The Indian Ocean: Fundamentals of Marine Geology, Physics and Chemistry covers the origin of water and formation of oceans on Earth and the history of oceanography/marine sciences, including international and Indian scenarios, marine instruments, sampling equipment, coastal features, and offshore and deep-sea features and structures. In addition, oceanic volcanism and the formation of different rocks and geotectonics (continental drift, plate tectonics, seafloor spreading) are also detailed. Chapters discuss sediments of the coasts and deep sea in terms of their classifications, granulometry, chemical compositions, the biology of the oceans, and their importance to sediment formation and paleoceanography.

Other chapters discuss the mineral wealth of the coasts (near- and off-shore), including sections on beach sands, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, phosphorites and hydrothermal polymetallic sulphides. In addition, the economics of mining these deposits are covered, along with information related to harnessing various energies from the sea, such as from tides, waves, currents and winds.