Textural Analysis and Heavy Mineral Distribution Studies of Coastal Sediments from Portonova to Gadilam River, Along the East Coast of Tamil Nadu

The present study consist the determination of the grain size distribution in surface sediments and their heavy mineral contents. Data obtained from this study fine sand (2.067  -2.343  ), well-to moderately-sorted (0.385  -0.508  ), near symmetrical to fine skewness and very fine skewness (-0.031  -0.400  ), mesokurtic to leptokurtic and platikurtic represents dominant grain size in study area. Linear Discriminant Functions (LDF) interpretation of most of the locations falls under beach processes, shallow agitated water, shallow marine and turbidity current. Heavy minerals also identify different size fragments from nearby cliffs may also be present and even predominate under specific circumstances north and south of the study area. The heavy mineral assemblages found in this study are dominated by Ilmenite, Sillimanite, Garnet, Hypersthene, Hornblende, Leucoxene, Rutile, Topaz, Augite, Apatite, Zircon and Monazite. The present studies focused textural characteristics of sediments, depositional environmental conditions, heavy mineral assemblages and their provenances