J. Life Earth Science, Vol. 1(1): July 2005 pp.

57-63

GEOLOGY OF THE KHULNA CITY CORPORATION

M. K. Roy1, D. K. Datta2, D. K. Adhikari1, B. K. Chowdhury1 and P. J. Roy1
Department of Geology and Mining, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205
Abstract
The Khulna City Corporation (KCC) consists of late Holocene to Recent Alluvium of the Ganges deltaic
plain in north and tidal plain in south. The area is composed of sand, silt and clay in various proportions with
small amount of coarse sand, which is classified into seven litho-stratigraphic units from base to top.
Stratigraphic cross-sections and pannel diagram through the KCC area indicate presence of seven
sedimentary cycles, each cycle resembling fining upward sequence. Complexes of channels of fluvial/tidal
origin, natural levees, bars, swamps and plains like floodplain, deltaic plains, estuarine plains or coastal plain
constitute the KCC area. Channels (tidal as well as fluvial), natural levee, flood plain, flood basin, ox-bow
lake, abandoned channels, bars, swamps/ flood basins and estuarine plain have been recognized as
geomorphological units within the KCC area. Of these the area occupied by the natural levee, flood plain and
bars are ranked high for future urban development.
Key words: Khulna, Stratigraphy, Geomorphology, Sedimentary cycle

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Introduction
The study area of Khulna City Corporation
(KCC) is located in the southwest Bangladesh. The
city along with its surrounding is bounded by the
longitude 8928 to 8937 East and latitude 2246 to
2258 North. The Bhairab on northern side, Rupsa
River in the middle part and Pasur on the southern
side flows along eastern margin of the city and
Mayur on the northern side and Hatia River on the
southern side flow along the western side of the city
(Fig.1).
The investigated area falls within the western
part of Faridpur Trough of Bengal Foredeep (Alam
1990). The trough is filled with Tertiary and
1
2

Corresponding author
Environmental Science Discipline, University of Khulna, Khulna-9208.

Quaternary sand and clay rich sediments with few

coarse sand beds. The present investigation of the
KCC area is made to prepare a geological report that
could provide information for future urban planning
and development of the KCC area.

Materials and Methods

The methods used in the study area include
collection of topographic map, KCC and Khulna
Development Authority (KDA) map, spot imagery;
available deep tube well and engineering bore hole
logs and geological field data. A detailed
investigation over the whole study area was carried
out during November, 2002 to April, 2003 on the

basis of which geomorphological units were

delineated and a geological map was prepared. Bore
holes data were collected, borehole logs were studied
and some shallow borehole logs were done by hand
auger. Lithologies were noted down in the field
notebook. Borehole litho-logs and surface as well
subsurface geomorphologic and geologic information
were later analyzed in the laboratory to prepare
surface and subsurface geological map, stratigraphic
cross section and pannel diagram. Stratigraphic
succession of the study area is prepared on the basis
of data collected from field and other
published/unpublished scientific papers (Alam, 1990;
BWDB, 1983-2000; Umitsu, 1985, 1993; Molla,
1995; Rahman et al. 2000)

Results and Discussion

Stratigraphy: The investigated area is in
transition of the inactive Ganges deltaic plain in north
and estuarine plain in south of Recent or Sub-Recent
alluvium. The vertical geological sections as revealed
from the bore holes drilled in connection with
foundation engineering works and ground water
exploration consist of clay, silty clay, fine to coarse
sandy materials with peaty soils. The location of
boreholes is shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2. The location of the boreholes in Khulna City Area.

The Unit 1 is composed of gray silty clay, the

lower contact of which is not encountered in any drill
hole and the upper one is erosive. It is about 10 feet
thick. The Unit 2 unconformably overlies the unit1
and is composed of gray colour coarse sand at the
lower part and light yellow to gray colour medium
sand at the upper horizon. The Unit is 90 feet thick.
The Unit 3 overlies the Unit 2 with sharp contact and
is basically a gray colour sitly clay unit. The
overlying Unit 4 consisting of light yellow to grayish
yellow colour fine to coarse sand has lower erosive
and unconformable contact. Bluish gray colour silty
clay and clay rich Unit 5 with sharp lower contact
overlie the Unit 4. The Unit 6 composing of deep
gray to grayish black sand, silt and clay with peat
overlies the Unit 5 with gradational contact. The
uppermost Unit 7 is gray colour sand, silt and clay
with soil peds, root traces and locally peaty soil
having lower gradational contact.

Fig. 1. Location map of the study area

A generalized stratigraphic succession of the

logs, fieldwork and works of Umistu (1985, 1987,
area is prepared on the basis o of the bore hole litho1993) is given in Table 1.
Table 1. Stratigraphic succession of the Khulna City Corporation.
Age (yr BP)
GaK

NUTA

Lithology
Khulna Coastal Region
(Umitsu, 1993)

Study Area, 2003

3230
4180
6860

10190

6490
7060
7640
8890
8910

12320

Land forms and inferred sedimentary

environment and events.

