this region suggest that discontinuity-bounded sequences over timescales of 103 to 104 years formed in response to variations in monsoonal precipitation and uid and sediment discharge in the rivers. Modern megafans and interfan rivers of the Eastern Ganga Plains (EGP) are not incised, probably due to high sediment yields and low unit stream power. Although long-term records are sparse, discontinuities are probably uncommon in this area. Recent research has highlighted the effect of climate control on geomorphological processes of the Ganges dispersal system, suggesting that during postglacial transgression and the hypsithermal at 18-7 ka, a rapid and widespread incision occurred in the Gangetic Plains due to significant increase in water discharge. It has also been suggested that the effect of climate change on water discharge often supersedes its control on sediment supply, i.e. increase in humidity will cause more increase in water discharge in comparison to sediment supply. However, our study highlights spatial variation in response of the uvial system to climate change that apparently has resulted in a greater increase in sediment supply compared to rainfall. The rating curves of the EGP rivers show that under present conditions sediment load increases 1.5 times against the unit increase in discharge. Similarly, an increase in sediment concentration (weight of sediment per water volume) during the monsoon period also suggests that hinterland of the EGP is susceptible to erosion due to any increase in rainfall. Thus, in this part of the EGP, the effect of rainfall on sediment supply is greater than its effect on water discharge. This difference in rainfall effect on water discharge and sediment load in general and in EGP in particular is responsible for the geomorphic diversity across the Gangetic Plains. Therefore, though extensive erosion has occurred in the WGP area during monsoon transgression during 18-7 ka, the EGP has perhaps been dominated by aggradational processes during this time. Such geomorphic diversity has significant implications for the modeling of the response of the Ganges dispersal system to climate change and the sediment flux in the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta. Spatial or geographical differences in fluvial response due to global change in circulation resulting in simultaneous changes in discharge regimes are expected but our work shows that significant inhomogeneties may also occur in areas separated by less than 1000 km due to spatial differences in sediment supply governed by rainfall and tectonics. Given such inherent inhomogeneities, these areas would also respond differently to any change in global circulation pattern. In other words, they would have a differential sensitivity to climate change. If such differential sensitivity has existed over a long time scale, this would become translated into the alluvial architecture developing below the alluvial plains and the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta.
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51 LATE-HOLOCENE EVOLUTION OF THE MAHAKAM DELTA, EAST KALIMANTAN, INDONESIA Joep E.A. Storms 1,# , R.M. Hoogendoorn 1 , M.A.C Dam 1 , A.J.F. Hoitink 2,3 and S.B. Kroonenberg1
1 Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Department of Geotechnology, section of applied geology, Mijnbouwstraat 120, 2628 RX, Delft, The Netherlands. E-mail: j.e.a.storms@citg.tudelft.nl 2 Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University. 3 Hydrology and Quantitative Water Management Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University. # Present address: Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Department of Civil Engineering, section Hydraulic Engineering.
The late-Holocene Mahakam delta, located along the tropical eastern shore of Kalimantan, Indonesia, is considered to be a textbook example of a mixed tide-uvial dominated delta system. The delta prograded about 60 km during the past 5000 years, which led to the development of a distinct network of distributary and tidal channels. Wave action is low due the limited fetch in the narrow strait of Makassar. Mahakam River discharge is about a quarter of the Mississippi River discharge and is characterized by absence of ood surges. Therefore, natural levees, crevasse splays and avulsions are absent in the delta plain. For the past four decennia, both modern and ancient Mahakam delta deposits have been studied in detail in order to better understand subsurface Miocene and Tertiary Mahakam deposits, which host large volumes of hydrocarbons. This study focuses on the dynamics and stratal patterns of delta plain, delta-front platform deposits and suspended sediments. Due to the predominance of semi-diurnal tides and the associated flow reversals, depositional patterns are highly variable which has resulted in the formation of characteristic sand-mud couplets. The distribution of the sand-mud couplets found in this study differs from previously proposed conceptual models. They are limited to the fluvial domain and form in the distributary channels (lateral channel bar) or at the uvial dominated delta-front platform, which anks the mouth bar deposits in offshore direction. The sand-mud couplets which formed as delta-front platform and lateral channel bar deposits are similar and can only be identied based on their 14C age. The sand content decreases signicantly towards the tidal dominated areas due to limitation in transport capacity. Turbidity measurements taken in front of the river mouth also show rapid settlement of river plume sediments. Some 22 new AMS 14C datings show that late Holocene sea level history resembles the eustatic sea level curve give a first approximation of the Late Holocene sea level history for East Kalimantan. The datings suggest that the progradational delta system evolved under conditions of slowly rising sea level, which compares well to the eustatic sea level curve. In addition, calculated averaged deposition rates of the sandmud couples indicate that deposition is driven by the spring-neap tide cycles instead of the daily tidal cycle.
