TERIS OF SOUTHERN TAMIL NADU: SAG OF HOLOCENE CLIMATE

1 2 3
Thrivikramji.K.P. , Joseph, S & Anirudhan, S
1
Center for Environment & Development, Trivandrum 695 013 and
2 3
Dept. of Environmental Science, & Dept. of Geology,
University of Kerala, Kariavttom Campus 695 583

Abstract
2
The ubiquitous Teri deposits (extent=500 km ) or red sands of semiarid-southern-Tamil Nadu, chiefly
noticed to occur in the Kattabomman and Chidambaranar districts (carved out of former Tirunelveli Dist.),
carry unique colours from yellowish red (5YR4.5/6) to dark reddish brown (2.5YR ¾) and dark red (10R 3/6).
In aerial photos teris manifest in various morphological types, among which the commonest forms are sand
dunes (shaped into barchans, barchanoids, and longitudinal dunes) and interdune sand sheets, sandy
hummocks and sand sheets.

The teri sand fraction is easily divisible into frame work grains (allochthonous detritals like quartz of different
types, subordinate feldspar altering to clay and a suite of heavy minerals) and a matrix of clay and quartz
silt. Though cement, chiefly hematite, poorly manifests on grains due to partial induration, it appears on the
negative relief features on the grains surfaces, like cracks, depressions, corrosion pits etc.

Further, the autochthonous-calcareous-rhizoliths, chiefly noticed in Sattankulam, Kudiramoli and Sayarpuram

teris and dominantly showing a discordant relationship with primary sedimentary structures and morphologies
(size, shape and sense of branching) reminiscent of calcified-roots, need a much warmer climate (like the
current climate) for their origin.

The red colour and matrix of authigenic clays (viz., kaolinite and illite in the fine fraction), products of
pedogenic weathering, do strongly point to a wetter or humid climate which enables release of red pigment
(or now hematite) by the chemical alteration of iron bearing heavy minerals like the opaque ilmenite, red
almandine-garnet and pyroxenes of the heavy fraction as well as authigenic formation of clays from feldspar
in the frame work grains and in the matrix.

A 14C date (3680+or- 110 BP) on a sample of rhizolith collected at a depth of 2.5 m, at Sattankulam sets a time
line for the transition from a humid climate to the current semi-arid type when the calcareous rhizoliths originated.
Hence, semi-arid conditions of the present day in the Teri land of southern Tamil Nadu, should have set in at
least as late as 3680+/-110y B.P.

From the foregoing evidences, relating to the morphology of teris, sediment colour, intra-sediment solution
features on metastable mineral particles, mineral composition of clay in the matrix, and presence of authigenic
calcareous concretions ( actually rhizoliths), a cyclic-climate-transition, i.e., semiarid --> humid semiarid is
inescapable for the teri province of southern Tamil Nadu.

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