Unit

Probable
age in yr
BP

NL, FB, ML and AC form peatlands in some parts

of the inactive area of the Ganges delta and coastal
plain.

Present to
110090

Flood plain, channels and peat lands within the Ganges delta
in progradational phase with intermittent deposition of fine
silt of transgrassive sea.

3000

Shallow marine shelf, estuarine and tidal flat

under transgressive sea

5000 to
12000

Deposits of rivers flowing in the Ganges

delta during Late Pleistocene to Holocene
epoch. The lower is erosive and
unconformable.

12000 to
18000

Tidal creeks, tidal channel and estuarine plain

deposition in the coastal area in the Bengal Basin
during early Quaternary epoch, which may be
equivalent to upper part of the Dupi Tila
Formation. The lower contact is sharp to
gradational

1 to 3 my

Deposition of sand in large channels in the KCC area of the

southern part of the present inactive Ganges delta which
may be equivalent to the Lower Dupi Tila Formation and or
Upper part of the Tipam Formation. The lower contact is
erosive and unconformable.

5 to 9 my

Marshy area and small channels in flood plain.

10my

Note: NL= Natural Levee, FB= Flood Basin, ML= Marshy Land and AC = Abandoned Channel

Depositional history: The depositional history of

the Bengal Basin began with the breakdown of the
Gondwanaland during the Late Mesozoic age
(Reimann, 1993). The Bengal Basin was filled with
sediments of Tertiary and Quaternary age (Morgan
and McIntire, 1959; Umitsu, 1985, 1987, 1993). The
plains of Bangladesh are affected by settlement due
to consolidation of sediments and by the tectonic
movements.
Mainly the Ganges deltaic deposits of late Holocene
to Recent age cover the study area. The surface
lithology of the area is of deltaic deposits which are
composed of tidal deltaic deposits, deltaic silt
deposits and mangrove swamp deposits (Alam,
1990). The sub-surface lithologies are characterized

by a heterogeneous mixture of sand, silt and clay

(Figs.3, 4 and 5).
The lowest unit of the study area consists of silty
clay. This Unit 1 was probably deposited in marsh
and small-channeled sedimentary environment, may
be back swamp and flood plain of the larger
channels. During the Pliocene epoch, large channels
flowed in this area which is now occupied by the
inactive Ganges deltaic plain in the north and
estuarine plain in the south and those channels
deposited coarse sand at the bottom of the Unit 2 that
ended in fine sand through medium sand having
characteristic fining upward sequence of fluvial
deposit. The thickness of this unit is about 90m
suggesting longer time period of deposition. These
rock sequences are correlated with the Dupi Tila

Formation as these have the close similarity with the

Dupi Tila Formation in its type section at the Dupi
Tila Hill Ranges, NE Sylhet (Roy et al., 2004).
Similar rocks have been also assigned to Dupi Tila

Fig. 5. Panel diagram of the study area

Fig. 3. Lithostratigraphic cross section along east-west

direction in the study area

Fig. 4. Lithostratigraphic corss section along north-south

direction in the study area.

Fig. 6. Geological map of Khulna City and its adjoining area

Formation mainly based on gross lithology in the

NW Bangladesh (UNDP, 1982). After the deposition
of the Unit 2, during a period in between Pliocene to
Pleistocene, silty clay of Unit 3 was probably
deposited in tidal creeks, estuarine -tidal channels
and tidal flat environment. The Unit 4 of the Late
Pleistocene to Holocene epoch consisting of coarse to
fine sand was deposited during last glacial maximum
(18 kyr) to 12000 yr BP under deltaic condition
having a thickness of about 50m when Ganges delta
prograded much to south (Umitsu, 1985, 1987 and
1993). During 7000 to 5000 yr. BP, the Unit 5 was
deposited after the deposition of Unit 4. This unit
(Unit 5) consists of silt and silty clay, which is
similar to middle unit of Umitsus (1993) succession
in the Khulna coastal region (Table-1). This unit was
deposited under shallow transgressive sea and
estuarine set up (Roy et al., 2003). The Unit 6 was
deposited during 3000 to 1100 90 yr.BP when sea
retreated from the Bengal Basin to the south to its
present limit with small intermittent transgressive
phases (Monsur and Kamal, 1995). The lower part of
the Unit 6 consists of black organic soils or peaty
soils, which were deposited in flood basin and
marshy land within the Ganges delta of the study
area. The light colored silt and silty clay of Unit 6
might had deposited under local marine tongue
within the Ganges delta on its southern periphery or
estuarine condition. The uppermost unit (Unit 7) of
litho- succession consists of noncalcareous and
calcareous gray and dark gray soils. This unit has
been deposited in natural levee, floodplain, marshy
land, abandoned channels of the inactive Ganges
delta and estuarine channels to estuarine plains of the
coastal area during the time interval from 110090
yr. BP to present time (Umitsu, 1997).
Morphostratigraphy: Stratigraphic cross section
along east south-east west north-west direction
(section B-B) in the study area covering the
boreholes BH-11, BH-14, BH-13 and BH-9 (Fig.3)
exhibits the vertical distribution of lithologies up to
300m depth. Seven cycles of sedimentation have
been recognized within the litho-column. Every cycle
of sedimentation begins with coarse sand at the
bottom and ends to clay through fine to medium sand
and silty clay in the middle having characteristic of
fining up sequence. From the cross section it is
evident that the depositional site is characterized by
undulations as identified by the concave up large

