Abstract
The nature and distribution of heavy minerals along beach placers have been studied along the coastal part of Podampata, Eastern Coast of Odisha, India. The primary objective of this study was to assess the heavy mineral placers along the NE–SW direction, the nature of the high background radiation area, and the geomorphic agents controlling the beach sediment distribution. In-situ total radiation counts were obtained using a Micro R survey meter, and the individual activity of 232U (in µg/g), 234Th (in µg/g), and 40K (in %) of the collected samples were measured with Gamma surveyor II instrument. The sediment characterization was undertaken using grain size statistical parameters, which shows dominant influence of river and wind actions on the sediments and their high transportation and modification rates. Nature of radioactive anomalies observed is due to the decays of 232U and 234Th. The meandering nature and subsequent erosion, primarily at the outer curvature of the river, seems to have primarily contributed to the heavy mineral deposition. The high wind velocity during the frequent cyclonic events could have a significant influence on distribution and transport of heavy minerals observed. The mixed geomorphic agents operating in the study area influence the distribution of heavy minerals along the NE–SW direction.
Research Highlights
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1.
The higher abundance of Th is basically along the outer curvature of the meandering part as compared to the U and K occurrences.
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2.
Fine sand sediments with negatively skewness contains higher abundance of radioactive= elements.
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3.
The meandering pattern of Rusikulya River along due to beach action, primarily fluvial and aeolian activity plays an important role in the distribution of the sediments along the coast.
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Acknowledgements
We are thankful to Dr Pulakesh Das, Senior Project Associate-Sustainable Landscape & Restoration, World Resources Institute India, New Delhi for his suggestions for the improvement of the manuscript. We acknowledge the DST (Department of Science and Technology) for financial support during the research work. The authors are grateful to the anonymous referee for his constructive comments and suggestions which led to significant improvements to the manuscript.
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Contributions
Samikshya Mohanty and Debashish Sengupta conceived the ideas and experimental design of the study. Samikshya Mohanty and Somnath Adak collected data from the field and did the experiments. All authors together have done data analysis and interpretation. SM wrote the manuscript, and SA and DS did the revision.
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Appendices
Appendices
Appendix 1. Summary of Grain size distribution statistical measures of samples of southern part of study mentioned in the paper. | ||||||||
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Sample number | Folk and Ward method (φ) | Folk and Ward method (description) | ||||||
Mean | Sorting | Skewness | Kurtosis | Mean | Sorting | Skewness | Kurtosis | |
PM 1 | 1.899 | 0.931 | −0.144 | 1.099 | Medium sand | Moderately sorted | Coarse skewed | Mesokurtic |