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52 MARINE GEOLOGY COASTAL MAPPING IN PULAU LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA Abdullah Sulaiman and V. R. Vijayan
Minerals and Geoscience Department Malaysia, Technical Services Division, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, P.O.Box 1015, 30820 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. Email: abdullah@jmgipoh.gov.my
Malaysia encompasses 4800 kilometers of shoreline and 1007 islands. The coastal areas of the mainland are the most intensely developed part in Malaysia for settlement and economic activities. Since the last few years, these areas regarded as potential for the tourist industry, have seen increased development in resorts and recreational sports. Development on these islands which includes coastal land reclamation and beach nourishment projects could give an adverse impact on the surrounding coastal areas of the islands if such development does not take into consideration the coastal geology and the coastal processes. Therefore, to attain sustainable development on an island, it is seen necessary to carry out proper studies, including nearshore marine survey, on these islands to acquire geological baseline data. To initiate such a study in understanding and acquiring such relevant and useful geological data in addressing various issues that could assist planners and policy makers in island development activities, Pulau Langkawi was selected as a pioneer project under the Eight Malaysia Development Programme (5 year plan between 2000-2005). The study in Pulau Langkawi involved the coastal and nearshore geological and geophysical mapping. A nearshore marine mapping was carried out using the multibeam technique and side scan sonar with 8 tide gauges installed over the survey areas. The side scan sonar was included so as to do a comparison study between the conventional towed sonar images with the processed multibeam sonar image. The multibeam data was corrected for tide and processed to produce 4 types of maps, these being, the line contour bathymetry, colour-lled bathymetry (Figure 1), sun-illumination bathymetry (gure 2) and the backscatter (Figure 3). The multibeam result showed detail morphology of the sea bed and sea bottom features, like sand migration patterns, sediment characteristics and sand dredged areas.
Figure 1. RHU COLOR FILL BATHYMETRY.
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The primary objective of this study is to integrate various datasets, such as geological and geophysical data, in order to evaluate the usefulness of the data towards understanding the coastal stability of the island, and in particular the beaches, with regards to the coastal development that are being carried out. The application of the multibeam technique in nearshore shallow water coastal zone study has been proven successful. The accuracy and enormous data from the multibeam survey could become a useful tool in future studies in the nearshore coastal environments in Malaysia.
Figure 2. RHU SUN ILLUMINATION 3D.
Figure 3. RHU BACKSCATTER IMAGE.
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53 DELTA EVOLUTION PATTERNS SINCE THE LAST 3000 YEARS IN THE MEKONG RIVER DELTA, VIETNAM TA Thi Kim Oanh1, NGUYEN Van Lap1, Masaaki TATEISHI2, Masatomo UMITSU3, Yoshiki SAITO4 and Iwao KOBAYASHI2
1 Sub-Institute of Geography, Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology, 1 Mac Dinh Chi Str., 1 Dist., Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. E-mail: sedlap@hcm.vnn.vn 2 Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Niigata University, Niigata 905-2181, Japan. 3 Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan. 4 IGG, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST. Tsukuba 305-8567, Japan.
The depositional process of the Mekong River Delta (MRD) in Vietnam during Holocene is controlled by the changes in Late Pleistocene topography, sea-level, sediment supply and monsoonal climate. Based on the changes of morpho- sedimentary map and detailed investigations of deltaic facies in the boring cores, delta evolution has been recognized. During the sea-level highstand and the subsequent period of slightly falling in the last 6-5 ky, the delta has prograded more than 200 km from Cambodia border to the present coastline. The delta progradation has evolved from a tide-dominated delta to the present mixed wave- and tide-dominated delta since the last 3 ky around present distributary channels. This study emphasizes on the delta evolution patterns at the active delta, around present distributary channels, and delta margin in the southern part of the MRD since the last 3000 years in the MRD. Two depositional patterns are identied as follows: (1) Tide- and wavedominated delta progradation occurred in the active delta among the present distributaries. Sediments are characterized by a coarsening-upward delta front facies covered by a ningupward subtidal to intertidal facies, followed by a coarsening-upward fore shore/dune facies. The tideand wave-dominated delta is characterized by a beach-ridge system on the subaerial delta plain, longshore sediment dispersal, and steep delta-front topography in the proximal delta. Almost sand and sandy silt deposit at the active delta and ne sediments transport southwestwards owing to longshore currents generated by northeast monsoon. (2) Tide dominated delta progradation occurred in the Ca Mau deltaic margin. Sediments are characterized by the thick prodelta/shelf mud facies overlie on late Pleistocene followed by delta front mud facies, subto intertidal mud flat and marsh. The tide-dominated deltaic margin is characterized by well-developed mangrove marsh on the subaerial delta plain.
