Journal of Asian Earth Sciences xxx (2014) xxx–xxx

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Journal of Asian Earth Sciences

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Preface

Editorial: Proterozoic Basins of India

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2014.05.0021367-9120/� 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

1. Introduction

The Proterozoic basins over the world have received considerableattention in understanding the geodynamic processes, sedimenta-tion history, organic evolution and stratigraphy. Lithologicalsequences are now interpreted in terms of sedimentation rates,eustatic changes and deformation rates. Radiometric dating,magnetic stratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy and biostratigraphyprovide insights into the plate motion (Eriksson et al., 2013). Palae-omagnetic data in conjunction with geochronology of the detritusare being used for refining supercontinent reconstructions (Condieand Aster, 2013; Nance and Murphy, 2013; Roberts, 2013). Modelshave been proposed for palaeogeography of the continents, frag-mentation of the supercontinents Columbia and Rodinia and mag-matic activities within the basins. The three broad divisions of theProterozoic, the Palaeo-Meso and Neoproterozoic, are graduallybeing fine tuned with the help of geochronology, biotic and climaticevents, as well as supercontinent history (Young, 2013; Nance andMurphy, 2013; Nance et al., 2014).

The identification of several modern earth processes in the Pro-terozoic rock record offer renewed understanding of the buildingblocks of early life. Recent investigations on the magmatic andmetamorphic activities in the entire Proterozoic Eon on a globalscale have been fundamental to our understanding of the forma-tion and evolution of supercontinents and palaeogeographic corre-lations. In Peninsular India, such studies in the Aravalli, Delhi,Cuddapah, Vindhyan, Chhattisgarh and Indravati basins haveoffered better age constraints for these basins. Life span of Protero-zoic Eon is bracketed between 2500 Ma and 541 Ma with a dura-tion of nearly 2000 million years, acting as host to large mineraldeposits all over the world, displaying intricate primitive life formsjust before the world wide radiation event and rapid proliferationof advance forms of life (Santosh et al., 2014). The strata-bounduranium mineralization in the Palaeoproterozoic Cuddapahs isnow well documented. Studies on particulate organic matter andmature organic content in the black shales in the Proterozoicsuccessions are new areas of focused research.

2. Background of this special issue

In 1987 the Geological Society of India, Bangalore published avolume on Purãna Basins of Peninsular India (Memoir-6) (the term‘Purana’ is the Indian nomenclature of Proterozoic Eon in a loosesense). This publication of the Geological Society of India carriedexhaustive collections of the contemporary research work doneby eminent Indian geoscientists until 1980. Our knowledge aboutthese basins has increased many fold in the last 25 years throughthe work of geoscientists from India and abroad. Our perception

and understanding of the stratigraphic position of outcrops inthese basins on the basis of palaeontology, geochronology,geochemistry, sedimentary sequencing and geophysics haveconsiderably changed over time and the new palaeogeographicreconstructions look validated as a result of inputs from the newanalytical facilities. Since then, many new Proterozoic sectors havebeen explored, modern geological techniques have been employedand new intellectual paradigm has been established to understandthis ancient geological territory. The papers assembled in thisspecial issue of Journal of Asian Earth Sciences is an attempt to bringtogether results from some of the recent studies undertaken on theProterozoic successions in different parts of India titled ‘‘Proterozoicbasins of India’’. The eleven manuscripts included in this specialissue are by no means an exhaustive collection on the subject tocover all the known Indian Proterozoic basins, but offer a glimpseon the state-of-the-art in this field.

3. Contents of this special issue

The first in this special issue paper by Basu and Bickford (2014,in this issue) discusses the opening, closure, inversion and prove-nance of major sedimentary basins of peninsular India. A reviewof plethora of data has indicated that the opening of the differentProterozoic basins viz., Cuddapah basin (1900 Ma), the Vindhyanbasin before (1630 Ma), the Khariar basin (1500 Ma), Chhattisgarhbasin (1400 Ma) and the Marwar basin occurred after 750 Ma.Many of these basins started inversion at ca 1000 Ma. Discoveriesof volcanic events and thermal disturbances ca 1000 Ma in theIndian shield specifically in the Chhattisgarh and Indravati supportthis contention. These authors also discuss the tectonic significanceof ca1000 Ma volcanism in the Indian Proterozoic (Purana in Indiancontext) succession. They caution that more reliable age data arerequired due to the fact that age range of many fossils is poorly con-strained. Recent, Pb-Pb isochron age for the three distinct carbonatehorizons of the Bhander Limestone which are consistently close to900 Ma (Gopalan et al. 2013) suggests that deposition in theVindhayan basin continued even in younger times (<1000 Ma). Atpresent the major challenge regarding the dates is the inadequacyof the geochronological data pertaining to various other Proterozoicbasins of India. Reports of occurrence of volcanic rocks in Marwarand Kurnool basins await dating by suitable methods to better con-strain the ages of these basins (Saha and Tripathy 2012; Sharmaet al. 2014).

