THE QUATERNARY SEDIMENTS IN GUJARAT

The Quaternary sediments in Gujarat represent three depositional envir onments-marine, fluvial and aeolian. The interplay of palaeoclimatic a nd glacio-eustasy factors controlled the shaping of the landscape of G ujarat during the Quaternary period. The landforms are broadly divisib le into three geomorphic units. The Rann of Kachchh represents filled- up Holocene gulfs, the sediments having accumulated in estuarine-cum-d elta environments affected by sea-level fluctuations. The Gujarat coas tline is characterized by variation in trend, shoreline features, offs hore conditions and sediment nature, pointing to various controlling f actors like tectonic framework, eustatic sea-level changes, and climat e-related aeolian, fluvial and marine processes. The alluvial plains o f Central and North Gujarat are made up of thick Quaternary continenta l deposits of fluvio-marine, fluvial and aeolian origin. Showing recor d of sea-level fluctuations and climatic variation, these deposits occ upy the structural depressions related to continental margin rifting a nd graben formation (Narmada and Cambay). The Lower Pleistocene, still a 'grey area' for age data are not available.