Geomorphology along the West Coast of India, Through Remote Sensing

Remote sensing is an effective tool to decipher the structural geology and geomorphology of terrains. The coast of Goa possesses significant geomorphic features such as headlands, sea cliffs, wave-cut platforms, islands, estuaries and bays, beaches, spits and bars, dunes, and recent broad alluvial plains. The Goa coast is highly indented with a presence of peculiar erosional and depositional landforms. Erosional landforms include headlands, rocky platforms, cliffs, estuaries and islands. The entire setup of the Goa coast has preserved the imprints of physical changes that have occurred over geologic time in the form of geomorphic features, which are manifestations of combined effects of neotectonics, eustacy, subaerial processes of erosion, and deposition. Coasts with alternating headlands and half-heart shaped beaches are described as zeta-form beaches. The synoptic view of Google Earth image reveals the significant development of zeta-form beaches at Bhatkal, Karnataka, India.