Name: Coastal Geomorphology: Processes, Landforms, and Human Interactions
Author: Dr. Aran Castro A J

· 01 / Research articles

Research articles.

Peer-reviewed journal publications in geospatial science, coastal geomorphology, and petrology.

· Accepted · in press

Scopus Indexed

Soil erosion mapping and the area of applicability of a cross-district random forest emulator in the Western Ghats foothills: Alappuzha and Kottayam districts, Kerala, India

Athira Raj, Udayakumar G, Gouri Antherjanam, Aran Castro (2027) · Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences · Vol. 41, pp. 5–26. · Accepted 20 September 2026 · SJR 0.247 (2025) · Soil erosion · RUSLE · Random forest · Spatial transferability · Western Ghats

Journal Site → · DOI 10.52321/igh.41.1.5 · link pending (DOI not yet resolving)

· Conference papers

ACRS 2026 · Oral presentation

Earth Observation and GIS for Groundwater-Security Assessment and Managed Aquifer Recharge Siting in Tiruchirappalli District, Tamil Nadu: A Decision-Support Framework for Inclusive Water Governance

Jino R., Aran Castro (2026) · 47th Asian Conference on Remote Sensing (ACRS 2026), 12–16 October 2026, New Delhi, India · Full paper accepted for oral presentation · Earth observation · Groundwater security · Managed aquifer recharge · Inclusive water governance

· Published

Scopus Indexed

Mint leaf mediated green synthesis of calcium carbonate–hydroxide nanoparticles: calcination-controlled phase and morphology, dye adsorption and preliminary in-vitro screening

M. Abila Jeba Queen, A. J. Aran Castro, V. Shally (2026) · Chemical Papers, Springer Nature · Published online 26 September 2026 · DOI 10.1007/s11696-026-05658-9 · Green synthesis · Calcium carbonate–hydroxide nanoparticles · Dye adsorption · In-vitro screening

View Article (Springer) →

The article on Springer Nature Link, published 26 September 2026, with A. J. Aran Castro among the authors

Scopus Indexed

Petrogenetic Study on Ultramafic–Mafic Suite of Sathyamangalam Schist Complex (South India)

Rajaprian Kalyanasundaram, Banu Chitra Mookiah, Rajkumar Perumal, and Aran Castro (2026) · Suranaree Journal of Science and Technology, 33(2): 010387, pp. 1–13. · Received: July 12, 2024 · Accepted: July 08, 2025

DOI 10.55766/sujst5774 · link pending (DOI not yet resolving)

Delineation of coastal geomorphology along the coast of Kanyakumari district, southernmost coast of India

Aran Castro A J, Kumar R S, Justine K Antony, Pagare N S, Rajkumar P, Praveen Raj R (2021) · Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry, 12(7), pp. 6981–7002.

View Paper →

Mapping LULC changes of the coastal Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India Using Geospatial technology

Aran Castro A J, Kumar R S, Justine K Antony, Pagare N S, Rajkumar P, Praveen Raj R (2021) · International Journal of Aquatic Science, 12(02), pp. 3419–3439.

View Paper (Academia.edu) →

· Preprint

SSRN · Preprint

A terrain-controlled test of the lithological control on regolith thickness in a charnockite–khondalite granulite basin, within an open-data managed aquifer recharge framework: Valapattanam basin, Kerala, India

Praveenraj Ramu, Aran Castro A J (2026) · SSRN Working Paper · 39 pp. · Posted 27 Jun 2026 · Managed aquifer recharge · Hard-rock aquifer · Western Ghats · DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.7010988

View Preprint on SSRN →

· Under review

Approximately 11 additional research papers are currently under peer review in various indexed journals. Full citations will be added upon acceptance and publication. Last updated: 20 September 2026.

· 02 / Books

Four books. Free PDFs.

Limited-time free PDF downloads during launch. Kindle and paperback on Amazon.

NEW

New · September 2026

The Five Landscapes: What Tamil Poets Knew About the Earth, and What Satellites Show Us Now

Dr. Aran Castro A J

Kindle ₹120

ASIN (eBook): B0HL4BNR23

Classical Tamil poets sorted the land into five landscapes, or tinai: hills, forests, river plains, shore and dry country, each with its own season, plants, water and people. This book reads those poems alongside fifty years of satellite records for India's far south, from Kurinji, where the rain is made, to a Neithal shore that is now on the move, to show what the poets knew about the earth and what satellites show us now.

₹120 FREE Limited Time PDF

Kindle →

53% OFF

New · April 2026

Mapping Peace: How the View from Above Could Change the World Below

Dr. Aran Castro A J

ASIN (eBook): B0GNMNNSQX · ASIN (Paperback): B0GVTH2ZJ4

A study of how satellite imagery, GIS, and remote sensing reach beyond scientific research into peacebuilding, conflict mapping, and humanitarian response. The book argues that the view from above, once limited to governments and militaries, is now in the hands of communities, researchers, and policymakers working to understand, prevent, and resolve conflict through spatial data.

₹105 FREE Limited Time PDF

Kindle → Paperback →

80% OFF

New · February 2026

Systems Over Software: How Great GIS Researchers Think

Dr. Aran Castro A J

Kindle ₹250

ASIN (eBook): B0GPJTVSR4

This book is a call to GIS professionals and researchers to move beyond software proficiency and develop the systems thinking that underpins great geospatial research. It examines how accomplished GIS researchers frame questions, design methodologies, select tools, interpret spatial outputs critically, and communicate findings effectively. Written for students entering the field, scholars in the midst of their research, and professionals who want to deepen the intellectual dimensions of their practice. This is not a software manual, it is a thinking manual.

