| Summary: | Grain size studies of sediments from beaches in the region from Mandapam toKanyakumari, divided into 5 sectors, indicate that sediments are unimodal topolymodal in nature, coarse to fine grained, moderately to poorly sorted, andpositively-negatively skewed in character. The inference to be drawn fromthese studies is that the variation in sedimentological parameters is governedby fluvial input, wave dynamics, and littoral transport of the sediments.Bivariant plots show that the Mandapam and Kanyakumari sectors can beclassified as beach environments, whereas the Tuticorin and Valinokkam sectorscome under the influence of riverine environmentsand the dune environment in the Manappad sector. The CM pattern of all five sectors showsa clustered distribution of sediments in the PQ and QR segments, indicating agraded mode of deposition. Visher diagrams depict a wave shadow environmentfor the Mandapam sector, whereas the Valinokkam, Tuticorin and Manappadsectors show double saltation populations characteristic of beaches, and theKanyakumari sector is characterized by a more truncated populationcharacteristic of a plunge zone, which is a high-energy environment.
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