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54 EVOLVING CLAY MINERALOGY AND TRACE ELEMENT COMPOSITION OF THE INDUS RIVER SYSTEM Ali R Tabrez1, Peter Clift2, Asif Inam1, Liviu Giosan3, M M Rabbani1, M Danish1, Rehan ul Haq4 and Shaque ur Rahman5
1 National Institute of Oceanography, St. 47, Block 1, Clifton, Karachi, Pakistan. E-mail: niopk@cubexs.net.pk, ali_tabrez786@hotmail.com 2 Department of Geology and Petroleum Geology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom. 3 Department of Geology and Geophysics, MS#22, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA. 4 Geological Survey of Pakistan, Geoscience Laboratory, Shazad Town, Islamabad, Pakistan. 5 Environmental Sciences, University of Peshawar, Pakistan.
The Indus River has been influenced by the evolving geology of the western Himalaya since the start of India-Asia collision during the Eocene (~50 Ma), and especially since the building of the Karakoram and Greater Himalaya in Early Miocene time, as well as following their rejuvenation during Pliocene times (~4 Ma). Most recently dams have changed the course of the river. Diversion of river water for irrigation purposes has resulted in a drastic reduction of sediment and water discharge from the Indus into the Arabian Sea with important environmental consequences for those living in the delta region. Over long periods of geological time the Indus River has been supplied by sediment from the Karakoram and to a lesser extent the Himalayan mountains. However, since the Pliocene the Himalaya have come to dominate the ux, probably due to drainage capture of tributaries away from the Ganges. The Indus River, which is about 2900 km long, travels about 1200 km over the plains of the foreland before it disgorges into the Arabian Sea. Terrigenous materials eroded from the Karakoram and Himalaya are ultimately deposited partially in the deltaic region, but mostly in the deep waters of the Indus Fan in the Arabian Sea. Holocene sealevel rise seems to have reduced deep-water sedimentation and increased delta and shelf sedimentation since 18 Kyr. In the present day, quartz, albite and muscovite are the most common minerals with the exception of clinochlore, anorthite, and sandine in the coarser river sediments. Illite, chlorite and montmorillonite are the most common clay minerals found in the modern bedload. Concentrations of heavy metals in the river sand and ne-grained deltaic sediments are dominated by Mn (ranging from 47371 ppm), while Fe ranges from 26005137 ppm, Cu from 5.026.3 ppm, Zn from 14.5 46.4 ppm, Cr from 10.730.7 ppm, Ni from 11.3123.6 ppm, while Pb spans 4.213.5 ppm. Recent coring in the lower Indus deltaic region (around the towns of Thatta, Keti Bander and Badin) shows that eustatic sea-level was an important control on the nature of sediment ux through the river system and into the deep-sea fan. At least 30 m long cores were taken at each site, more than 120 m at Keti Bander, where the base of the Holocene was reached. Clay and ne sands are the dominant lithologies observed in these cores. Thin intervals with abundant bivalve and other coarse shelly debris were noted at various depths in the core, allowing carbon dating of the stratigraphy, now in progress. It is evident from the present studies that a combination of the climate (especially monsoon strength), eustatic sea-level, and over long time spans (>1 my) tectonically driven surface uplift, have interacted to control the form of the Indus Delta. Higher resolution analysis (102103 yr) including dating of shell material, determination of clay mineralogy, and geochemical studies are now in progress. These aim to constrain the evolving provenance and weathering regimes, in an attempt to see how changes in monsoon strength, linked to Northern Hemispheric deglaciation have evolved since the Holocene.
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55 DEPOSITIONAL RECORD OF INTRA-SHOREFACE EROSION DUE TO FORCED REGRESSION IN TECTONICALLY UPLIFTED STRAND PLAIN, JAPAN Toru TAMURA, Futoshi NANAYAMA, Yoshiki SAITO, Fumitoshi MURAKAMI, Rei NAKASHIMA and Kazuaki WATANABE
Geological Survey of Japan, AIST, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8567, Japan. E-mail: toru.tamura@aist.go.jp
The lowering of the surf zone and intra-shoreface erosion occurred in response to two rapid relative sea-level falls caused by tectonic uplift of the Kujukuri coast, eastern Japan during the Holocene. These ndings are based on six closely spaced (within 1.5 km) drill cores obtained from the Kujukuri strand plain and more than 46 radiocarbon ages. A shallowing-upward succession composed of lower and upper shoreface and foreshore and backshore facies was recognized in the drill cores. Two rapid falls in relative sea level at 2.32.6 ka and 1.8 1.9 ka are recorded by the lowering of the foreshore base, and are simultaneously reected farther seaward by the lowering of the erosional boundary between the upper and lower shoreface facies. This lowering is interpreted to have resulted from enhanced erosion of the lower shoreface deposits in response to surf zone lowering. Repeated proling of a modern beach suggests that the resultant erosion surface formed by the integration of several erosion events in association with periodic shore-normal migration of a longshore bar after the fall in relative sea level. This surface may be concave upward and dip seaward more steeply than the mean beach prole. A similar erosion surface might be recognizable in ancient forced regressive shoreface deposits observed in well-exposed outcrops.
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56 E VO L U T I O N O F T H E H O L O C E N E S E D I M E N TA RY S U C C E S S I O N I N T H E CAMBODIAN MEKONG RIVER LOWLAND Toru TAMURA1, Yoshiki SAITO1, SIENG Sotham2, KONG Meng2, BEN Bunnarin2, CHOUP Sokuntheara2 and Shinji TSUKAWAKI3
1 IGG, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8567, Japan. E-mail: toru.tamura@aist.go.jp 2 Department of Geology, GDMR, MIME, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 3 Division of Eco-Technology, Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan.
