Clay minerals and their dispersal in the sediments of Vamsadhara river channel and estuary

Abstract

Clay mineral suites in the estuary are characterised by high smectite with varying proportions of illite and kaolinite, whereas the clay minerals in the river channel contain high kaolinite with varying proportions of smectite and illite. Thus, two characteristic clay suites are recorded in the river channel and estuary. The factors of differential settling and flocculation of clay minerals in the estuarine environment have minor or no effects on relative variation of clay minerals in the two different suites from the river channel to estuary. Dispersal variation of kaolinite and smectite dominated zones are the major processes operative in the estuary.