RADIOCARBON-DATES OF SEDIMENT CORES FROM INNER CONTINENTAL-SHELF OFF TAINGAPATNAM, SOUTHWEST COAST OF INDIA

Radiocarbon dating of carbonized wood samples from three sediment core s from the inner continental shelf off Taingapatnam, in the southweste rn coast of India, indicates ages in the bracket 8400-9400 YBP. These radiometric ages correlate well with the ages of carbonized wood from inner continental shelf off Ponnani (Kerala) and Karwar (Karnataka). T he occurrence of carbonized wood in widely spread offshore areas proba bly represents a regional transgressive event in the west coast which resulted in submergence and destruction of coastal mangroves. The rate of sedimentation in the study area varies between 0.12 and 0.37 mm/yr , much lower than those reported from shelf areas north of Mangalore. The slow accumulation of sediments in the southern parts of the wester n continental shelf of India, as exemplified from the present study, m ay be due to very poor discharge and low bed load sediments of the wes t-flowing small rivers of this part of the peninsula and low concentra tion of suspended particulate matter in them.