{JOURNAL GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF INDIA VeLS2, Sep 1958, pp. 341-344, Inferences on Rhodoids from Neogene Carbonates of Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu S. Ramasamy and J. ArsTaoNa ALTRIN SAM ‘Sedimentology Laboratory, Department of Geology, University of Maras, Chen - 600 (25 [Abstract Rhodoids amined algl nodules general foundin sallow maine environment. Ale rusts and nodes ae poly exposed between KudasKulam and Satankulamn in tbe coastal area eat (Cape Comorn.The hiskres of he bed of la! liestone vanes rom 0.5 0 LS m. The eecuence of sed thodoide with lack of teigenous mats suggests moderate to hgh enery depositional enaition. The present stdy ofthe redo ois out hat the Neogene tectonic activity has played 3 Significant role forthe development o la limestone and thodids nthe tay re, ‘Keywords: Paleoenvironment, Rhoads, Neogene carbonates, Tall Nad, INTRODUCTION Some enerusting calcareous red algae (Phylum Riodophyta) produce laminated nodules in shallow marine environment as shodolites (Bosellini and Ginsburg, 1971) and thodoids (Burgess and Andersen, 1983) ‘The term thodolith is another synonymy Rhodoids have been recorded in many modern and ancient marine sedimentary environments ‘They are sensitive to hydrodynamic conditions and usually occur at depths fess than 20 m The occurrence of thodoids in Cenozoic sediments has been studied by many workers @Boselini and Ginsburg, op. cit; Adey and Macintyre, 1973; Bosence, 1976; Milliman, 1977; Buchbinder, 1977; Stadencki, 1979 and Burgess and Andersen, 1983). The most important genera that form algal build-ups in the Cenozoic include Lithophyllum, Lithothamnium, Archaeolithotkamniwne and Pseudolithorhannium. Orszag-Sperber et al. (1977) have reported Lithophyllum and Archacolithothamnium as dominant algal builders of Miocene warm water carbonate environments of France and Turkey. Milliman (1977) has eported the occurrence ‘of Lithothamnium io all climates. Johnson (1961) has claimed that the diversity of Lithothamnium genus increases in higher latitudes. GEOLOGICAL SETTING ‘The Neogene carbonate outcrops near ‘Kudankulam village (Fig.1, Lat 8°11'N: Long, 77°43'E) consist of bryozoan-tich limestones forming comparatively a thin sequence (< 7m) and are quarried near Kudankulam, Vijayapati 1nd Sattankulam for a cement industry. The petrographic account and major elemental distribution of these bryozoan-tich limestones are discussed in Armstrong Altrin Sam and Ramasamy (1997). In all these quarry sections. ‘thin bed of algal nodular limestone (0.5 to 1.3 'm) caps the sequence. In general, exposures of such limestones are very scanty and largely concealed under ferruginous coastal dunes. However, a few outcrops are seen in the study area, The algal limestone occurs as thin band of crusts and assorted size thodoids (Fig.2) Their occurrence is limited to detrital free sequences, However, inthe quarry sections large size rhocoids measuring more than 0.50 m could be observed. Such boulder size rhodoids are prevalent in the Sattankulam quarry. They are rounded, elliptical or flattened. The algal laminations inthe rhodoids are less than 10mm thick and in places they are truncated. The substrata of the algal encrustations are fine to ‘medium-grained carbonate materials. Rarely such substrata enclose few detrital quartz and feldspar grains along with fine bioclastis. (016-762298-523-3418 |.00 © GEOL. SOC. INDIA,30 S.RAMASAMY AND ARMSTRONG ALTRIN SAM. Fig. Map showing he leatons of ehodoids in Kodak area, Granitic rock tragments and coarse detrital fragments are notived as nuclei in some of the thodoids. Some of the rounded thadoids ‘exhibit abraded features which suggest the reworking of the larger rhodoids. They show ig2 Photograph of thodold showing sal aminaions ight ereysh colour and soft carbonate materials (Gal white colour) esate snd simi thology also the mile. (Sale: 2em = 1 mee) predominantly laminar structure and columnar structure is very rare, Bruckner (1988) has studied Kudankulam limestones and assigned Late Miocene to Pliocene age and correlated thom withthe Jaffna limestone of Sri Lanka, PETROGRAPHY Thin sections of the rhodoids (Fig.3) indicate them to be of encrusting type coralline algae growing over soft carbonate substrata as ‘well as on detrital grains and bioclastics. The sott carbonate materia isa cemented agaregate of bioclastic materials, detrital grains and microsparite. Laminar growth is also seen round lithic fragments and coarse quartz grains. ‘A few heavy mineral grains such as garnet, ilmenite and quartz are also “trapped” between the algal laminae. The peripheral laminations are often destroyed by endolithic algae and fungi. The staining of thin section with Alizarine Red-S solution and another side with Katz solution reveal that the ferroan calcite isthe dominant