Study of weathering and erosional status of basaltic rocks using remote sensing data

In the present study an attempt has been made in order to evaluate the weathering and erosional status of a part of the Konkan coast stretching between Mumbai and Rajpuri, using IRS-IB, LISS-II data supported by spectral reflectance and thin section study of the rock samples collected from the coastal plains. The study revealed that extensive erosion has been taking place in few pockets along the Konkan Coastal plain, which is evidenced by the presence of more weathered rocks in the coastal plains as compared to that of the hinterland, siltation of the coastal wetlands due to the deposition of eroded materials and high-suspended sediments in the coastal water. The thin section study of the basaltic rock samples collected from the coast also shows evidence of physical and chemical weathering. The lineaments of the coastal tract are found to exist in clusters mostly trending towards NNE—SSW and a few N—S trending, this supports the presence of a N-S trending fault parallel to the Konkan coast along the Western Ghats. It has also been found that remote sensing, in association with other conventional techniques is ideal for such type of studies.