The Holocene evolution of the Mekong River lowland in Cambodia is documented by integrating the depositional facies and radiocarbon ages of two borehole cores, KS and PK., which were obtained from the lowland about 20 km ESE and 50 km SE of Phnom Penh, respectively. The sediment facies below 5 m elevation differs between two core sites. The KS core consists of 16.5-m thick laminated, very ne sand with mud drapes, underlain by cross-laminated uvial sand. In the PK core, a bioturbated, gray sandy silt to clay, 10 m thick, is recognized below 5 m elevation, overlying the late Pleistocene deposits with an erosional boundary. Radiocarbon ages from these facies show 107.5 ka. Sediment facies are interpreted as tidal deposits accumulated in an estuary for the KS site and a bay for the PK site during a rapid rise of sea level, implying that the shoreline was located between these sites during the maximum ooding period. Above 5 m elevation, the cores show a succession of salt marsh, ood plain, and natural levee deposits, characterized by peat, organic clay, and reddish brown silt, in ascending order. These deposits accumulated during the period of slowly rising sea level (86 ka) and subsequent falling sea level (after 6 ka). The flood plain deposits form a condensed section with an accumulation rate of less than 50 cm/ka, whereas the overlying natural levee deposits show a high accumulation of 4 m during the last 7001500 years. This rapid increase in accumulation rate is thought to have occurred at most parts of the upper Mekong River lowland, and may have been caused by an impact of human activities.
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57 LITHOFACIES PALEOGEOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND PLIOCENE QUATERNARY EVOLUTION IN CONTINENTAL SHELF OF VIETNAM Tran Nghi, Dinh Xuan Thanh and Nguyen Thanh Lan
Hanoi University of Sciece (HUS), 334, Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, Ha Noi, Vietnam. Email: trannghi@vnu.edu.vn
1. Pliocene Quaternary sediments of continental shelf of Vietnam were controlled by two essential factors: - Tectonic movement (uplift and subsidence) - Sea level change (transgression and regression) 2. There are six Quaternary sedimentary cycles in continental shelf of Vietnam as follows: Cycle 1: Early Pleistocene (Q11) Cycle 2: Early part of Middle Pleistocene (Q12a) Cycle 3: Late part of Middle Pleistocene (Q12b) Cycle 4: Early part of Late Pleistocene (Q13a) Cycle 5: Late Pleistocene Middle Holocene (Q13b-Q22) Cycle 6: Late Holocene (Q23) 3. Boundaries of sedimentary cycles were determined based on bounderies of reection surfaces of seismic sections. Each reection surface has remarked a stratigraphical uncomformity by eroded uplifting. 4. Begining of each cycles composed of coarse-grained size sediments, for example pebbles, gravels, coarse sands, corresponding to alluvial environments. 5. The ending of each cycle was deposited by dominated ne sediments and composed of silty clayer, organic matter bearing mud and belong to deltaic front and lagoonal environments. 6. In Quaternary, sedimentary cycles were expressed in sea bottom and divided one another by 7 ancient shorelines: + -2000 -> -2500m water deep (early Pleistocene) + -1000-> -1500m water deep (middle Pleistocene in Minel glacial period) + -400->-500m water deep (middle Pleistocene in Riss glacial period) + -200->-300 m water deep (late Pleistocene in Wurm 1 glacial period) + -100->-120m water deep (late Pleistocene in Wurm 2 glacial period) + -50>-60m water deep (late Pleistocene early Holocene) + -25->-30 water deep (Early Middle Holocene) The ancient shorelines are important conditions leading to investigating placer deposits. 7. Sedimentary cycles of stratigraphical section are closely related to cycles that distributed in sea bottom inuced by sea level change, it means glacial and interglacial cycles. 8. Pliocene Quaternary sediments lling up the Cenozoic basins (Cuu Long, Song Hong, Nam Con Son...) are symmetrical through the axis of basins. Meanwhile, in the outside them, the sediments were asymmetric distributed should be perpendicular direction to deep isobath of continental shelf.
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58 MONSOON-INDUCED SEASONALITY IN THE TRANSPORT, DEPOSITION, AND RESUSPENTION OF CHANGJIANG-DERIVED SEDIMENTS IN THE EAST CHINA SEA Katsuto UEHARA1, Yoshiki SAITO2 and Zuosheng YANG3
1 Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University, Japan. Email: uehara@riam.kyushu-u.ac.jp 2 Geological Survey of Japan, AIST, Japan. 3 Ocean University of China, China.
Sedimentary condition of the East China Sea is under a strong inuence of East Asian monsoons and shows distinct seasonal variations. Intense northeasterly winds in winter seasons form severe oceanic state and destroy density stratication on the continental shelf, while most sediment discharges from Chinese rivers occur during summer seasons. The strength and direction of oceanic currents in the shallow area, including the outow of the Changjiang (Yangtze River), are also affected by seasonal winds. It is therefore necessary to investigate seasonal changes, instead of dealing with annual mean climatology, to understand sedimentary processes of the East China Sea. The aim of this study is to examine numerically a seasonal cycle in the sedimentary processes of Changjiangderived sediments by considering changes of oceanic currents, wind waves, vertical stratifications and the sediment supply. Care was taken to resolve spontaneous events occur in a timescale of several days by referring to hindcast data of atmospheric and oceanic parameters that is available in 6 hour interval for years 2002 and 2003. A preliminary result from the sediment transport model suggests an active cross-shelf sediment transport off the Changjiang Estuary during autumn, for which the vertical stratication seems to play a signicant role.
