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Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal

EES 516/517: Evolution of the Indian Plate (4)

Prerequisites (Desirable): All EES 300 and 400 level courses

Learning Objectives:

This course offers a synthesis of the developmental history of the Indian plate through the Precambrian (~3.5 b.y. to 540 m.y.) and the Phanerozoic (540 m.y. to recent). An overview of the major geological provinces of the Indian plate and their geodynamic contexts in terms of cratonization, rifting, volcanism, and collision orogenesis is presented. Finally, the evolutionary trajectory of the Indian continent is traced from the initial formation of continental nucleii in the Archaean to its present state, as manifested in the geology and morpho-tectonics of the Indian plate.

Course Contents:

Introduction:
Physiography of the Indian subcontinent; Geological terrains of the Indian continent.

Precambrian:
Archaean cratons - Bastar, Singhbhum, Bundelkhand; Palaeoprotozoic mobile belts in Central India; Mesoprotozoic Eastern Ghat mobile belt; Southern granulite terrain; Intra-cratonic Purana basins of Peninsular India; Early and Late Proterozoic and Early Cambrian in the Himalaya.

Phanerozoic:
Gondwanaland and the Late Palaeozoic – Basinal stratigraphy, tectonics and sedimentation, palaeobiology and controls on hydrocarbon formation for the  Mesozoic rifted basins of India; Igneous activity in the grabens,  Cretaceous volcanism - Rajmahal and Deccan volcanic provinces and associated sedimentary sequences; Brief introduction of P-T and K-T extinctions; Mesozoic pericratonic basins along the eastern and western continental margins of India; Collision orogenesis and the evolution of Himalaya-Tibet; Himalayan foreland basin; Tertiary basins along the Indian margin; Andaman Island arc and Back arc sea; Evolution of Indo-Gangetic plains; Quaternary cover and tectonics in Peninsular India; Quaternary deposits in the Himalayan valleys and intermontane basins; Overview of geology of oceans around the Indian landmass.

The Evolving Indian Continent – A Synoptic View:
India -
A collage of many terrains; Formation of continental nucleii and the Indian shield.
Aravalli-Satpura Orogeny
Crustal accretion during Mesoproterozoic time
Pan-African rejuvenation of Southern Indian Shield
Continent-Interior Proterozoic sedimentary
Proterozoic continental margin
Neoproterozoic developments in the Himalayan province
Pan-African tectonic upheaval and after
Hercynian revolution and Gondwana time
Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) in the Cretaceous Period
Docking of India with Asia
Himalayan Foreland Basin
Tertiary marine transgression of Peninsular Indian coast
Formation of Andaman Island arc
Origin and development of Indo-Gangetic plains
Tectonic resurgence and geomorphic developments in Quaternary Period

Suggested Readings :

1. Valdiya, K. S., 2010, The making of India – Geodynamic evolution (2^nd Edition), Springer.
2. Ramakrishana, M., and Vaidyanadhan, R., 2008, Geology of India, Geological Society of India.

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