Geomorphology, tectonism and sedimentation in the Nal region, western India

The low lying Nal region in western India, linking the Gulf of Kachchh with the Gulf of Khambhat through the Little Rann and Nal Sarovar is barely 15 m above msl and lacks surface exposures. The evolutionary history of the Nal region using remote sensing data and sub-surface lithological correlation indicated that late Quaternary sedimentation in the Nal region was governed by changes in sea level and by tectonism in the region of Cambay Graben. The geomorphic evidence for changes in sea level was found in the form of inland palaeo-deltas and old mud flats. Abrupt changes in lithological data in the vicinity of Nal region pointed to the role of tectonism. Contrary to the earlier view, a shallow sea linked the Gulf of Kachchh to the Gulf of Khambhat only in a time period around Marine Isotope Stage 5. Our studies also suggest that the Nal region itself may not have witnessed any major uplift (beyond ∼10 m) during late Quaternary.