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59 GRAIN SIZE CHARACTERISTICS OF SUSPENDED PARTICULATE MATTERS IN THE YANGTZE RIVER ESTUARY Wang Guoqing and Shi Xuefa
First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, 6 Xianxialing Road, Qingdao, China, 266061. E-mail: gqwang@o.org.cn
Grain size compositions of suspended particulate matters (SPM) from Yangtze River estuary in December 2004 were analyzed at 352 stations by a Mastersizer 2000 laser grain size analyzer and an in situ LISST 100 instrument, in order to elucidate variation of grain size parameters and composition. Although measurement size range of the LISST 100 (1.25-250 m) is narrower than that of the Mastersizer 2000 (0-2000 m), the grain size distribution patterns revealed by the latter show that components of most SPM samples (>95%) are ner than 250 m, which means that results of these two methods are comparable. Actually, grain sizes measured by these two instruments can correspond to each other roughly. In total, the SPM was composed of ne materials (>7) which are relatively poorly sorted. The mean grain sizes decreases gradually at the seaward and upward direction, and the grain size distribution patterns of the SPM are in abnormal (skewed) mode with small kurtosis values. Meanwhile, the grain size distribution patterns vary signicantly at vertical direction. At the surface water, it usually shows bimodal distribution mode while shows trimodal or bimodal mode near the sea bottom. This variation perhaps derives from prevailing resuspension of surface sediment near the sea bottom. On the plot of standard deviation versus mean grain size exist several peaks, which indicate complex constituents of the SPM. Furthermore, the median grain size of SPM is correlated well to the inorganic particulate content in stead of SPM concentration, which indicates that terrigenous detritus in the SPM may control the grain size of the SPM. Although the results of Mastersizer 2000 and LISST 100 measurement both can reveal the grain size variation of the SPM, there exists a discrepancy between them. The grain sizes measured by LISST 100 are somewhat coarser than that measured by Mastersizer 2000 at the same station, which maybe due to biological content of the SPM and occulation of ne grained particles. Keywords: Grain Size, Suspended particulate matter, Yangtze River Estuary
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60 COUPLING CONTROLS OF NEOTECTONISM AND PALEOCLIMATE ON THE QUATERNARY SEDIMENTS OF THE YANGTZE (CHANGJIANG) COAST WANG Zhangjiao1, CHEN Zhongyuan2, WEI Zixin3, WANG Zhanghua1 and WEI Taoyuan1
1 Department of Geography, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China. 2 State Key laboratory for Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China. E-mail: z.chen@ecnu.edu.cn 3 Shanghai Institute of Geological Survey, Shanghai 200072, China.
Attempt has been made to discuss the coupling relation of neotectonism and paleoclimate that has played a critical role in controlling the Quaternary sediment distribution and sedimentary facies evolution on the Yangtze coast. On the basis of petrological analysis, up to six sedimentary cyclicities have been identied in the Quaternary sediment boreholes on the time scale of 0.4-0.5 Ma. The lower sedimentary cyclicities (Pliocene to Early Pleistocene) are characterized largely by thicker gravelly coarse sands, topped by thinner ne silt and silty clay. Gravels are very angular and clayey gravels prevail. Sediments are usually of poor sorting, rich in log fragments and have no microfossils. Bedload as denoted by C-M plot occurs throughout the section. This evidence represents the alluvial fan sedimentation that took place as the basin began to subside. The middle sedimentary cyclicities (often including Early to Middle Pleistocene) consist of basal gravelly sands and clayey silt at the middle and upper sediment sections. Sorting becomes relatively better, and foraminifer appears sporadically. C-M plot reveals the mixture of sediment transport media via bedload, saltation and suspension, representing sedimentation of braided river system at the early stage and subsequently, the sedimentation of meandering river pattern. The upper sedimentary cyclicities (including Late Pleistocene to Holocene) comprise basal gravelly sands (exclusive of the Holocene sediment) and thick ne sand and silty clay on the upper section. Sorting becomes ne and foraminifer appears throughout the sediment section. C-M plot shows that saltation and suspension serve as the main sediment transport media in the sediment section and bedload transport weakens. These evidence the sedimentation of meandering river pattern near coast during Late Pleistocene and Holocene time, when marine transgression invaded into the paleoriver valleys, which often forms drowned-valley facies and shallow marine facies. Of note is the Recent delta facies developed on the top of the cyclicities, and characterized by a large proportion of ne sand and silty clay, and various sedimentary beddings. These phenomena have proved enhanced climate function on sedimentary facies evolution on the basis of previous alluvial fan system, largely affected by tectonic subsidence setting. Keywords: Quaternary sediments, grain size, neotectonic subsidence, paleoclimate/sea-level fluctuations, Yangtze delta
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61 SEDIMENTATION RATES IN RELATION TO SEDIMENTARY PROCESSES OF THE YANGTZE ESTUARY Taoyuan Wei1, Zhongyuan Chen2, Lingyun Duan1, Jiawei Gu1, Yoshiki Saito3, Weiguo Zhang2, Yonghong Wang4 and Yutaka Kanai5
1 Department of Geography, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China. 2 State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China. E-mail: Z.Chen@ecnu.edu.cn 3 IGG, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST, Central 7, Higashi 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 306-8567, Japan. 4 College of Marine Geosciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China. 5 RCDME, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST, Central 7, Higashi 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 306-8567, Japan.
