The coast of Sindhudurg presents a hilly aspect with low lateritic plateaus and basaltic bluffs descending right into the sea, through steep slopes and cliff faces. There is a repeated alternation of bold headlands and sheltered coves and bays. This pattern of alternation of the shore features prevents the development of extensive and continuous beach development in long stretches further under the impact the swell waves of monsoons, the coast is mainly erosive in nature.
The most important types of beach morphology observed in Sindhudurg are:
- Curving crescentic pocket beaches inside small coves and bays in between rocky headlands especially between Vijaydurg and Achra, and around Nivti. These pocket beaches vary in length and breadth and are crescentic in shape. They are barely 1 to 2 km. along the curving bay and barely ¼ to ½ km. wide.
- Fairly straight beaches, extending further southwards as splits into tidal creeks and estuarine entrances. These are particularly striking in development around Achra and Deubag which are respectively to the north and south of Malvan. The individual beach split zone that mainly occur between Achra and Vengurla is about 8 to 10 kms. And ½ km. wide. In addition, there are small spits barely a kilometer long across the smaller tidal inlet entrances.
Author(s) Details:
Charlotte Maria Braganza
S K Somaiya College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Maharashtra, India.
Recent Global Research Developments in Coastal Contours: Exploring Beach Morphology in Sindhudurg
Study Area:
- The study area focuses on the extreme southern section of the Maharashtra coast.
- It encompasses the talukas (administrative subdivisions) of Devgad, Malvan, and Vengurla within the Sindhudurg district.
- The coastline in this region extends between 15°45’ N latitude and 16°30’ N latitude, with a general orientation from north-northwest to south-southeast.
- The total length of the coastline is approximately 100 kilometers [1].
Coastal Features:
- The coast of Sindhudurg presents a hilly aspect, characterized by low lateritic plateaus and basaltic bluffs that descend directly into the sea.
- The landscape alternates between bold headlands and sheltered coves and bays [2].
Beach Sediments:
- Beaches consist of sediments derived from land disintegration, including sand and gravel eroded from terrestrial rocks.
- The composition of beach sediments reflects the nature of the source rocks and can be used to assess relative contributions and transport mechanisms.
- Grain size parameters provide insights into the energy flux of transporting agents and the depositional environment.
- Surface texture analysis of sand-sized quartz grains using SEM (scanning electron microscopy) helps interpret sedimentary environments and transport mechanisms [1].
Wave Action and Sediment Sorting:
- Experiments in a wave flume revealed that sandy beach sediments under wave action exhibit sorting phenomena.
- Intense turbulence generated by breaking waves leads to sediment transport and movement of fine sands.
References
- Beach Morphology in Sindhudurg District, Maharashtrahttps://www.academia.edu/67617789/Beach_Morphology_in_Sindhudurg_District_Maharashtra
- Braganza, C. M. (2021). Beach morphology in Sindhudurg District Maharashtra. J Coast Zone Manage, 24, 1-4.