₹250 FREE Limited Time PDF

Kindle →

80% OFF

August 2024

Coastal Geomorphology: Processes, Landforms, and Human Interactions

Dr. Aran Castro A J

Kindle ₹250

ASIN (eBook): B0DD5RB31J

A field-and-lab text on coastal geomorphological processes, landform classification and evolution, and the complex interactions between human activities and coastal systems. Drawing extensively from the author's doctoral research on the Kanyakumari coast, the book covers marine, fluviomarine, fluvial, aeolian, and anthropogenic landforms, coastal erosion and accretion dynamics, land use impacts, and vulnerability assessment frameworks. Designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students in geology, geography, and environmental science, as well as researchers and coastal management practitioners.

₹250 FREE Limited Time PDF

Kindle →

View Amazon Author Page →

· 03 / Mobile & web applications

Apps you can use today.

Free tools built alongside the research: one Android app and two web apps.

Android app · Free

Daybloom: Mood & Garden

Version 3.3.2 · Android · One calm app for your mood, tasks, focus, calm games and trusted people. Everything you do grows the same flower garden, and on low days it quietly asks one trusted friend to call you.

See the app →

Web app · Free

PlantNative

plantnative.today · Check whether any plant is native or invasive in India by name or photo, and find native alternatives to invasive species. Launched in July 2026 during Van Mahotsav week.

Open PlantNative →

Web app · Free

Free Online GIS Tools

geocoordinate.site · Coordinate and format converters, map measure, GeoJSON viewer, EPSG/CRS lookup, bounding box, tile and quadkey, GSD and geodesic calculators, all in your browser with nothing uploaded.

Open the tools →

· 04 / Doctoral thesis

The Kanyakumari thesis.

2021 · Annamalai University · Department of Earth Sciences (DST-FIST Sponsored).

Geospatial Analysis of Coastal Geomorphological Vulnerability of the Kanyakumari District Using GIS and Remote Sensing

Annamalai University, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu

Completed: 2021

Roll No: 1721070003

Dept. of Earth Sciences (DST-FIST)

Abstract

The doctoral research conducted a full geospatial analysis of the 72 km coastline of Kanyakumari district (77°05'E to 77°36'E, 8°03'N to 8°20'N), from Arokiyapuram to Neerodi. The study delineated coastal geomorphological landforms into five categories (anthropogenic, marine, fluviomarine, fluvial, and aeolian), detected LULC changes from 2013 to 2021 revealing significant urbanisation and beachface loss, analysed shoreline changes from 2011 to 2021 showing dominant erosion particularly along the western coast, and assessed coastal vulnerability using a six-parameter CVI model (geomorphology, LULC, coastal slope, shoreline change, offshore bathymetry, and mean tidal range). CVI values ranged from 2.8 to 20.1, identifying Midalam village as the most vulnerable coastal area. The research demonstrated that anthropogenic activities, including fishing harbour construction, placer mining, land encroachment, and coastal defensive structures, are significantly exacerbating the geomorphological vulnerability of the Kanyakumari coastline.

Learn the methods behind the work.

The books are free to download, and the same coastal and land-use workflows are taught hands-on in the Advanced GIS Course and in Faculty Development Programmes.

WhatsApp me now View training

Books published4

Journal papers5 · 3 Scopus

Under review~11 papers

Doctoral thesisAnnamalai Univ. · 2021

Phone / WhatsApp+91 74187 42406

Publications & books.

Research articles.

Soil erosion mapping and the area of applicability of a cross-district random forest emulator in the Western Ghats foothills: Alappuzha and Kottayam districts, Kerala, India

Earth Observation and GIS for Groundwater-Security Assessment and Managed Aquifer Recharge Siting in Tiruchirappalli District, Tamil Nadu: A Decision-Support Framework for Inclusive Water Governance

Mint leaf mediated green synthesis of calcium carbonate–hydroxide nanoparticles: calcination-controlled phase and morphology, dye adsorption and preliminary in-vitro screening

Petrogenetic Study on Ultramafic–Mafic Suite of Sathyamangalam Schist Complex (South India)

Delineation of coastal geomorphology along the coast of Kanyakumari district, southernmost coast of India

Mapping LULC changes of the coastal Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India Using Geospatial technology

A terrain-controlled test of the lithological control on regolith thickness in a charnockite–khondalite granulite basin, within an open-data managed aquifer recharge framework: Valapattanam basin, Kerala, India

Four books. Free PDFs.

The Five Landscapes: What Tamil Poets Knew About the Earth, and What Satellites Show Us Now

Mapping Peace: How the View from Above Could Change the World Below

Systems Over Software: How Great GIS Researchers Think

Coastal Geomorphology: Processes, Landforms, and Human Interactions

Apps you can use today.

Daybloom: Mood & Garden

PlantNative

Free Online GIS Tools

The Kanyakumari thesis.

Geospatial Analysis of Coastal Geomorphological Vulnerability of the Kanyakumari District Using GIS and Remote Sensing

Abstract

Learn the methods behind the work.