Radioisotope analysis and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) method are combined to examine sedimentation rates and associated sedimentary processes in the Yangtze River estuary. The major estuarine depocenter is validated at the deltaic topset sedimentary facies above the normal wave base (NWB), where accumulation exceeds erosion. This alternated sedimentation does not accommodate Pb-210 and Cs-137 measurement, although rates of <0.2-5.0 cm yr-1 were recorded in the silty sediment section interbedded with sandy sediment sections. However, historical DEM data enable to provide more detailed information on sedimentation of the topset sediments, where accumulation prevails in the sandy shoals (1.73-8.30 cm yr-1) and delta front slope (5.22 cm yr-1). The DEM data also show that erosion (1.61-7.32 cm yr-1) dominates in the northern estuarine distributaries and accumulation (3.01-4.97 cm yr-1) overwhelms the southern ones, primarily due to the superimposed runoff and ebb tidal currents. Pb-210 and Cs-137 measurement reveals sedimentation rates ranging from 2.0 yr-1 to 6.3-6.6 cm yr-1 in the foreset sedimentary facies, and progressively reducing to <0.8 cm yr-1 at the bottom-set facies, and immeasurable in the delta-shelf transit zone. DEM analysis detects minor erosion (77.07 x 106 m3 at rate of 2.31 cm yr-1) in the foreset and bottomset facies, although accumulation (292.22 x 10 6 m3 at rate of 5.22 cm yr-1) overwhelms. The present sedimentological database will have potentially shed light on the estuarine environmental assessment after Three-Gorges Dam being closed in 2009. Keywords: DEM; Pb-120; Cs-137; Deltaic depocenter; Sedimentation rate; Yangtze estuary
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62 THREE DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE LATEST PLEISTOCENE TO HOLOCENE INCISED-VALLEY FILL IN NOBI PLAIN, CENTRAL JAPAN Masaaki YAMAGUCHI1, Toshihiko SUGAI1, Osamu FUJIWARA2, Hiroo OHMORI1 and Takashi OGAMI1
1 Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo. 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan. E-mail: masaaki@nenv.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp 2 Geological Survey of Japan, AIST. 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8567, Japan.
With the high sediment ux from the Central Alpine region, thick incised-valley ll has deposited under the Nobi plain since the LGM accompanied with the high progradation rate up to 10m/yr since 6ka. Owing to the varied grain size of sediment supplied by mountainous rivers, the valley ll has clearly divided into ve units by the lithological features: Basement of the ll, LS (Lower Sand: ~25m thick), MM (Middle Mud: ~30m thick), US (Upper Sand: ~20m thick), and TS/TM (Top Sand and Mud: ~10m thick). Detailed geological data analysis using GIS was done to clarify the three dimensional forms of each sedimentary unit. 510 logs are selected from over 6000 existing logs, to form the spatially uniform 1km-grid three dimensional surfaces interpolated by GIS for each sedimentary unit. Denitions and characteristics of each unit are based on the analysis of three cores, obtained from the plain. Basement of the valley lls consists of unit BG and the Upper Quaternary Atsuta Formation (AT). AT forms the broad buried marine terrace under the south eastern part of the plain. Unit BG is the uvial gravel bed which cuts the upper part of Unit AT. The upper surface of Unit BG is dissected by shallow valleys (about 10m deep, and several kilometers wide). These valleys probably had been formed during the period of LGM. Unit LS, which mainly consists of river channel deposits and ood sediments, lls the incised valleys. The upper boundary of LS is relatively smooth and tilting toward the Yoro active fault which forms the western boundary of the plain. Unit MM covering the unit LS, is the prodelta mud. The basement surface of the unit MM was originally seem to be horizontal, and had been tilted repeatedly associated with faulting events during the deposition of MM. Unit US covering the unit MM is the deltafront deposit whose thicker part shows belt-like distribution pattern. The belts correspond to the depression of the basement of unit US, indicating the main axis of the delta progradation or the main river course. The upper surface of unit US is slightly tilting toward the Yoro fault, especially in the northern part of the plain. This means that unit US has been affected by the several faulting events during the progradation. Unit TM/TS is the uvial deposit covering the unit US, and lling the accommodation spaces on the slightly tilted upper surface of unit US. Unit SS is the sand and mud complex covering unit BG. Unit SS deposited in the surrounding area without Unit MM, where unit LS, US, and TS/TM are indistinguishable. Unit SS thus should has deposited simultaneously with these units LS, MM, US and TM/TS. In this presentation, additional data will be added for the analysis.
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Jan. 2006
63 QUATERNARY SEDIMENTOLOGICAL STUDY OF NORTH YANGTZE DELTA, CHINA: STRATAL CONFIGURATION AND DEPOSITIONAL PATTERN Guifang Yang1, Hongfu Yin2 and Zhongyuan Chen3
1 School of the Geosciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China. E-mail: yangguifang@126.com 2 State Key Laboratory for Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China. 3 Faulty of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