Saha and Patranabis-Deb (2014) present data on the evolutionof the Eastern Dharwar and Bastar cratons and their relationshipwith stratigraphic succession of intracratonic basins. They studiedthe Proterozoic successions of Bastar and Dharwar craton along theGodavari join and inferred that the Neoproterozoic rocks exposed

2 Preface / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences xxx (2014) xxx–xxx

in the Cuddapah, Pranhita–Godavari valley and Chhattisgarhbasins overlie a regional hiatus and deformation and/or inversionof the older sequences as evident from the fold belt of the easternpart of the Cuddapah basin. Several siliciclastic and carbonatecycles present in the Cuddapah and the Chhattisgarh basins rangein age from the Palaeoproterozoic to Ediacaran Periods. They haveproposed a first order stratigraphic correlation across the cratonsand discussed major sea level fluctuations along with regional tec-tonic events that shaped the unconformity bound successions andtheir global tectonic connections. Available data and their analysesrule out any foreland basin type connection between Eastern Ghatbelts and cratonic sedimentation in Bastar and eastern Dharwar.

A few detailed studies are available on the carbonate sequencesof the Cuddapah basin (Chakrabarti et al. 2011, 2013). Chakrabartiet al. (2014) present results of their sedimentological studies onthe Vempalle Formation of the Cuddapah basin which reveal threefacies association that range from supratidal to deep subtidalregime. Presence of varied types of stromatolites/microbialites inthe Vempalle has been attributed to deposition of these facies inan extensional regime during the development of low gradientramp. The vast thickness of carbonate succession records a pro-longed marine transgression with little or no influx of terrigenousdetritus. Isotopic and elemental chemistry of the Vempalle carbon-ates suggest that the ocean chemistry was heterogeneous even inaftermath of Early Palaeoproterozoic oxygenation and was stronglyaffected by local basin conditions.

Concentrations of uranium in eparchaean unconformity boundsediments have been well recorded but their occurrence in varioussettings has not been well explained. The Cuddapah basin in south-ern India is well known for hosting uranium deposits, and isbroadly categorized in three types: fracture controlled U depositin Gulcheru Quartzite; dolostone hosted U deposite in VempalleFormation and; unconformity related U deposit in Srisailam andPalnad sub-basins in the northern part of the Cuddapah basin. InPalnad sub-basin unconformity related uranium mineralization isconcentrated in Banganpalle Formation. Thomas et al. (2014) eval-uate the circulation of basinal brines through basement granite andcover sediments which helped in mobilization and concentrationof uranium at favorable locations in the cover sediments ofBanganpalle Formation. Their study indicates multiple generationof hydrothermal veins consisting of identical mineral assemblageat every depth in basement granite and cover sediments. Increasein pH of ore fluid with availability of carbonaceous material andpyrite as reductants have also controlled the localization of ura-nium in Banganpalle Formation.

The hydraulics of Precambrian rivers is not adequately studied.It is widely assumed that in the absence of vegetation during thePrecambrian it must be different from the modern or Phanerozoicrivers. Sedimentation framework also significantly changed inpost-Cambrian times. Mukhopadhyay et al. (2014) have studiedfour Proterozoic fluvial formations of India to understand pala-eohydraulics. Empirical data have been generated from basic mea-surement of decompacted thickness of completely preservedchannel fills or bedforms, and more commonly of cross-sets. Theirstudies have shown that Precambrian rivers have steeper gradient,commonly ephemeral in nature in upstream and generally hadsmaller width and depth in comparison to Phanerozoic rivers.Chakraborty and Paul (2014) studied the Palaeoproterozoic ParFormation of the Gwalior Group and have also presented data onthe palaeohydraulics of a dry climate alluvial fan system. Theyhave applied process based sedimentology to generate the datafor palaeohydraulics.

