MORPHOLOGY AND FORMATION OF ARMORED MUD BALLS ON REVADANDA BEACH, WESTERN INDIA

Armored mud balls (AMB) on Revadanda Beach, on the west coast of India , are formed in the intertidal zone over a monsoonal seasonal cycle. T he AMB are similar in shape to those reported from marine and lacustri ne shorelines and the barrier-island environment, but unlike similar a reas where the core is derived from erosion of muddy cliffs, at our st udy site the source of mud is a surficial deposit on the lower beach. Angular and discoidal blocks released from the crack zone, located sea ward, are rounded and thinned by rolling about the major axis and are armored by adhesion during the dry season. Evaluation of AMB morpholog y indicates sedimentological and monsoonal control on their formation and evolution.