The Quaternary sediments resting over different stratigraphic units are spread over the surface of Yangtze Delta. The extensive Yangtze delta plains are composed of Quaternary variegated clays, gravels, polycyclic sequence of sand-silt-clay depicting a long history of sedimentation. Numerous samples taken from a series of existing borehole at North Yangtze Delta were utilized to discuss the sedimentary environment of the study area during Quaternary, in terms of stratal characteristics and depositional pattern. Sample analysis includes grain-size, heavy mineral, pollen-spore and microfossils. Chronology is based on 14C, Electronic Spin Resonance (ESR), Optical Simulated Luminescence (OSL), and paleo-magnetism. Our findings revealed that: (1) The Quaternary of the study area stared at 2.60 Ma B.P., represented by the thick sediment of approximately 280 m. (2) Climatostratigraphy, biostratigraphy, chronostratigraphy, as well as lithostratigraphy served to reconstruct the stratal configuration, revealing 4 series including 10 groups in all developed during Quaternary, i.e. the Lower Pleistocene alluvial fans, Middle Pleistocene alluvial to uvial facies, Upper Pleistocene drowned valley and Holocene delta facies. Also, the corresponding chronology for stratal sequence was clearly dened. (3) Six transgressions were revealed simultaneously in the study area. Drowned valley and coast dominated from early Lower Pleistocene to late Upper Pleistocene followed by two strong transgressions, i.e. Gehu and Zhenjiang transgression, shaping the marine and submarine deposition. Particularly, two typical stiff-mud layers were strictly distinguished, supported by the pollen and spore assembles, occurring during the regression in 10-11 ka B.P. and 45-35 ka B.P., respectively. (4) Controlled by regional geology and climate setting, four types of depositional patterns were identied to interpret the deltaic evolution, involving lacustrine plain, coastal plain, alluvial plain-paleo riverway, and estuarine sand-island modes. As such, three evolution stages were recognized during the Quaternary time. Generally, most prominent continental deposits appeared in the early differential subsidence stage, characterized by an alterative distribution of highland and subsidence basin and closely related to the regional geology. During the overall subsidence stage, continental sediment mingled with sea-continent facies prevailed from late Upper Pleistocene to early Lower Pleistocene due particularly to the transgression. Since the late Lower Pleistocene, sea facies deposition dominated in the study area, in close association with the high-frequency transgression/regression. However, further study is needed to collect data throughout the North Yangtze Delta and more samples should be analyzed in the present study to improve the resolution of stratal conguration and to outline the sedimentary pattern of the study area. Keywords: Sedimentary environment, Stratal conguration, Depositional pattern, Quaternary stratigraphy, North Yangtze Delta
72
Jan. 2006
64 EVOLUTION PROCESS OF DISTRIBUTION PATTERN OF BOTTOM SEDIMENTS ON THE CONTINENTAL SHELVES OF THE BOHAI SEA, YELLOW SEA AND EAST CHINA SEA DURING THE HOLOCENE: FROM A SIMULATION RESULTS Yurong Zhu
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, P.R.China. E-mail: yrzhu@sjtu.edu.cn, yurongzhu@tom.com
The formation and distribution of bottom sediments on the continental shelves of the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea and East China Sea (BYECS) are closely related to the Holocene transgression. Tidal currents are permanent and have been dominating the marine dynamics on the continental shelves of the BYECS since the beginning of the Holocene transgression maximum (HTM). In order to study the origin of the formation and distribution of bottom sediments on the continental shelves of the BYECS from the viewpoint of long-term sediment dynamics evolution process, the distribution patterns of seabed erosion/accretion and bottom sediment types on the continental shelves of the BYECS at nine special periods during the Holocene are simulated under the action of tidal currents. The results show that the sandy sediment on the outer shelf of the East China Sea south to the Yangtze Shoal has generally formed since 80m sea level. The Yangtze Shoal, which began to form after 52m sea level, reached a certain scale at 30m sea level, and then has gradually adjusted to the present scale since the HTM. The mud in the central part of the southern Yellow Sea, which has formed since 52m sea level, occupied a large area and intruded northerly into the northern Yellow Sea at 30m Sea level, and then has gradually adjusted to the present scope since the HTM. Most of clayey sediments and sandy sediments, such as the mud in the central area of the Bohai Sea, the mud in the west area of the northern Yellow Sea, the mud off the Zhejiang-Fujian coast, the sandy sediments west to and north to the Liaodong Peninsula, the sandy sediments in the west Korea Bay and Jianghua Bay, and the Subei Shoal, have formed since the HTM. The sandy sediment in the Haizhou Bay mainly began to form after the 8th century. It is possible for the muds southwest to the Cheju Island and in the east area of the southern Yellow Sea to begin to form at 30m sea level, and at 52m sea level, respectively. The evolution process of bottom sediments on the continental shelves of the BYECS during the Holocene is largely divided into two stages: (1) Before the HTM is the formation stage of the general distribution pattern of bottom sediments; (2) After the HTM is the local adjustment stage of the general distribution pattern of bottom sediments. At a certain period, the distribution pattern of bottom sediments on the continental shelves of the BYECS is mainly controlled by tidal current field of this time. The evolution of the distribution pattern of bottom sediments on the continental shelves of the BYECS has been mainly controlled by the evolution of tidal current eld during the Holocene.
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International Conference on DELTAS (Borneo venue): Depositional Systems and Stratigraphic Development

