Holocene Palaeoenvironmental change at the mouth of Sabarmati River, Gulf of Khambhat, Western India

Bibliographic Data

ID21264114
AuthorsChintan Vedpathak (Gujarat University), Archana Das (0000-0002-1752-0446, Institute of Seismological Research, corresponding author), Siddharth Prizomwala (0000-0002-4027-5266, Institute of Seismological Research), S P Prizomwala, Nisarg Makwana (Institute of Seismological Research)
Year2024
Volume2
Issue5
Pages100016
Publication date2024-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueQuaternary Environments and Humans (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2950-2365 • E-ISSN: 2950-2365
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.qeh.2024.100016
OpenAlexW4400146063
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited93

The fluvio-marine archives have been widely used to assess the imprints of land-sea interaction during the Holocene period, which has been enigmatic in terms of changes in environmental conditions. To comprehend the fluvial-marine interactions during the Holocene period in response to relative sea level changes, a sedimentary record has been studied from the mouth of the Sabarmati river at the Gulf of Khambhat (western India), which has also hosted mighty Harappan cultural centres during Holocene period. We employed a suite of multiproxy technique (sedimentology, OSL dating, geochemistry and foraminiferal content) from a terrace sequence at the Sabarmati River mouth (i.e. Vadgam). Based on an optical dating, the studied terrace sequence spans from 11 ± 1 ka to 1.3 ± 0.3 ka (11300–1300 year BP) covering almost entire Holocene period. The multiproxy investigation identified three distinct depositional zones at the site, namely zone 1 (11300–5300 year BP), which is characterised by a predominantly fluvial to marginal marine environment, zone 2 (5300–3700 year BP), which indicates a change to a marginal marine to predominantly marine environment, and zone 3 (3700–1300 year BP), which demonstrates a change to an again mixed environment. A present analogue to the palaeoenvironments in the area is provided by the deposition that is still occurring at the mouth of the Sabarmati River under the estuarine tidal environment. The variations in the rate of sedimentation and the source of the sediments are consistent with the environmental change, which will be driven by the changes in climatic circumstances in connection with the rapid sedimentation near the mouth of the Sabarmati River

Climate change · Environmental change · Fluvial · Geography · Holocene · Holocene climatic optimum · Physical geography · River mouth · Sea level · Sediment · Sedimentary depositional environment · Sedimentary rock · Sedimentology · Geology and Paleoclimatology Research · Marine and environmental studies · Maritime and Coastal Archaeology · Geology · Oceanography · Paleontology