PM 2 | 2.092 | 0.652 | 0.23 | 0.904 | Fine sand | Moderately well sorted | Fine skewed | Mesokurtic |
PM 3 | 2.348 | 0.635 | −0.517 | 0.839 | Fine sand | Moderately well sorted | Very coarse skewed | Platykurtic |
PM 4 | 2.385 | 0.553 | −0.371 | 0.644 | Fine sand | Moderately well sorted | Very coarse skewed | Very platykurtic |
PM 5 | 2.367 | 0.538 | −0.407 | 0.604 | Fine sand | Moderately well sorted | Very coarse skewed | Very platykurtic |
PM 6 | 2.065 | 0.503 | 0.541 | 0.644 | Fine sand | Moderately well sorted | Very fine skewed | Very platykurtic |
PM 7 | 2.378 | 0.527 | −0.427 | 0.596 | Fine sand | Moderately well sorted | Very coarse skewed | Very platykurtic |
PM 8 | 2.383 | 0.525 | −0.445 | 0.597 | Fine sand | Moderately well sorted | Very coarse skewed | Very platykurtic |
PM 9 | 1.629 | 1.012 | −0.206 | 1.282 | Medium sand | Poorly sorted | Coarse skewed | Leptokurtic |
PM 10 | 1.991 | 0.621 | 0.262 | 2.428 | Medium sand | Moderately well sorted | Fine skewed | Very leptokurtic |
PM 11 | 1.96 | 0.615 | 0.248 | 2.4 | Medium sand | Moderately well sorted | Fine skewed | Very leptokurtic |
PM 12 | 1.477 | 0.594 | −0.641 | 2.499 | Medium sand | Moderately well sorted | Very coarse skewed | Very leptokurtic |
PM 13 | 2.121 | 0.519 | 0.448 | 0.591 | Fine sand | Moderately well sorted | Very fine skewed | Very platykurtic |
PM 14 | 1.548 | 0.567 | −0.308 | 2.597 | Medium sand | Moderately well sorted | Very coarse skewed | Very leptokurtic |
PM 15 | 1.085 | 0.991 | −0.433 | 0.696 | Medium sand | Moderately sorted | Very coarse skewed | Platykurtic |
Appendix 2. Summary of Grain size distribution statistical measures of samples of northern part of study mentioned in the paper. | ||||||||
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Sample number | Folk and Ward method (φ) | Folk and Ward method (description) | ||||||
Mean | Sorting | Skewness | Kurtosis | Mean | Sorting | Skewness | Kurtosis | |
PMN1 | 2.48 | 0.621 | −0.751 | 0.852 | Fine sand | Moderately well sorted | Very coarse skewed | Platykurtic |
PMN2 | 2.218 | 0.464 | 0.688 | 0.504 | Fine sand | Well sorted | Very fine skewed | Very platykurtic |
PMN3 | 2.866 | 0.339 | −0.074 | 4.044 | Fine sand | Very well sorted | Symmetrical | Extremely leptokurtic |
PMN4 | 2.208 | 0.461 | 0.722 | 0.514 | Fine sand | Well sorted | Very fine skewed | Very platykurtic |
PMN5 | 2.175 | 0.587 | 0.383 | 0.904 | Fine sand | Moderately well sorted | Very fine skewed | Mesokurtic |
PMN6 | 2.545 | 0.556 | −0.434 | 0.752 | Fine sand | Moderately well sorted | Very coarse skewed | Platykurtic |
PMN7 | 2.233 | 0.468 | 0.652 | 0.501 | Fine sand | Well sorted | Very Fine skewed | Very platykurtic |
PMN8 | 2.215 | 0.46 | 0.714 | 0.508 | Fine sand | Well sorted | Very fine skewed | Very platykurtic |
PMN9 | 1.847 | 0.947 | −0.142 | 0.667 | Medium sand | Moderately sorted | Coarse skewed | Very platykurtic |
PMN10 | 2.219 | 0.468 | 0.696 | 0.508 | Fine sand | Well sorted | Very fine skewed | Very platykurtic |
Appendix 3. Linear Discriminant Function (LDF) after Sahu (1964) of the samples collected from the southern part of study area. | ||||||||||
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Sample number | Mean | Standard deviation | Skewness | Kurtosis | Y1 | Remarks Y1 | Y2 | Remarks Y2 | Y3 | Remarks Y3 |
PM1 | 1.899 | 0.931 | −0.144 | 1.099 | 0.1520182 | Beach | 104.4087 | Shallow marine | −6.293986 | Shallow marine |
