The Indian shield represents a vast repository of the Palaeoproterozoic geological record. Built over the four large amalgamated Archaean nuclei (Dharwar, Bastar, Singhbhum and Aravalli-Bundelkhand) the major and minor Palaeoproterozoic sedimentary basins and supracrustal sequences in India are comparable in scale, and perhaps also in development, to those of North America, Africa, Australia and Brazil. The deformation of these supracrustal sequences, attendant metamorphism and emplacement of plutonic bodies hold important clues to their connection with major orogenies. Research in these areas has led to investigations into global correlation, which in turn has had a direct bearing on refining models of Palaeoproterozoic supercontinent assembly and break-up. This book covers various aspects of regional geology as well as broader issues of the Indian Palaeoproterozoic geology and its global context. It is an outcome of the UNESCO-IGCP 509 Palaeoproterozoic Supercontinents and Global Evolution research project.
This Memoir provides a comprehensive review of the Precambrian basins of the four Archaean nuclei of India (Dharwar, Bastar, Singhbhum and Aravalli-Bundelkhand), encompassing descriptions of the time-space distribution of sedimentary-volcanic successions, the interrelationship between tectonics and sedimentation, and basin histories. Studies of 22 basins within the framework of an international basin classification scheme deepen an understanding of the basin architecture especially for cratonic basins. Most Indian sedimentary successions formed as cratonic to extensional-margin rift and thermal-sag basins, some reflecting mantle plume movement, subcrustal heating or far-field stress. This Memoir shows that Phanerozoic plate-tectonic and sequence stratigraphic principles can be applied to the Precambrian basins of large Archaean provinces. The differences between the stratigraphic architecture of the Indian Precambrian and examples of Phanerozoic basin-fill successions elsewhere are ascribed to variable rates and intensities of the controls on accommodation and sediment supply, and changes inherent in the evolution of the hydrosphere-atmosphere and biosphere systems.
Granitoids form the bulk of the Archean continental crust and preserve key information on early Earth evolution. India hosts five main Archean cratonic blocks (Aravalli, Bundelkhand, Singhbhum, Bastar and Dharwar). This book summarizes the available information on Archean granitoids of Indian cratons. The chapters cover a broad spectrum of themes related to granitoid typology, emplacement mechanism, petrogenesis, phase-equilibria modelling, temporal distribution, tectonic setting, and their roles in fluid evolution, metal delivery and mineralizations. The book presents a broader picture incorporating regional- to craton-scale comparisons, implications for Archean geodynamic processes, and temporal changes thereof. This synthesis work, integrating modern concepts on granite petrology and crustal evolution, offers an irreplaceable body of reference information for any geologist interested in Archaean Indian granitoids.
This book presents in a concise format a simplified and coherent geological-dynamical history of the Indian subcontinent (including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Southern Tibet and Pakistan). Encompassing a broad array of information related to structure and tectonics, stratigraphy and palaeontology, sedimentation and palaeogeography, petrology and geochemistry, geomorphology and geophysics, it explores the geodynamic developments that took place from the beginning around 3.4 billion years ago to the last about 5,000 years before present. Presented in a distilled form, the observations and deductions of practitioners, this book is meant for teachers, researchers and students of geology, geophysics and geomorphology and practitioners of earth sciences. A comprehensive list of references to original works provides guidance for those seeking further details and who wish to examine selected problems in depth. The book is illustrated with a wealth of maps, cross sections and block diagrams — all simplified and redesigned.
This book presents findings from research into the Precambrian history of the Indian shield obtained using state-of-the-art technology. It demonstrates a paradigm shift towards studying the Precambrian shield regions using petrological, geochemical, structural, metallogenic, sedimentological and paleobiological data from the rocks in the Precambrian shield area, and presents a collection of contributions on these diverse topics that help to reconstruct the Precambrian evolution of the Indian Shield.
The Palaeoproterozoic era (2500-1600 Ma) is a critical period of Earth history, with dynamic evolution from the deep planetary interior to its surface environment. Several lines of geological evidence suggest the existence of at least one pre-Rodinia supercontinent, named Nuna or Columbia, which formed near the end of Palaeoproterozoic time. Prior to this assembly, there may have been an older supercontinent (Kenorland) or perhaps only independently drifting supercratons. The tectonic records of amalgamation and dispersal of these ancient landmasses provide a framework that links processes of the deep Earth with those of its fluid envelope. The sixteen papers in this volume present reviews and new analytical data that span the geological record of Palaeoproterozoic Earth. The volume is useful as a reference book for students and professional geoscientists interested in this important period of global evolution.
