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What drives nearshore sediment transport controls on the depletion of beach placers at Manavalakurichi, Southwest Coast of India?.

IR@NIO: CSIR-National Institute Of Oceanography, Goa

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Field Value
 
Creator DineshKumar, P.K.
ManiMurali, R.
Babu, M.T.
Sudheesh, K.
Vethamony, P.
NaveenKumar, K.R.
 
Date 2014-10-09T11:58:46Z
2014-10-09T11:58:46Z
2014
 
Identifier Physical Geography, vol.35(5); 2014; 411-428.
http://drs.nio.org/drs/handle/2264/4622
 
Description An in-depth analysis has been made to simulate hydrodynamic scenarios for understanding the nearshore sediment transport controls of placer mineral depletion at Manavalakurichi, India. From the analyses of topographic configuration (extracted from Hydrographic Nautical Chart No. 2048 and data generated during year 2010), we inferred that the 5-m isobaths had broadened and exhibited shallowness. Distances between the coastline and the isobaths were found to have increased significantly over the past five decades. Along with this, the 10 and 20-m contours were found to have shifted about 35–100m horizontally landward. These changes led to severe sediment deposition in these regions due to the changed wave energy levels and refraction patterns. Numerical simulations linking bathymetry, hydrodynamics, sediment load, and significant wave heights revealed that changes in bathymetry would amplify the wave heights and convergence of wave energy. Associated removal of sand from the high-energy zones will eventually lead to sediment starvation situations and depletion of placers in the adjacent beaches. As the observed trends of depletion generate great concern, detailed oceanographic investigations should be taken up immediately in the region. Fine-resolution hydrodynamic data-sets should prove useful for further evaluating the physical responses of the system to the altered geometry and for exploring remedial measures for restoring the heavy mineral content of the beach sand.
 
Language en
 
Publisher Taylor and Francis
 
Rights The final and definitive form of the preprint has been published in the "Physical Geography" © 2014 Taylor & Francis; "Physical Geography" is available online at http://www.tandfonline.com with open URL of article : http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02723646.2014.932678. The term & condition associated with this preprint is at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
 
Subject beach placers
coastal processes
sediment transport
wave energy
 
Title What drives nearshore sediment transport controls on the depletion of beach placers at Manavalakurichi, Southwest Coast of India?.
 
Type Journal Article