CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
Kuruvadweep (Kuruva Island), a 950-acre protected river delta on the Kabini River in Wayanad
district, Kerala, is a well-known ecotourism destination in the world. Kuruva Island is an
evergreen forest with many streams making many islands within an island. This uninhabited
island is an abode of many rare species of flora and fauna, especially Wild Orchids, Birds,
Amphibians and many herbs. It has been declared as one of the Biodiversity hotspots of the
World.
The present work is an attempt to study the Geology and Geomorphology of kuruva island,wayanad
district,kerala state.In this work a brief study of field,petrographic study of rock is made as part of Bsc.project
work during the academic year 2021-2022.

1.2 Objectives of the study

The present project work has the following objectives

1.To study the petrology and structure of rock.
2.To understand the essential method and principle of geological field work
3.Identification of rock type in kuruva island.
4.

1.3 Location and accessibility

1.4 Climate and vegetation
Kuruvadweep or Kuruva Island is one of the major tourist spots in Wayanad. This
nature’s gift is a river delta spread across 950 acres on the banks of the tributaries of
the Kabini River. Three densely wooded island combines along with few submerged
satellite islands to form Kuruvadweep. With complete silence and a chilly climate,
this place is a heaven on earth. As it is not disturbed by city life this place is home to a
variety of rare kinds of flora and fauna, it has few endemic species of medicinal
plants, orchids, birds, etc.The best time to visit Kuruvadeep is from mid December to late April.
Kuruvadweep is usually closed to the public from May last to early December, due to the monsoons. The
torrential rainfall floods the streams and the water level rises dangerously high.
Being a part of the Western Ghats, one of the 34 biodiversity hotspots in the World, the
forest of Kuruva has immense floral and faunal significance. The island represents unique
vegetation with rich biodiversity. Kuruva is the only compact protected uninhabited island in
Wayanad. Astonishing variety of Butterflies will accompany the tourists while trekking. It is also
known for varieties of fungi community. It is an abode of more than 160 varieties of birds
including migratory birds from various parts of the world. Asian Paradise Flycatcher, White
Numped Shama, Blue Winged Parakeet, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Ceylon Frogmouth, Malabar
Trogon, Nilgiri Wood Piegeon, Indian Hanging Parrot, Velvet Fronted Nuthatch, etc. are some of
the unique birds that attract the bird watchers to this paradise. This island is also famous for a
wide variety of wild orchids and many amphibians.

1.4 Drainage

1.5 Geology of kerala

The Kerala region is an important segment of the South Indian Precambrian terrain where major units of
the earth continental crust such as granulites, granites, gneisses and greenstones are preserved. The on land
sedimentary formations are confined to Late Tertiary (Neogene) period only. Sedimentary rocks are quaternary
sediments of fluvial and marine origin. Both crystalline and the Tertiary sedimentshave been extensively
lateralized. 
 
The Rock types found in Kerala region can be grouped into three
1) The Recent to sub Recent sediments
2) The Tertiary sedimentary rocks
3) Precambrian crystalline rocks
The general stratigraphic succession of Kerala by geological survey of India (Rajan and Anil Kumar 2005) is given
in table 1.1
Table 1.1 Stratigraphy of Kerala
Cenozoic Quaternary Pebble bed
Kadappuram Formation (marine)
Periyar Formation (fluvial)
 Viyyam Formation (fluvio-marine)
Guruvayur Formation (Palaeo-marine)

Tertiary Laterite
(Mio-Pliocene) Warkalli Formation
(Sandstone and clay with Lignite
intercalations)
Quilon Formation
(Fossiliferous limestone and calcareous
marl)

Mesozoic

(61-144Ma) Gabbro / Dolerite dykes

Proterozoic Younger granites Alkali granites, granite, Granophyres

(550-390ma) and other acid intrusives

Charnockites (younger) Massive charnockite, incipient

(550Ma) charnockite , Cordierite charnockite

Ultrabasic/basics (Younger) Perinthatta anorthosite, Kartikulam

(700-600Ma) gabbro, Adakkathodu gabbro, Begur
diorite

Basic Intrusives (2100-1600Ma) Agali- Anakkatti dykes

Migmatite/gneiss/older Garnet- biotite- gneiss with associated

Granitoid (2500-2200Ma) migmatites, quartzo-felspathic gneiss,
hornblende gneiss, hornblende- biotite
gneiss, quartz- mica gneiss

