| Physical |
| Cauvery basin spans an area around 81155 km2 and runs from a northwest to south eastern direction along a general south easterly slope. Catchment area of this basin can be divided into three sections; upper catchment areas with steep slopes; middle catchment area mostly in Tamil Nadu and lower catchment area which is confined to the plains in Tamil Nadu. |
|
| |
| Geology : |
|
| Cauvery basin forms a part of the South Indian Shield that preserves an early formed crust ( >2500 Ma). In terms of rock types, metamorphics and igneous rocks predominate throughout the basin which mark major events of volcanism, plutonism, metamorphism and sedimentation. Charnockites, high grade schists, migmatites, green stone belts and consolidated gneisses of Archean age are the most commonly found rocks. Southern part of the basin is characterized with laterised and ferruginous sandstone. Certain coastal areas also have conglomeratic sandstone, coralline limestone and shale. Around 38,000 sq km of the area in the basin is covered by hard rock and around 11,000 sq km by sedimentaries comprising mainly the delta portion. |
| |