Growing energy demands have put pressure on the researchersto explore the unconventional geological areas and basins in searchof hydrocarbon potential. The Vindhyan basin is the largestsedimentary intracratonic basin in the central India which is

considered having moderate to good hydrocarbon potential espe-cially in the southern part. Various agencies have mounted geolog-ical and geophysical investigations in the southern part to assessits sub-surface information. Pandey et al. (2014) synthesize multi-parametric data to provide new information to the prevailing crus-tal configuration, thermal regime and nature of its geodynamicevolution. Their studies have revealed that 5–6 km thick sedimen-tary deposits were laid down in deep faulted Jabera Basin. Manyareas of this basin are thickly underplated by infused magmasand in some of the areas granitic–gneissic upper crust has beencompletely eroded or a thin veneer of such rocks exist due to sus-tained exhumation of deep seated rocks. Another study (Dayalet al., 2014) addresses the organic matter in term of abundance,source and thermal maturity and its importance in hydrocarbonprospecting. High concentrations of thermogenic hydrocarbonsare reported from areas around Sagar, Narsinghpur, Katni and Sat-na in the Son Valley. The light hydrocarbons are noted from thewestern part of the Vindhyan basin around Chambal Valley. Moresuch studies are being undertaken to unravel the hydrocarbonprospects of various Proterozoic basins of India.

Lithostratigraphic succession and position of the Marwar Super-group in northwest India have been a topic of intense investiga-tions using various parameters. Marwar basin has long beenconsidered equivalent of Vindhyan Supergroup of rocks exposedeast of the Aravalli range. Palaeomagnetic and geochronologicalstudies have changed this long held belief about the Marwar Basin.Davis et al. (2014) have demonstrated that the Marwar Supergroupdeveloped near the close of the Ediacaran Period i.e. 541 Ma andwas not an extension of Vindhyans of Son Valley. It was rather apart of larger group of sedimentary basins including the HuqfSupergroup (Oman), the Salt-Range (Pakistan), the Krol-Tal belt(Lesser Himalayas) and probably also the Molo Supergroup(Madagascar).

In recent years, siliciclastic rocks have been studied for theirdistinct sedimentary structures. These varied features on the bed-ding planes have been described as Microbially Induced Sedimen-tary Structures and are known as MISS (Noffke, 2009; Schieberet al. 2007). Kumar and Ahmad (2014) record fourteen MISS fromthe middle part of the Jodhpur Sandstone. Many of these featuresrepresent long time range and are known from the Palaeoprotero-zoic-Neoproterozoic successions from different parts of the world.However, there are certain MISS morphologies which are restrictedto latest Neoproterozoic such as Arumberia banksi, Rameshia ram-purensis and Jodhpuria circularis. Reasons for such time restrictedoccurrences are yet not fully understood. Sarkar et al. (2014) havealso documented similar features from four Proterozoic succes-sions, namely the Marwar Supergroup, the Vindhyan Supergroup,the Chhattisgarh Supergroup and the Khariar Group and comparedthem with Recent. They have coined a new term for these struc-tures Microbial Mat-Related Structure (MRS). These studies havedemonstrated their usage in interpreting and demarcating differ-ent parts of the basin.

Acknowledgements

We are thankful to all the authors for their valuablecontributions to this special issue, and to Prof. Bor-ming Jahn,Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Asian Earth Sciences for kindlyapproving this special issue. We are also grateful to all the refereeswho devoted their valuable time and effort in providing insightfulreviews. We hope that the contributions assembled in this specialissue will be well received by scientists investigating the Protero-zoic Earth history. We hope that these papers will help identifythe key issues of the Proterozoic, evaluate the gaps in existingknowledge base and inspire researchers for further innovativestudies on the Proterozoic basins of India.

Preface / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences xxx (2014) xxx–xxx 3

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Guest EditorsMukund Sharma

Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road,Lucknow 226007, Uttar Pradesh, India

E-mail address: sharmamukund1@rediffmail.com

D.M. BanerjeeDepartment of Geology, Chattra Marg, University of Delhi,

Delhi 110007, India

M. SantoshSchool of Earth Science and Resources, China University of Geosciences,

Beijing, 29 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083, PR China