Special Program for International Students
GRADUATE COURSE IN EARTH SCIENCE
& GEOENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Current MEXT students
Fig.1 Geological map of Sri Lanka: showing five major geological complexes, tsunami
affected coastal area and two study locations (Hambantota and Hikkaduwa).
Fig.2 Field work: collecting samples from lagoon bottom, measuring physical parameters of
the sediment and water, and field discussion with local scientists.
Daham Taranga Jayawardana (Sri Lanka)
Email: taranga23 @yahoo.com
web: www.geocities.com/geoolab03/taranga
Thesis title: Environmental Geochemistry of Lagoon Sediments, Lagoon Water and Groundwater of South and South-west -Tsunami Affected Sites in Sri Lanka.
Supervisor:
Prof Hiroaki Ishiga (2006-2008).
Local supervisor:
H. M. T. G. A. Pitawala
The major tsunami of December 2004 struck many South Asian countries bordering the Bay of Bengal, and severely devastated the coastal lagoons of Sri Lanka. Lagoons are major environmental systems in coastal sites, and qualitatively and quantitatively control overall groundwater systems. In my study two tsunami-affected lagoons were selected to study the lagoon bottom sediments which were deposited by tsunami flood water. The major aim of this research is investigation of the environmental impact on the lagoon systems and the groundwater around them.
Specific objectives of my study are:
- Investigation of geochemical composition of lagoon sediments deposited by tsunami.
- Study of the organic geochemistry of the bottom sediments and its effect on the water environment.
- Determination of lagoon water cshemical and physical parameters with depth.
- Investigation of redox-reactions under stagnant conditions of the bottom sediment.
- Examine groundwater quality of the coastal area after the tsunami.
- Interpretation of results using geographical information system methods.
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