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.

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

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.

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.

Ancient Supercontinents and the Paleogeography of Earth offers a systematic examination of Precambrian cratons and supercontinents. Through detailed maps of drift histories and paleogeography of each continent, this book examines topics related to Earth's tectonic evolution prior to Pangea, including plate kinematics, orogenic development, and paleoenvironments. Additionally, this book discusses the methodologies used, principally paleomagnetism and tectonostratigraphy, and addresses geophysical topics of mantle dynamics and geodynamo evolution over billions of years. Structured clearly with consistent coverage for Precambrian cratons, this book combines state-of-the-art paleomagnetic and geochronologic data to reconstruct the paleogeography of the Earth in the context of major climatic events such as global glaciations. It is an ideal, up-to-date reference for geoscientists and geographers looking for answers to questions surrounding the tectonic evolution of Earth. - Provides robust paleogeographies of Precambrian cratons based on high-quality paleomagnetic and geochronologic data and critically tested by global geological datasets - Includes links to updated databases for the Precambrian such as PALEOMAGIA and the Global Paleomagnetic Database (GPMDB) - Presents full-color maps of the drift histories of each continent as well as their paleogeographies - Discusses key questions regarding continental drift, the supercontinent cycle, and the geomagnetic dipole hypothesis and analyzes palaeography in the context of Earth's holistic evolution

Indian Shield: Precambrian Evolution and Phanerozoic Reconstitution highlights unique evolutionary trends covering a period of over 3,500 million years, from the oldest crust to the most recent geological activity of the Indian Subcontinent. The book discusses regional terrain geology in terms of the evolutionary history of the crust, describing how the Precambrian Shield evolved from a stable continental region to a tectonically unstable zone marked by frequent high-intensity earthquakes in a Plate-interior setting. It is a complete and readable account of the history of growth and evolution of the Indian Subcontinent, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan. The book is intended for graduate students, researchers, and teachers in the geosciences, especially geophysics, geomorphology and geology. The book also serves as an important resource for tectonics and petrology researchers, as well as those involved in exploration of mineral resources. Features comprehensive geological information on the evolution of the Indian Subcontinent, from the growth of early crust to the present day in a single volume Discusses different processes of post-Precambrian reconstitution of the Indian Shield that ultimately produced the present-day geomorphology as well as the tectonic character of the region Assesses the impacts and effects of the ongoing post-Himalayan tectonism on the Indian Subcontinent