Recent Sedimentation across Kori Creek in the Western Great Rann of Kachchh Basin: Insights from Tidal Network Changes, Sedimentological, Clay Mineralogical, and Rare Earth Element Studies

• Published in: Journal of coastal research Vol. 40; no. 2; pp. 289 - 302
• Main Authors: Khonde, Niteshkumar, Katange, Kishor, Singh, Gursewak, Kumar, Abhishek, Maurya, D.M., Giosan, Liviu, Ghosh, Tathagata
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Fort Lauderdale Allen Press Inc 01.03.2024
• Subjects: Channels; Chemical composition; Chlorite; Clay; Clay minerals; Coastal currents; Coastal inlets; Connecting; Cores; Creeks; Creeks & streams; Dominance; Earth; Illite; Illites; Kaolinite; Mineralogy; Rare earth elements; Rivers; Sediment; Sediment distribution; Sedimentation; Sedimentation & deposition; Sediments; Smectites; Tectonics; Tidal flooding; Tidal floods; Tidal inlets
• ISSN: 0749-0208; 1551-5036
• DOI: 10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-23-00030.1

Khonde, N.; Katange, K.; Singh, G.; Kumar, A.; Maurya, D.M.; Giosan, L., and Ghosh, T., 2024. Recent sedimentation across Kori Creek in the western Great Rann of Kachchh Basin: Insights from tidal network changes, sedimentological, clay mineralogical, and rare earth element studies.Kori Creek is one of the most important creeks along the coastline of the Kachchh basin and forms a connecting passage between the Arabian Sea and the Great Rann of Kachchh (GRK) basin. Historically, this region has supported maritime activities between the Kachchh region and Sindh (now part of Pakistan) and witnessed significant landscape changes in the past few centuries. This study demonstrates tidal network changes that occurred over the past four decades (from 1984 to 2020) using satellite data in the Kori Creek region and western GRK basin. The results show that Kori Creek extended more than 30 km landward during the past four decades on account of ongoing tectonic adjustment and headward erosion of tidal channels in the GRK. Short sediment cores collected across the Kori creek in a transect provided evidence of the establishment, extension of tidal channels, and changing dominance of tidal flooding and channel influences on the sediment distribution. The clay mineralogical composition of the Kori Creek region shows the dominance of illite and chlorite over smectite and kaolinite minerals in general. However, from north to south (KC-1 to KC-5), clay compositions show a relative increase in smectite, indicating an increasing contribution due to sediment redistribution from the Indus delta, probably through coastal currents in modern time. The Rare Earth Element composition of the Kori Creek sediments is consistent and shows homogenised sediments that were dominantly sourced from the felsic rocks in the hinterland. Presently, the Kori Creek sediments do not receive significant sediments from rivers in the terrestrial part, the mineralogical composition, and chemical signatures suggest the Indus and the GRK as secondary sources for the Kori Creek modern sediments.