Research Projects

The Bay of Bengal (BoB) and Andaman Sea (AS) are formed due to the convergence of the Indian and Asian plates, resulting in the formation of the Himalayan and Indo-Burman Mountain ranges. Rivers from these ranges supply terrestrial material into the BoB and AS, leading to the formation of the world's largest submarine fan, the Bengal Fan. The sedimentation process in the BoB is mainly through turbidity currents, while in the AS, sedimentation is complex due to bathymetry. In the northern AS, studies have reported large amounts of terrestrial material from the Indo-Burman and Himalayan Rivers, while recent studies in the Sewell seamount region have reported hydrogenous Fe-Mn crust and nodules, indicating low sedimentation. These differences in sedimentation processes can influence the efficiency of preserving and burying organic carbon in oceanic sediments. Turbidite sedimentation plays a significant role in the transfer and burial of organic matter, as the oxidative loss of organic carbon is negligible during transport and depositional processes. The Quaternary period experienced arid and wet climatic systems in the Northern Hemisphere, impacting the expansion of C? and C? plants in the land. The expansion of C? and C? plants depends on factors such as CO? content, temperature difference, monsoonal changes, seasonality, aridity, droughts, floods, and fires. Investigating organic carbon content in sediment cores collected from the BoB and AS can provide information about the role of burial of organic carbon and the expansion of C? and C? terrestrial plant biomass and its implications on environmental conditions.