The northwestern Indian Shield, covering a major part of Rajasthan and parts of northern Gujarat, northwestern Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi, is one of the most important repositories of a variety of mineral deposit types, particularly of base metals. Their metallogeny has been a topic of both academic and economic interest for more than five decades. This volume presents in a systematic manner the essential features of all economically significant types of metallic mineral deposits in this region and considers their mettallogeny in the perspective of crystal evolution of the northwestern Indian shield. Current concepts, problems and the probable trends of future research are highlighted. Leading geoscientists with first hand knowledge of this Precambrian terrene have contributed to this volume. The book will be of interest to exploration geologists, researchers and postgraduate students concerned with Precambrian geology and metallogeny.
Indian Geological Sequences: Salient Features and Major Events focuses on the first ever differentiation of the entire Indian record into a five tier hierarchical succession of geological sequences – five giga to 12 mega to 25 1st order to 68 2nd order to over 100 3rd order ones as its basic skeleton. Using the developed grid of sequence timelines, the diverse inter-disciplinary geological manifestations on the broad tectono-stratigraphically homogeneous supra-region of GTM (Gondwanian Tethyan Margin from Arabia to Australia) have been mutually integrated towards chronicling of events with precision never ever realized earlier. The giga-sequences GS-I to GS-IV comprising eight mega-sequences MS-I to MS-VIII deal with the Precambrian in brief. GS-V (¬ 635 ma onward) MS-IX (¬ 635-444 ma) and MS-XII (¬ 61.6 onward) include orogenies while MS-X (¬ 444-259 ma) and MS-XI (¬ 259-61.6 ma) are dominated by dismemberment tectonics. The prime focus is on the correlation of events across scores of sedimentary basins from outcrop to subsurface, onshore to offshore, marine to non-marine, shallow to deep water, plant to animal, micro to macro-fossils, and Proto-Paleo-Neotethys to Indian Ocean. Among the major Phanerozoic events time precised are the ¬ 500 ma Acantha Zone mega MFS accretion of the then alien TH to the Indian margin, and the ¬ 50 ma P8 Zone mega MFS impingement of India on Asia while the important dismemberment events include the ¬ 159 ma late Middle Oxfordian Orientalis Zone Schilli Subzone 1st order MFS initiation of the Indian Ocean which culminated in steps with oceanic separation of Sri Lanka from Antarctica at the ¬ 107 ma early Middle Albian Dentatus Zone mega MFS, ¬ 90 ma 1st order SB initiation of separation of Madagascar so also of Mascaranes basin, NER, Central Indian basin, Wharton basin, separation of Greater Seychelles from India at the ¬ 64.5 ma intra Danian 2nd order Quadratus Zone MFS and ¬ 24 ma Complanata Zone MFS thrusting due south of Greater Himalaya upon Lesser Himalaya. Indian Geological Sequences: Salient Features and Major Events is a valuable reference for researchers and scientists in the field of Earth Sciences. - Relates multi-dimensional geological events of one region to another in a vast supra-region through precisely dated sequence timelines - Links macro- and micro-evolutionary advent and extinction events to macro- and micro-geological events - Includes multidisciplinary data sources, from sedimentological, geochemical, and geophysical records
This books documents the salient characters of the tectonic evolution of the Indian subcontinent. It showcases the well investigated subcontinent of Gondwana. The book is linked to an updated geological and tectonic map of this region on 1:12,000,000 in scale. The Indian subcontinent displays almost uninterrupted and unique the geological history since about Eo-Archean (~3800 Ma) to recent, with the development of many Proterozoic deformed and metamorphosed fold belts around Archean nuclei, and enormously thick undeformed platform deposits. After their stabilization during late Proterozoic, the subcontinent underwent Paleozoic rifting and deposition of coal-bearing thick sequences, followed by enormously-thick outpouring of Deccan volcanics as a consequence of huge mantle plume. The youngest event in its evolution is the Cenozoic Himalayan Orogenic Mountains, spanning the area between Nanga Parbat and Namcha Barwah; a part of which extends both in Pakistan and Myanmar.