Vengad Group Quartz-mica schist and quartzite,

conglomerate

Archaean Charnockite (older) Mafic granulite, pyroxene granulite,

2600Ma Banded magnetite quartzite and
gneissic charnockite

Peninsular Gneissic Foliated granite, hornblende gneiss,

Complex  (3000Ma) pink granite gneiss, biotite gneiss
 Layered ultrabasic - basic Complex Peridotite, dunite, pyroxenite,
(3100- 3000Ma) anorthosite

Waynad Schist Complex Talc- tremolite schist , fuchsite

(3200Ma) quartzite, amphibolite, calc granulite,
quartz sericite schist, kyanite quartzite,
garnet – sillimanite gneiss/ schist,
magnetite quartzite, kyanite mica
schist

Base not recognised

1.4 Physiographic divisions of Kerala

The state of Kerala is a narrow strip of land tucked away in the Southwest corner of India. It covers only
1.18% of total area of India with total geographic area 38863 km. Kerala lies within East longitudes 74°52´ and
77° 22’ and North latitude 8° 18’ and 120° 48’. The width of the state varies between 15 and 120 km and costal
belt extends up to 580 km in length. Based on detailed study of the geomorphology and slope map of Kerala, the
state can be classified into five physiographic zones (Soman K 2005). These are
1. Mountain peaks
2. Highlands
3. Midland
4. Coastal plains
5. Lagoons.
1. Mountain peaks: mountains and peaks above 1500 metre within the westernghat constitute only 0.64 % of
total area of the state in the Northern stretch of the ghat within Kerala, peaks rising above 1800 m are limited
in numbers.
2. Highland: The highlands slop down from the Western Ghats which rise to an average height of 900m, with
a number of peaks well over 1800m in height. It is 18650 sq.km in area and accounts for 48 percent of the total
land area of Kerala.This is the area of major plantations like tea, coffee, rubber and various spices. This area is
often known as the Cardamom Hills. Anaimudi (2694m), the highest peak in India after the Himalayas, is in
the Munnar division of the Western Ghats. Most of the rivers of Kerala originate from the Western Ghats.
3. Midlands: The undulating westem fringe of the highlands and the laterised rocky spurs projecting westward
and parts of the crustal breaks (passes) from the midland region. It covers nearly 8.44 % of the total area of the
state. While the midlands constitute most of the eastern parts of Kannur district. Their area shrinks towards the
west of Wayanad plateau where they occupy a narrow strip, coinciding with the steep slopes. From the west
nelliampathi plateau to the north of the cardamom hills, the elongated spurs separated by extensive ravines are
seen to merge with the relatively gentler slopes of the lowlands.
4. Lowlands: The area falling under the altitudinal range of 10-300 m and consisting of dissected peneplains
constitute the lowlands. Numerous floodplains, alluvial terraces, valley fills, colluvium and sedimentary
formations are parts of the lowlands. In the northern and southernmost parts of the state, this unit merges with
the coastal plains with discernible steeper slopes than in the rest of the state. The higher altitudinal portions of
the unit are seen more in the eastern parts of the southern and northern districts. In the areas around poovar-
 vizhinjam, Kadakkavur-Varkala, north of Badagara, Bekal- Kasargod etc. This unit abuts the sea without the
intervening coastal plains.
5. Coastal plains and lagoons: The vast low lying area fringing the coast, is not an important physiographic
unit of the state, but important in terms of economic activity and demographic distribution. It constitute
16.40% of the area of the state. In central Kerala most of the area shows elevations of 4 to 6m above MSL,
whereas it is 4 to 10m in north and south Kerala, except the coastal cliffs, promontories and sloping platforms.
Beach dunes, ancient beach ridges, barrier flats, coastal alluvial plains, food plains, river terraces, marshes and
lagoons constitute this unit. It has the maximum width in the Alapuzha and Aluva -Kaladi regions. A
characteristic feature of this unit is existence of numerous beach dune ridges, parallel and sub parallel to the
coast especially in the Alapuzha- Cherthala regions. Their orientation indicate that the strandline belonging to
at least two ages, and maximum width between the oldest and the youngest, close to the present shoreline is
18km. Further the coastal plain is seen to extend between numerous rocky ridges along the coast.

1.6 Geology of wayanad