Geomorphologic Studies Using IRS Data

India has a vast coastal area of ​​about 7,500 km long with a vast store of sandy minerals such as ilmenite, rutile, zircon, monazite, silimanite and garnet. The purpose of this study is to provide map of coastal land forms using multi-spectral remote sensing in order to be able to identify areas suitable for land surveys carried out with the aim of discovering alluvial minerals. Generally, surface substances are the result of the interaction of three different variables:1. The nature of sub-surface rocks; 2. The internal movements of the Earth, called tectonic regimes; 3. Active external processes, mainly controlled by the factor of climate. Therefore, an accurate geomorphological study of formation of alluvial minerals in all scales seems necessary. (Rajamanickam, 1997/ Sutherland et al., 1985) Coastal areas have special advantages for the exploration of coastal alluvial minerals. India has a vast coastal area of ​​about 7,500 km long with a vast store of sandy minerals such as ilmenite, rutile, zircon, monazite, silimanite and garnet. Most of these sediments, with the exception of some alluvial deposits on land and sands, are mainly located in the coastal strip of the Indian subcontinent. The Tamil Nadu coastline is about 975 kilometers, 915 kilometers of which are on the east coast and 60 kilometers off the west coast of India. Detailed (60 km) and preliminary (519 km) surveys were carried out on 579 km of coastal length. However, 396 kilometers still have to be surveyed. Investigations on sediments containing heavy minerals in the hills and sandy beaches by close grid sample on 508 kilometers of coastal length indicate high concentrations of heavy minerals from surface to depths of several meters.