channel like morphologies and convex up bar ones.

The width and depth of the channels vary in between
1.4 km to 2.6 km and 1.2 to 15m respectively; and
width and height of bars range from 1.33 to 2.67 km
and 2.5 to 15m respectively. Along the margins of the
channels the elevated area are natural levees, which
are also quite broad. Some small concave shaped
areas lying below the bars in Fig.3 and 4 are swamps
that persisted there before the development of the
bars in the area. As these bars were well above the
bank lines of the channels, these might have
vegetated. The more or less flat lying areas adjacent
to natural levees composing of fine sand, silty clay
and clay with silt may be flood plain/estuarine plain.
The positions of deep thalweg part of the channels
and the upper part of the bars more or less remained
stationary through out the lifetime of deposition that
started probably from Mio-Pliocene boundary at base
and ended in late Holocene- Recent time. Moreover,
the rivers probably flowed towards southeast
direction from the northwest, as paleocurrent azimuth
could not be properly determined from borehole data.
The litho-stratigraphic cross section 2 was drawn
the through bore holes BH-12, BH-15, BH-10, BH-9
and BH-4 (Fig.4) along nearly north-south (section
A-A/) direction in the study area and it shows a
change of morphometry with sediment infills from
north to south direction. In this section, the widths of
the rivers are seen to be comparatively larger from
that of the east-west section (Fig.3). Here the rivers
are more prominent and the bars may be present in
the northwestern side in the section.
From the two reconstructed stratigraphic
sections, it is evident that channels, bars, natural
levees, flood plains and swamps occupied the area
through out the depositional period and these
produced subsurface lithologies. A part of silty clay
and peaty soil represents the product of peat lands
and flood basins formed in the swampy area. Apart of
these sub- environments, a portion of finer sediments
may be the deposits of estuaries, tidal creeks,
estuarine plains and tidal flats which interfinger with
the fluvial sub-environments that prevailed on the
northern part of the area.
Three or more geologic sections showing the
relationship of boreholes to subsurface formations is
fence/ pannel diagram. These are more advantageous
over the stratigraphic cross sections in exhitibiting
three-dimensional view of the disposition of the

subsurface lithologies (Weller, 1960). The pannel

diagram is much essential for delineation of porous
and permeable aquifer that is needed for
groundwater/ petroleum reservoir. It is also useful to
delineate non-cohesive and high bearing capacity
subsurface layers for foundation engineering of
medium to heavy constructions. As for example sand
dominated morphologic elements like natural levee
and sand dominated layer in flood plain will yield
much more ground water than a clay dominated
element like flood basin and these sand dominated
elements are more favorable for any type of
constructions, light or heavy. Careful observation
reveals that the morphogeologic elements of
channels, natural levees, bars, flood plain/ estuarine
plain and flood basin/ swamp can also be identified
from the pannel diagram (Fig.5).
Local geology: The study area covers the natural
levee, floodplain-estuarine plain, oxbow lake etc of
the Rupsa-Bhairab-Pasur rivers on the east and flood
plain, flood basin, swamp, abandoned channel etc of
the Mayur- Hatia rivers on the west and is
characterized by tidal and flood inundation with low
relief. The elevation of the area varies from 3.90 m in
north to 2.70 m towards southwest direction. The
area is completely underlain by alluvium composed
of sand, silt and clay in varied proportion as shown in
Figs.3, 4 and 5. Based on topographic map, fieldwork
and local information a geological map of the area is
made (Fig.6). On the basis of geomorphology, relief
and drainage, sediment characteristics, vegetation
cover, water logging and flooding, the study area has
been divided into nine geomorphological units,
characteristics of which are described below.
a) Channel: Khulna City area is bounded by
the river of Bhairab on the northeast, Rupsa on the
southeast and Pasur in further down south. The
Atharobanki river meets with Rupsa and Atai river
meets with the Bhairab River on the central east and
the Mayur River-Hatia Rivers lie on the west. These
rivers are virtually the distributaries of Ganges River,
which carry sediments from upstream. The rivers also
experience semidiurnal flood tides from the Bay of
Bengal. The Rupsa-Bhairab-Pasur are the active tidal
rivers with strong current which carries coarser
sediments from upstream and finer sediments mainly
clay from downstream by flood tide. Sand grains are
gray in colour and very fine to coarse grained and
moderately sorted.

