The centrality of Ram Setu in the epic tale of Ramayana prompted multiple research studies about its origin.
Adam’s Bridge, famously depicted as Ram Setu is an ancient connection between India and Sri Lanka. It has been mentioned in numerous Indian religious texts. It is basically a chain of shoals situated between Mannar Island, off the northwest coast of Sri Lanka, and Rameswaram Island, off the southeast coast of India.
Satellite image, sea level rise data, climate change, rock composition, carbon dating, and other modern technologies have been employed to analyse the origin of this bridge. Was it a man-made bridge or developed naturally? After lot of research, scientists got some evidence to conclude about its origin. Let's find out what new research revealed.
Scientists from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Hyderabad National Remote Sensing Centres developed a detailed map of 29 km long bridge with the help of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) satellite ICESat-2.
Analysing satellite imagery and bathymetric data, the scientists created a seafloor map up to a depth of approximately 40 metres. The physical features of the Bridge were confirmed by bathymetric data via 3D-derived parameters, contours, slope, and volumetric analysis.
A Submarine Continuation: “The results from our research confirm that, in its entirety, Adam’s Bridge is a submarine continuation of Dhanushkodi and Talaimannar Island. Throughout the crest line of Adam’s Bridge, approximately 1.5 km on either side is highly undulating within the super-shallow water with occurrences of sudden depths,” the study published by the scientists in Scientific Reports mentioned.
Submerged in Majority: “The volume of Adam’s Bridge computed in our research yielded a value of about 1 km3. Interestingly, only 0.02 percent of this volume is above the mean sea level, and in general, the same is visible in optical satellite imagery — in total, around 99.98 percent of the Adam’s Bridge is submerged in shallow and super-shallow waters,” the study read.
Dominant Transgression: The Adam's bridge was exposed to the high energy waves from both sides; the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. Scientifically, the summer monsoon currents used to bring water from the Arabian Sea into the Bay of Bengal (BoB). On the other hand, winter monsoon currents used to transport BoB waters into the Arabian Sea.
The scientists have discovered an “asymmetry of transverse slopes to the base on both sides of the Adam’s Bridge,” as mentioned in the study. This indicates a dominant “transgression” activity of “material energy from the waters of the Gulf of Mannar compared to the Palk Strait.”
The European Space Agency (ESA) has also shared a high-resolution image of the Adam’s Bridge taken during Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission recently. As per imagery, there are some sand dunes, which act as breeding grounds for birds. As per historical data, this natural bridge was traversable until the 15th century. However, the bridge got eroded caused by frequent storms.
Overall geological evidence and satellite data confirmed the ancient connection between Dhanushkodi in India to Talaimannar Island of Sri Lanka.
