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Influence of nearshore sediment dynamics on the distribution of heavy mineral placer deposits in Sri Lanka

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Abstract

Beach sediments in Sri Lanka contain industrial-grade heavy mineral occurrences. Samples of both offshore and onshore sediments were collected to examine the provenance, mineralogy and geochemical compositions of the heavy mineral occurrences. Coastal morphodynamic changes along the coastline of Sri Lanka were analyzed using the time-series satellite images. These coastal morphodynamic changes were used to identify the prominent directions of monsoon-influenced longshore currents, coastal sediment accretion and depositional trends and their relationships to the provenance of the heavy minerals. Results show the concentrations of detrital ilmenite, zircon, garnet, monazite, and rutile vary in the onshore and offshore sediments. The heavy mineral potential of the northeastern coast is high (average contents of about 45–50% in the Verugal deposit, 70–85% in the Pulmoddai deposit, and 3.5–5.0% in offshore samples stretching from Nilaveli to Kokkilai), compared to sediments in southwest (average content about 10% in onshore sediments and 2% in offshore sediments from the mouth of the Gin River). Therefore, no economic-grade heavy mineral placers were identified in the offshore environments. The high concentrations of heavy minerals in beach sediments and low concentrations in offshore sediments suggest operation of a panning system in the surf zone to form enriched placer deposits. Major and trace element compositions of beach sediments show marked enrichments of TiO2, Fe2O3, La, Ce, Zr, Cr, Nb, Th and V compared to average Upper Continental Crust (UCC) values. Analysis of prominent coastal longshore transport patterns identifies bidirectional sediment transport in the northeast coast of Sri Lanka. In the southwestern coast, two transport directions occur with anti-clockwise transport from Galle to Hambantota, and clockwise transport from Hikkaduwa to Wadduwa. The heavy minerals in the placers were mainly derived from Precambrian metamorphic rocks, and transported to the coast through the river systems of Sri Lanka.

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(modified after McCreary et al. 1993; Shankar and Shetye 1997; Shenoi et al. 1999; Schott and McCreary 2001; Schott et al. 2002; Shankar et al. 2002). Simplified provenance boundaries (dotted lines) in the Central Indian Ocean were marked after Kolla and Rao (1990)

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Acknowledgements

We greatly appreciated financial assistance from the University of Moratuwa Senate Research Capital Grant (Grant numbers: SRC/LT/2012/02), and thank R. Amarasinghe and S. Silva for coordinating and supporting the research project. We acknowledge Dr. Barry P. Roser (Shimane University, Japan) and Dr. Elaine E. Matthews (National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Institute for Space Studies) for valuable comments and editorial suggestions, and to Editor-in-Chief Dr. James W. LaMoreaux and two anonymous reviewers for their very constructive and helpful comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Resources Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Moratuwa, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

    Kananathan Amalan, Amila Sandaruwan Ratnayake, Nalin Prasanna Ratnayake, Shanaka Maduranga Weththasinghe, Nimila Dushyantha & Ranjith Premasiri

  2. Faculty of Science and Technology, Uva Wellassa University, Passara Road, Badulla, 90000, Sri Lanka

    Amila Sandaruwan Ratnayake

  3. Lanka Hydraulic Institute Ltd., No.177, John Rodrigo Mawatha, Katubedda, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

    Nalika Lakmali

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  1. Kananathan Amalan
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Correspondence to Amila Sandaruwan Ratnayake.

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Amalan, K., Ratnayake, A.S., Ratnayake, N.P. et al. Influence of nearshore sediment dynamics on the distribution of heavy mineral placer deposits in Sri Lanka. Environ Earth Sci 77, 737 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-018-7914-4

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