mineral. Lithophyllum (Fig.3a), Archacolithothamnium —(Fig.3b) and Pseudolithothamnium are identified as important genera in building the crust and nodules of the Neogene Kudankulam carbonates. Their idemtification in generic level was accomplished following Poignant and Chaffaut (1970), Orzag-Sperbec and Poignant (1972), Boulanger and Poignant (1975) and Oreag-Sperber et al (1977). Benthic fora minifera,crinoids and bored molluscans are associated with rhodoids. The foraminifers are represented by Operculina, Quinculoculina and Textularia, Occasionally, the algal laminations are truncated and sometimes overturned suggesting inhibition in the growth patterns during high agitated environment. Sparry calcite occuring as cement indicates meteoric diagenetic environment. Some ofthe zooecia ofthe bryozoans ae filed with vadose carbonate silt implying that their cementation is subsequent process in ‘meteoric vadose diagenetic environment. The JOUR GEOL.SOC INDIA, VOL.52, SEPT. 1998INFERENCES ON RHODOIDS FROM NEOGENE CARBONATES, TAMIL NADU a8 way v Fig3. (a) Photomicrograph showing Lithophyllum laminations around microsparite carbonate sediments (Parlel Nicol, Seale bar = 0.19 na), (b) Photomicrograph ofacncrstd Coraline algae with poorly. preserved cells (Archaco: Tidothamain? (plane polarised light. Seale tar = 0.19 mm) molluscan fragments are strongly bored, most likely by the echinoids in a prevailing agitating environment Depositional Environment Field studies indicate that rhodoids were formed as limited accumulations within the Neogene carbonate sequence of Kudankwlam area, The laminated algal crusts and abraded thodoids further indicate the prevalence of moderate to high energy conditions at the depositional site. The encrustations over soft carbonate sediments and on certain bioclasts indicate a protected environment. Some of the detrital and bioclastic materials transported to the depositional environment were probably “tapped” between algal laminations. The fragmented bioclasts including the bored ones fand the associated erinoids support that the shallow marine environment was subjected to high energy condition, Most likely he detached ‘and limited development of the thedoids and algal crusts of this sort was in fact controlled by basement tectonics. The study area comprises of basement faults resulting in upthrowing submerged fault blocks as shown in the block diagram (Fig.4). This upliftment has created a carbonate bank over which algal crusts and thodoids have developed. Pethaps the rounded larger size rhodoids found on the bryozoan rich limestone sequence in the quarry sections have been transported off from the elevated blocks to the surroundings. Further, the ‘exposures of rhodoids found at the Archaean- sedimentary contact (Sattankulam) and on top of the coastal ridge near Manappad leaving a Vertical scale Fig. Diagram ilasatng te deposition of algal crusts and sodas over the uplifted Blocks in the Kudankla aes during the Neogene. Inds: Archean. 2 Sandstone, 3Caleaeous Sansone, & Bryoroan himesone, 5A ‘rust and todos 6-Fne lasts JOUR.GEOLSOCINDIA, VOL2, SEPT. 1998,aa S.RAMASAMY AND ARMSTRONG ALTRIN SAM. \wide gap between these points may support the ‘observation that their growth was controlled by tectonic uplifts as shown in Fig.4. This gap is completely concealed with dune sand sheets thereby depriving us to study the extension of the shodoids. However, our observations in well sections and other shallow cuts point out that they do not extend much further. Even the beach profiles between Kudankulam and Manappad are steep and near Manappad the profile is conspicuously steep and rhodoids found many ‘metres above the MSL. This again corroborates that Neogene neotectonic activity played a significant role in the development of algal limestones. Carbonatite dykes (Ramasamy, 1996), coastal ridges, raised sand dune pockets ‘and enrichment of placer deposits along the coast support that the coastal geomorphology is influenced by basement tectonics. As the nearby dyke elements nowhere have cross-cut the sedimentary sequences, it is likely thatthe area was tectonically perturbed since Early Tertiary. Acknowledgement: The authors ar thankful 10 Prof ‘SP. Mohan, Head, Deparment of Geology, University of Madras for certain laboratory help. We thank the ‘inonymous reviewer forthe perneat comments and suggestions, References ‘Aoty, WHE and Machervae (1973). Crustse coaline algne: reevaluation inthe geological sciences. Gea Soe, Amer. Bal, 84, ppsss- 904, ‘AnustaonG Atma Siu, J-and Restsory, 8. (1997) Petrography and Major element geochemistry of Kdankolam meson deposits, Tamil Nad. Jou Ind. Asse. Sediment, v.16, 2, pp. 171-182. Dosen A andGeso0n0, RN. (1971) Formate ‘trutare of resent sll nodules (ehodoltes) frm Berm. Jour. 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