This book is the result of comprehensive research work on the various aspects of the West Bengal coast including the world’s largest riverine delta system, the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta. The role of various hydrodynamic factors in shaping the coastal configuration and physicochemical parameters of coastal waters, soils, and granulometry of beach sands are extensively discussed. The coasts of the Indian peninsula, particularly the east coast, are subjected to severe cyclones, tidal bores, storm surges, and strong drift, which changes the coastal configuration as well as the quality of waters and the fertility of soils. A systematic description of major cyclones and their effects on coastal areas are described in detail. The book offers comprehensive information on the prevailing ecological conditions and lush green mangrove forests with wide-ranging flora and fauna of Sundarbans. UNESCO has declared Sundarbans as one of the world’s heritage sites, and as in other parts of the world, some of the coastal areas in West Bengal have attracted the attention of many tourists. Various steps undertaken by the government for coastal zone management and sustainable development of the coastal areas have been highlighted in the book.
This book will be of interest to students and researchers of the coastal environment.
Author(s): Gautam Kumar Das
Series: Springer Water
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 249
City: Cham
Preface
Acknowledgements
Contents
About the Author
Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Physical Aspects and Coastal Features
1.1 Coastal Features
1.2 Beach
1.3 Estuary
1.4 Coastal Divisions
1.5 West Bengal Coast
1.6 South 24 Parganas Coastal Division
1.7 Purba Medinipur Coastal Division
1.8 Coastal Sectors
1.9 Digha-Shankarpur Coastal Sector
1.10 Bakkhali-Fraserganj Coastal Sector
1.11 Ganga Sagar-Chuksar Island Coastal Sector
1.12 Sunderbans Coastal Sector
1.13 Geology
1.14 Climate and Hydrology
1.15 Coastal Processes
1.16 Coastal Waters
1.17 Wave Parameters
1.18 Types of Breakers
1.19 Beach Width and Beach Slope
1.20 Coastal Sediment Components
1.21 Lithogenic and Biogenic Components
1.22 Source Rock
1.23 Composition of Coastal Sediments
1.24 Nature of Beach Materials
1.25 Grain Size Analysis
1.26 Trace Metals and Metal Oxides
1.27 Sedimentary Structures
1.28 Summary
References
2 Coastal Geomorphology
2.1 Coastal Geomorphic Characteristics
2.2 Physiographic Set Up
2.3 Coastline Configurations
2.4 Sediment Transport and Shoreline Progradation
2.5 Coastal Geomorphic Features
2.6 Coastal Dunes
2.7 Islands
2.8 Creeks and Water Bodies
2.9 Geomorphic Environments
2.10 Mudflat Morphology
2.11 Significance of Mudflat Morphology
2.12 Bioturbation Structures
2.13 Tidal Creek Systems
2.14 Creek Morphology
2.15 Sandy Beaches
2.16 Depositional and Erosional Features
2.17 Erosional Features
2.18 Subsidence
2.19 Depositional Features
2.20 Tidal Shoal
2.21 Marginal Point Bars
2.22 Wash Over Flat
2.23 Summary
References
3 Coastal Environment—Case Studies
3.1 Coastal Features of Kasaragod and Harnai
3.2 Coastal Environments of Kasaragod
3.3 Geology, Physiography, and Topography
3.4 Climate
3.5 Soil
3.6 Micropaleontology of Sediment Samples
3.7 Beach Morphology
3.8 Sedimentary Structures
3.8.1 Swash Marks
3.8.2 Rhomboid Marks
3.8.3 Current Crescents
3.8.4 Rill Marks
3.9 Bioturbation Structures
3.10 Coastal Features of Harnai Beach, Konkan Coast, Maharashtra
3.11 Physical Aspects
3.12 Topography
3.13 Features of a Cliffed Coastal Zone
3.14 Perched Water Table
3.15 Climate
3.16 Tides
3.17 Soils
3.18 Beach Environment
3.19 Breakers
3.20 Embankments
3.21 Beach Sedimentation
3.22 Sediment Texture
3.23 Summary
References
4 Beach Environments
4.1 Beach Features
4.2 Beach Characteristics
4.3 Bakkhali-Fraserganj Beach
4.3.1 Evidence of Sea Level Rise
4.3.2 Coastal Dunes
4.3.3 Beach Areas
4.3.4 Tidal Shoals
4.3.5 Bedforms
4.3.6 Beach Erosion
4.4 Ganga Sagar Beach
4.4.1 Beach Morphology
4.5 Sedimentary Structures
4.5.1 Backwash Ripple Marks
4.5.2 Rhomboid Ripple Marks
