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Indicators of Holocene high-stage flood events and tributary confluence migration in the lower Narmada Basin, western India

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Abstract

In this study, sedimentary deposits around the confluence of the Narmada River and its tributary, Orsang River, western India, were studied to understand the confluence dynamics. The results indicate that the sediment sequences exposed at three sites represent the contribution from the Narmada River, the Orsang River and the Heran River at various stages. During the Late Pleistocene, the sedimentation occurred as channel beds and bars in the wider than present and bedload dominant Narmada River. The channel aggradation, shifting and realignment, guided the Orsang River to change its course to flow through the lower course of the Heran River and join the Narmada in response to the early Holocene tectonic activity. High flood flows deposited fine sediments in the channel widening due to tributary confluence and within backflooded Orsang (tributary) valley during mid-late Holocene. The lateral migration of Narmada due to successive high flows during the mid-late Holocene probably led to the downstream movement of the Narmada–Orsang confluence.

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Acknowledgements

This study was part of the Department of Science and Technology sponsored project SR/DST/WOS-A/EA-1017/2015 and EA-22/2019 to Alpa Sridhar and the funding is thankfully acknowledged. The authors thank Dr S Prizomwala, ISR Gandhinagar, for providing OSL chronology on the sample. The grant to the authors under 36th International Geological Congress No. 36th IGC Sectt./Field Trips/2018/20.42 is also thankfully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, The M.S. University of Baroda, Vadodara, 390 002, India

    Alpa Sridhar, D M Maurya & L S Chamyal

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  1. Alpa Sridhar
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  2. D M Maurya
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  3. L S Chamyal
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AS: Conceptualisation of work, field survey and documentation, data synthesis and interpretation, writing original manuscript. DMM: Data synthesis and interpretation, review and editing of manuscript. LSC: Field survey, interpretation of results, editing of manuscript.

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Correspondence to Alpa Sridhar.

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Communicated by George Mathew

Corresponding editor: George Mathew

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Sridhar, A., Maurya, D.M. & Chamyal, L.S. Indicators of Holocene high-stage flood events and tributary confluence migration in the lower Narmada Basin, western India. J Earth Syst Sci 131, 219 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-022-01969-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-022-01969-z

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