Middle to Late Holocene Palaeoenvironmental Changes: Evidence from the Sediments, Pollen and Radiocarbon Dates, Adyar, Chennai

In this paper, we present Middle to Late Holocene chronostratigraphy and palynology data analyzed from three insitu cores - sedimentary profiles retrieved along the Adyar river and the Adyar estuary zone, Chennai. These cores offered excellent cross-sections along the east - west direction. Our data reveals that the mangrove vegetation that existed until Middle Holocene (4180 ±130 Yrs. BP) became extinct since the Late Holocene. The tidal influx influenced the estuary 10 km west inland (at Saidapet) from the present shoreline until Middle Holocene providing congenial environment for mangroves. The reasons for decline in mangroves since the Late Holocene (last 2000 Yrs. BP) is attributed to the relative sea level and coastal configuration change enhanced by the anthropogenic pressure. The palynological evidences from Saidapet (Chennai) and Sulurpet (playa of the Pulicat lagoon) indicate the transgressive phase of middle Holocene in Palar Delta. Although mangroves were abundant during Middle Holocene in both the areas, it faced complete extinction or acutc degradation since the Late Holocene.