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Luminescence chronology of the inland sand dunes from SE India

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Dontireddy Venkat Reddy*
Affiliation:
CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500007, India
Vuddaraju Singaraju
Affiliation:
Geological Survey of India, Southern Region, Bandlaguda, Hyderabad 500068, India
Rakesh Mishra
Affiliation:
Geological Survey of India, Southern Region, Bandlaguda, Hyderabad 500068, India
Devender Kumar
Affiliation:
CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500007, India
Puthusserry Joseph Thomas
Affiliation:
CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500007, India
Karra Kameshwa Rao
Affiliation:
Geological Survey of India, Southern Region, Bandlaguda, Hyderabad 500068, India
Ashok Kumar Singhvi
Affiliation:
Physical Research Laboratory, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad 380009, India
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail address:dvreddy.ngri@gmail.com (D.V. Reddy).

Abstract

Records of past climate changes have been preserved variously on the earth's surface. Sand dunes are one such prominent imprint, and it is suggested that their presence is an indicator of periods of transition from arid to less arid phases. We report inland sand dunes from Andhra Pradesh (SE India) spread over an area of ~ 500 km2, ~ 75 km inland from the east coast. The dune sands are examined to understand their provenance, transportation, timing of sand aggradation and their relationship to past climates. The dune distribution, grain morphology and the grain-size studies on sands suggest an aeolian origin. Physiography of the study area, heavy mineral assemblage, and abundance of quartz in the parent rocks indicate that the dune sands are largely derived from first-order streams emanating from hills in the region and from weathering of the Nellore schist belt. It appears that the geomorphology and wind direction pattern both facilitated and restricted the dune aggradation and preservation to a limited area. OSL dating of 47 dune samples ranged from the present to ~ 50 ka, thereby suggesting a long duration of sand-dune aggradation and/or reworking history.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
University of Washington

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