Holocene Sea Levels of Visakhapatnam Shelf, East Coast of India

The Holocene sea level changes in the shelf areas off Visakhapatnam was studied from sediment distribution pattern and shallow seismic profiling. Morphological features on the shelf indicate a Late Pleistocene regression down to about -130 m below the present sea level. A major stillstand of the transgressive sea was recorded at about -80 m where coarse carbonates and shallow water fauna predominate. During this period algal barrier reefs with reliefs varying from 2 to 8 m were developed between -85 m (10790 ± 170 years B.P.) and -100 m (12530 ± 170 years B.P.). Buried reefs observed at about -60 m give a clue for a possible strandline at this depth. Coarse clastic sand patch having mean size of around 1.0 Phi between -20 to -30 m suggests another strand line. The sea level rise during Holocene transgression seems to be discontinuous with temporary pauses.