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International Conference on DELTAS (Borneo venue): Depositional Systems and Stratigraphic Development

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International Conference on DELTAS (Borneo venue): Depositional Systems and Stratigraphic Development

January 1318, 2006 Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei

ABSTRACTS AND PROGRAMME

Universiti Brunei Darussalam IGG, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST

January 1318, 2006 Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei

ABSTRACTS AND PROGRAMME

Universiti Brunei Darussalam IGG, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST

13 January, 2006 Evening: registration 14 January, 2006

1330 Plenary business meeting

3 RESPONSE OF SEA LEVEL CHANGES TO COASTAL PROCESSES K. ANBARASU

15 A MEGACITY AND A BIOSPHERE IN A DELTA Santosh Ghosh

22 FORMATION OF DELTAS IN NORTH-WESTERN COASTAL ZONE OF SRI LANKA U.de S. Jayawardena

Fig. 1. Schematic illustration of GPR reection and CMP survey method.

Fig. 2. Location map of GPR lines at the Yumigahama Peninsula.

Fig.3 GPR prole obtained around present shoreline.

Vietnam. E-mail: sedlap@hcm.vnn.vn

Fig. 1. Investigation area.

Fig. 2. Location of sensors in the creek and in the forest.

Figure 1. RHU COLOR FILL BATHYMETRY.

Figure 2. RHU SUN ILLUMINATION 3D.

Figure 3. RHU BACKSCATTER IMAGE.

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