Heavy mineral distribution and provenance of Vaippar basin sediments, southeast coast of India

Abstract

Auger samples have been collected from 18 stations of Vaippar river, its tributaries and beach for heavy mineral distribution and provenance studies. The heavy mineral distribution varies from 3.14 to 27.31% in the river sediments and 62.83% in the beach. While the absence of glaucophane characterise the upstream sediments, the abnormal increase of zircon, opaque, epidote, muscovite, topaz and tremolite signifies the beach. The upstream sediments are dominated by colourless garnet while the downstream sediments are enriched with pink garnet. The results of Q-mode factor analysis indicate the metamorphic and plutonic assemblages like granulites, gneisses and granites as source rocks for the Vaippar basin sediments. It also evidences the contribution from off-shore source to the Vaippar beach.