Geography • Physical GeographyHard
How do Quaternary sea-level fluctuations and coastal geomorphology interact in the formation of the extensive network of backwaters (Kayals) along the Malabar coast?
A. Holocene marine transgressions flooded ancient river valleys, and subsequent longshore drift built barrier sandspits that enclosed coastal lagoons behind them✓ Correct Answer
B. Glacial advances lowered global sea levels, exposing deep limestone caverns that subsequently collapsed to form freshwater lakes
C. Tectonic subsidence of the entire continental shelf created deep inland depressions that filled exclusively with rainwater without marine influence
D. Aeolian sand dune migration blocked river mouths and forced streams to flow backward into the interior highland forests
💡 Solution & Explanation
During the late Pleistocene and early Holocene, rising sea levels flooded low-lying river mouths along the western coast. Wave action and longshore currents then deposited sand to form barrier spits and beaches, trapping seawater and river discharge behind them to create the characteristic backwater systems of Kerala. Glacial ice sheets did not reach tropical peninsular India. Tectonic downwarping played a role in specific fault-bounded basins, but marine transgression and spit formation are the primary geomorphic drivers. These backwaters are biologically productive estuarine environments.
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