Deciphering Depositional Environment of Playa Lakes Using Grain Size Parameters in the Arid and Semi-Arid Region of Rajasthan, India

Manish Kumar, Milap Dashora, Rajesh Kumar, Swatantra Kumar Dubey, Pankaj Kumar Gupta and Alok Kumar ()
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Manish Kumar: Department of Environmental Science, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer 305817, India
Milap Dashora: Department of Environmental Science, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer 305817, India
Rajesh Kumar: Department of Environmental Science, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer 305817, India
Swatantra Kumar Dubey: Department of Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 232 Gongneung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01811, Republic of Korea
Pankaj Kumar Gupta: Center for Rural Development and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
Alok Kumar: Department of Environmental Science, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer 305817, India

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 12, 1-16

Abstract: This study encompasses the grain size distribution of the playa lakes (Pachpadra, Pokhran, and Didwana) of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, India. The grain size of sediment particles is the most fundamental feature, giving essential information regarding their origin, transport history, and depositional conditions. The aeolian and fluvial transport processes were evaluated through environmentally sensitive grain size subpopulations to identify the differential sedimentary sources and dynamics in the playas. End-member modelling further determined the sediment grain size distribution through statistical analysis. The playa sediments mainly consist of very fine sand (46–54%) and very coarse silt (22–37%). The results show that the average fine fraction of Pachpadra, Pokhran, and Didwana playa was 46.29%, 66.11%, and 66.28%, respectively. In contrast, the average coarser fraction deposition in Pachpadra, Pokhran, and Didwana corresponds to 53.71%, 33.89%, and 33.72%, respectively. This suggests that the playas mostly contain aeolian sediment rather than fluvial sediment transported by dust/sand storms. Additionally, the textural pattern and depositional distribution of the sediments determined through the Passega CM diagram and bivariate plots indicate that 82% of the samples were poorly sorted, and 18% were very poorly sorted. Furthermore, an environmentally sensitive grain size component (ESGSC) was also assessed to identify the spatial variability and transport processes of sediment between these playas. Three ESGSCs in Pokhran (250 µ, 31 µ, and 2 µ) and Pachpadra (125 µ, 31 µ, and 4 µ), while two ESGSCs in Didwana playa (125 µ and 16 µ) were identified, indicating sediment deposition with moderate velocity in a low energy environment with a mixed sediment population transported by aeolian and fluvial activities.

Keywords: playa lakes; depositional environment; end-member modelling; environmentally sensitive grain size; sediment; arid (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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