b) Natural levee: Natural levee is long broad

low ridge of sand and coarse silt, built by the River
Rupsa and Bhairab bordering the flood plain and
along both banks of them (Fig. 6). The sediments are
gray in colour and moderately sorted.
c) Flood Plain: Flood plain is a broad flat area
gently sloping towards flood basins in the west as
well as east from the natural levees of the combined
Bhairab - Rupsa river system. Flood plains are
occasionally inundated by high flood but the depth of
such flooding does not exceeding one meter except in
few low-lying areas. Aerially flood plain covers
about 50% of the study area (Fig. 6). Deposits consist
of clay, silty clay and very fine sand.
d) Flood Basin: This geomorphological unit
is the lowest lying part of the area. The flood basins
remain water logged during most of the year. Some
of the flood basins start drying at the end of
November. These are mostly concentrated in the
southwestern part of the study area. Deposits consist
of gray clay and grayish black carbonaceous
clay/peaty clay with some silt.
e) Ox-bow Lake: Ox-bow lake is crescent
shaped body of standing water situated by the side of
a stream in the abandoned channel of meandering
river when the stream formed a neck cutoff and the
ends of the original bend were silted up. Ox-bow lake
is mainly seen in the eastern part of the Atai River. It
consists of fine to medium sand with gray clay on top
horizon. It is a part of abandoned channel.
f) Abandoned Channel or Old River
Valley: These are narrow depressed areas having
channel like morphologies. These are once the
tributaries/ distributaries of the main trunk channels
of the Bairab- Rupsa, Atharabanki and Mayur River.
Abandoned channels are mainly found in the western
as well as eastern side of the study area. Deposits
consist of dark gray clay and silt.
g) Point Bar: Point bar is a lateral ridge of
sand and / gravel developed on the inside of a
meander by the slow addition of individual accretions
accompanying migration of the channel toward the
outer bank of a meandering river. The point bars are
present at places in the Atharabanki meandering
channels in the eastern part of the study area.
Deposits consist of light colored fine to medium
sand.

h) Back Swamp: A depressed area occupied by

swamp or marsh is developed on a flood plain of the
river with poor drainage. Back swamps occur in the
southwestern part of the area.
i) Estuarine plain: The estuarine plains are
low laying narrow areas adjacent to tidal rivers which
are inundated every day by tides coming from Bay of
Bengal in the south. These plains consist of clay with
silty materials.

Conclusions
The Khulna City Corporation (KCC) in
southwest Bangladesh lies on young HoloceneRecent Alluvium of the Ganges deltaic plain in north
and Ganges tidal plain in south. The area is
composed of coarse to very fine sand, silt and silty
clay up to a depth of 300m with peaty soil and
calcareous as well as non-calcareous soil at the top.
This litho-succession is divided into seven units,
where Unit 1 represents back swamps and floodplains
with small channels. The Unit 2 is coarsest of all
units consisting of coarse to fine sand deposited by
large channels and may be equivalent to a part of
either Dupi Tila or Tipam Formation of Late
Miocene to Pliocene age. The Unit 3 being
composing of silty clay is a depositional unit of tidal
channels, tidal creeks and estuarine plain. The Unit 4
is a sandy one deposited during Late Pleistocene to
Holocene time (18 ka to 12000 years BP) under
deltaic condition. Being consisting of silt and silty
clay the Unit 5 was deposited under the marine
transgression during the period of 7000-5000 years
BP. The unit 6 is composed of sand, silt and clay with
peaty soil and was deposited under the regressive
stage with intermittent small transgressions when the
Ganges delta prograded much to its present limit
during the time period of 3000 yr BP to 110090 yr
BP. The Unit 7 represents topsoil, which is a complex
of natural levee, flood basin, marsh and abandoned
channel in some part of the inactive area of the
Ganges delta locating in the north and tide dominated
coastal plain of Recent age (present time to 1100 90
year BP) lying in the south of the study area.
Morpho-stratigraphically the study area up to
300m depth represents various undulations formed by
seven cycles of sedimentation, where each cycle
starts with coarse sand that ends with finer silty clay
and clay rich deposit. The concave up undulations are
formed by complexes of channels (fluvial/tidal),
convex up ones by bars and horizontal ones by plains

(floodplain, deltaic plains or estuarine plains).

Geomorphologically the area is characterized by
channels (tidal as well as fluvial), natural levee, flood
plain, flood basin, ox-bow lake, abandoned channels,
point bar, back swamp and estuarine plain.

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