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Sunderbans: Physical Aspects and Configurations

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Book cover Estuarine Morphodynamics of the Sunderbans

Part of the book series: Coastal Research Library ((COASTALRL,volume 11))

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Abstract

Sunderbans forms a part of the world’s largest fluvio-marine Ganges – Brahmaputra deltaic plain at the confluence of the Bay of Bengal with the largest block of halophytic mangrove forest. It has passed through a dynamic and complex physiographical and geomorphological history. Prograding in phases towards Bay of Bengal during Plio-Pleistocene inter-glacial period, it has left behind numerous distinctive landforms and islands of various shapes and sizes. The intricate network of rivers, tidal creeks and inlets with dynamic flow pattern accelerates the process of erosion and accretion and make the geomorphic set-up of the area a complex one. The important morphotypes of Sunderbans are beaches and inlets, creeks and estuaries, mudflats, coastal dunes, sand flats and mangrove swamps.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India

    Gautam Kumar Das

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  1. Gautam Kumar Das
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Das, G.K. (2015). Sunderbans: Physical Aspects and Configurations. In: Estuarine Morphodynamics of the Sunderbans. Coastal Research Library, vol 11. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-11343-2_1

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