Studies on Geochemical and Heavy Mineral Characteristics of Sediments of Gosthani River Estuary

摘要

The present work deals with the geochemical and heavy mineral characteristics studies of sediments of Gosthani river estuary. The aim of study is to determine the provenance, establish the depositional environment and spatial variability of sediment. From the study it is found that the sediment of Gosthani river contains heavy minerals that consist of Rutile, Garnet, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Monazite, Zercon, Pyroxenes, Epidote, Amphiboles and Opaques minerals. The lesser abundant heavy minerals are amphiboles, zircon, monazite, rutile, staurolite, epidote. These heavy minerals indicate that the sediments were essentially derived from metamorphic provenance varying from medium to high grade and partly from crystalline igneous rocks. Well rounded monazites come from Eastern Ghats. This is based on the occurrence of monazite in pegmatite and charnockites of Eastern Ghats. The various characters of rutile and zircon suggest that each of these minerals has a multisource. According to geochemical studies settling of organic matter is highest in areas where deposition of fine grained sediment takes place. The organic carbon is often a good index for deciphering depositional environment.