Red Sediments from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

The bad lands or high lands referred earlier from Visakhapatnam are now termed as 'Red Sediments'. The mineralogical approach with reference to statistical studies of zircon from inland and coastal red sediments of Visakhapatnam supports their khondalite parentage. The pebbly and lateritic gravel-silt zones at the bottom of coastal red sediments indicate the different stages of deposition by fluvial processes. The climatic changes from cold to arid along the East Coast of India indicate that the process of formation of red sediments has set in around 11,000 years B.P. The recent archaeological evidence of microliths in the bottom lateritic gravel-silt zones and top red sediments towards Coast reveals the period of transportation and deposition during 7,000 years B.P. and 3,000 years B.P.