PM2 | 2.092 | 0.652 | 0.23 | 0.904 | −3.555379 | Aeolian | 81.572634 | Shallow marine | −4.209306 | Shallow marine |
PM3 | 2.348 | 0.635 | −0.517 | 0.839 | −3.201136 | Aeolian | 69.413472 | Shallow marine | −0.292538 | Shallow marine |
PM4 | 2.385 | 0.553 | −0.371 | 0.644 | −4.604093 | Aeolian | 62.626828 | Beach | −0.152389 | Shallow marine |
PM5 | 2.367 | 0.538 | −0.407 | 0.604 | −4.650213 | Aeolian | 59.87771 | Beach | 0.1600684 | Fluvial |
PM6 | 2.065 | 0.503 | 0.541 | 0.644 | −5.55138 | Aeolian | 70.661975 | Shallow marine | −4.243702 | Shallow marine |
PM7 | 2.378 | 0.527 | −0.427 | 0.596 | −4.716211 | Aeolian | 58.769939 | Beach | 0.3633121 | Fluvial |
PM8 | 2.383 | 0.525 | −0.445 | 0.597 | −4.70135 | Aeolian | 58.40253 | Beach | 0.4712958 | Fluvial |
PM9 | 1.629 | 1.012 | −0.206 | 1.282 | 2.3966828 | Beach | 112.78742 | Shallow marine | −7.437529 | Fluvial |
PM10 | 1.991 | 0.621 | 0.262 | 2.428 | 1.3375167 | Beach | 106.17854 | Shallow marine | −3.975525 | Shallow marine |
PM11 | 1.96 | 0.615 | 0.248 | 2.4 | 1.3625929 | Beach | 104.43437 | Shallow marine | −3.852244 | Shallow marine |
PM12 | 1.477 | 0.594 | −0.641 | 2.499 | 5.1466772 | Beach | 80.940202 | Shallow marine | 0.5872489 | Fluvial |
PM13 | 2.121 | 0.519 | 0.448 | 0.591 | −5.662596 | Aeolian | 69.948352 | Shallow marine | −3.918468 | Shallow marine |
PM14 | 1.548 | 0.567 | −0.308 | 2.597 | 4.3908736 | Beach | 87.834896 | Shallow marine | −0.742602 | Shallow marine |
PM15 | 1.085 | 0.991 | −0.433 | 0.696 | 2.8292868 | Beach | 86.554216 | Shallow marine | −6.141678 | Shallow marine |
Appendix 4. Linear Discriminant Function (LDF) after Sahu (1964) of the samples collected from the northern part of study area. | ||||||||||
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Sample number | Mean | Standard deviation | Skewness | Kurtosis | Y1 | Remarks Y1 | Y2 | Remarks Y2 | Y3 | Remarks Y3 |
PMN1 | 2.48 | 0.62 | −0.751 | 0.852 | −3.210907 | Aeolian | 66.327787 | Shallow marine | 1.044786 | Shallow marine |
PMN2 | 2.218 | 0.46 | 0.688 | 0.504 | −6.978156 | Aeolian | 70.65 | Shallow marine | −4.595734 | Shallow marine |
PMN3 | 2.866 | 0.34 | −0.074 | 4.044 | 2.9418732 | Beach | 125.90546 | Shallow marine | 0.367646 | Shallow marine |
PMN4 | 2.208 | 0.46 | 0.722 | 0.514 | −6.992209 | Aeolian | 71.111807 | Shallow marine | −4.740162 | Shallow marine |
PMN5 | 2.175 | 0.59 | 0.383 | 0.904 | −4.467417 | Aeolian | 80.35037 | Shallow marine | −4.228775 | Shallow marine |
PMN6 | 2.545 | 0.56 | −0.434 | 0.752 | −4.695702 | Aeolian | 66.207704 | Shallow marine | 0.177574 | Shallow marine |
PMN7 | 2.233 | 0.47 | 0.652 | 0.501 | −6.952471 | Aeolian | 70.422396 | Shallow marine | −4.448104 | Shallow marine |
PMN8 | 2.215 | 0.46 | 0.714 | 0.508 | −7.022668 | Aeolian | 70.90498 | Shallow marine | −4.691241 | Shallow marine |
PMN9 | 1.847 | 0.95 | −0.142 | 0.667 | −0.900364 | Beach | 97.611502 | Shallow marine | −6.602657 | Shallow marine |
PMN10 | 2.219 | 0.47 | 0.696 | 0.508 | −6.972084 | Aeolian | 71.129491 | Shallow marine | −4.667060 | Shallow marine |
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Mohanty, S., Adak, S. & Sengupta, D. Granulometric analysis of beach sediments enriched in radioactivity along Podampata, east coast of Odisha, India. J Earth Syst Sci 130, 108 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-021-01600-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-021-01600-7