4.5.3 Megaripple Marks
4.5.4 Lingoid Ripple Marks
4.5.5 Interference Ripple Marks
4.5.6 Polygonal Ripples
4.5.7 Ladder Back Ripples
4.5.8 Double Crested Ripples
4.5.9 Cross Ripples/Tadpole Nests
4.5.10 Straight Crested Small Ripples Marks
4.5.11 Capped Off Ripples
4.5.12 Ripple-Rill Complex
4.5.13 Bedding Structures
4.6 Digha Beach
4.7 Substrate Soil and Sediments
4.8 Textural Properties
4.9 Summary
References
5 Granulometry of Beach Sands
5.1 Coastal Areas of Peninsular India
5.2 Pattern of Cumulative Curves
5.3 Sediment Texture
5.4 Beach Sands of Digha and Talsari
5.4.1 Grain Size Analyses
5.4.2 Characteristics of Cumulative Curves
5.5 Significance of Granulometry Analyses
5.6 Summary
References
6 Micropaleontology and Biogenic Resources
6.1 Coastal Foraminifera
6.2 Sorting of Foraminifera
6.3 Assemblage of Foraminifera
6.4 Micropaleontological and Biogenic Observations
6.5 Benthic Molluscan Communities
6.6 Physico-Chemical Environment
6.7 Substrate Characteristics
6.8 Habitat Selection
6.9 Gastropod Mollusks
6.9.1 Amalda Ampla
6.9.2 Polinices Turridus
6.10 Random Exploitation of Molluscan Shell
6.11 Identified Mollusks from the Indian Coasts
6.12 Kasaragod Beach, Kerala
6.13 Puri Beach, Odisha
6.14 Marina Beach, Chennai
6.15 Bakkhali-Fraserganj Beach, West Bengal
6.16 Summary
References
7 Coastal Vegetation
7.1 Coastal Vegetation Pattern
7.2 Coastal Dune Vegetation
7.3 Estuarine Mangroves Vegetation
7.4 Mangroves Characteristics
7.5 Mangroves Varieties
7.6 Mangrove Zonation
7.7 Determination of Correlation
7.8 Analysis and Results
7.9 Remarks
7.10 Summary
References
8 Climatic Hazards of the Coast
8.1 Cyclonic Hazards
8.2 Naming of Cyclones
8.3 Tropical Cyclones—New List (2020)
8.4 Causes for Cyclonic Hazards
8.5 Cyclone Yaas
8.6 Cyclone Tauktae
8.7 Cyclone Burevi
8.8 Cyclone Nivar
8.9 Cyclone Nisarga
8.10 Super Cyclone Amphan
8.10.1 Scenario After Landfall Process
8.11 Cyclone Bulbul
8.12 Cyclone Aila
8.13 Cyclone Sidr
8.14 Cyclones, Hurricanes, and Typhoons
8.15 Cyclonic Storms and Southwest Monsoon
8.16 Monsoon in the City of Joy
8.17 El Niño, La Niña, Southwest Monsoon, and Cyclonic Storms
8.18 Summary
References
9 Climate Change and Coastal Hazards in Sunderbans
9.1 Impact of Climate Change
9.2 Sea Level Rise
9.3 Subsidence
9.4 Sunderbans—Vulnerable to Climate Change
9.5 Misconceptions on the Impact of Climate Change
9.6 Projected Sea Level Rise
9.7 Effects on Faunal Community
9.8 Mitigating Measures of Drinking Waters
9.9 Pseudo-Effects on Climate Change
9.10 Changing Coastal Soil Profiles
9.11 Mangrove Matters
9.12 Mangroves of Sunderbans to Be Drowned by 2100
9.13 Role of Coastal Mangroves for Climate Change Mitigation
9.14 Managing Disaster in Sunderbans
9.15 Summary
References
10 Coastal Zone Management
10.1 Coastal Zone
10.2 Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)
10.3 Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
10.4 Coastal Engineering Structures
10.4.1 Bulkhead
10.4.2 Seawalls
10.4.3 Revetments
10.4.4 Groins
10.4.5 Jetties and Brake Parts
10.4.6 Breakpoints and Breakwaters
10.5 Artificial Embankment and protection—A Case Study
10.5.1 Laminar Sublayer and Roughness Height
10.5.2 Spiral Motion
10.5.3 Radial Velocity
10.6 Measures for Bank Protection
10.7 Managing Coastal Belt
10.8 Significance of Coastal Zone Management
10.9 Summary
References
11 Coastal Tourism and Pollution
11.1 Tourism Sectors
11.2 Tourist Spots
11.2.1 Digha
11.2.2 New Digha
11.2.3 Mandarmani
11.2.4 Shankarpur
11.2.5 Junput
11.2.6 Ganga Sagar
11.2.7 Bakkhali-Fraserganj
11.3 Tourism in Sunderbans
11.3.1 Gosaba—Sajnekhali—Neti Dhopani—Halliday Island
11.3.2 Jatar Deul
11.3.3 Bhagabatpur
11.4 Transport and Communication
11.4.1 Means of Communication in the Past
11.4.2 Present Means of Communication
11.5 Tourism in Trouble Amid Covid-19 Crisis
11.6 Coastal Pollution
11.6.1 Pollution of Coastal Waters
11.6.2 Pollution in the Estuarine Waters of Sunderbans
11.6.3 Polluting Agents in Coastal Waters
11.6.4 Plastic
11.6.5 Plastics to Be Banned for Nature’s Resilience
11.6.6 Litters in the Coastal Zone
11.7 Summary
References
