MICROMORPHOLOGY OF QUATERNARY CALCRETES AROUND DIDWANA IN THAR DESERTOF RAJASTHAN

Quaternary calcretes within the dunes and interdune pan deposits aroun d Didwana have been classified on the basis of their field occurrences , morphology, microtexture and microfeatures. Micromorphological analy ses helped to understand the development of these calcretes. The study reveals that th calcium carbonate nodules in the lower horizons of th e dune profiles, and in the interdune pans have been formed by the com plex process of pedogenesis and ground water action in semi-arid to ar id climate.