Features Sustaining the Formation of Beach Placers along the Southern East Coast of India

Beaches between the Kallar and Vembar River mouths on the southeast coast of India are rich in placer mineral deposits. Beach sediments were sampled along this 25-km shoreline and were analyzed to determine the density sorting patterns in order to understand the process of beach placer formation. Determinations of individual placer minerals reveal that the density variations reflect the sorting process and were most effective in concentrating ilmenite, garnet and zircon, while the concentrations of quartz were reduced. This pattern of sorting reflects the density and grain size variations of the minerals present in the beach. Density sorting plays a very crucial role in the concentration of placer minerals in this region. The economically viable heavy mineral deposits are governed by the presence of the source rock being in close proximity, the existing drainage pattern, topography, climate, and coastal processes. These factors permit the identification of regions where the formation of placer deposits is favored.