Chapter 10 Palaeo-Mesoproterozoic sedimentation and tectonics of the Singhbhum Craton, eastern India, and implications for global and craton-specific geological events

Abstract

The Singhbhum Craton in eastern India preserves a depositional record from the Palaeo-Mesoarchaean to the Mesoproterozoic. Herein, we have summarized the Palaeo-Mesoproterozoic supracrustal record of the Singhbhum Craton, discussed tectonosedimentary processes and discriminated Palaeo-Mesoproterozoic global and craton-specific events. The late Palaeo-Mesoproterozoic supracrustal record of the Singhbhum Craton is limited. It includes evidence for high continental freeboard conditions during 2.6-2.1 Ga in the form of terrestrial deposits (alluvial fan -fluvial) of the Dhanjori Formation. This was followed by a major transgression and a transition to the relatively deeper-water shelf to shallow intertidal environments recorded by the Chaibasa Formation. A long hiatus ensued before deposition of the Dhalbhum Formation and conformably overlying Dalma and Chandil formations, suggesting continued high continental freeboard during 2.2-1.6 Ga. In significant contrast to the craton-specific Dhanjori Formation volcanism, the 1.7-1.6 Ga plume-related Dalma volcanism was probably part of a global tectonothermal event.

Geochemical and Sm–Nd isotopic characteristics of the Late Archaean-Palaeoproterozoic Dhanjori and Chaibasa metasedimentary rocks, Singhbhum craton, E. India: Implications for provenance, and contemporary basin tectonics

“…13). The Chaibasa Formation is entirely marine with an overall shallowing up trend (Bose et al, 1997;Mazumder, 2005;Mazumder et al, 2012bMazumder et al, , 2014; see section 4). There is no evidence of seismic deformation in the Dhanjori Formation.…”

“…Bose et al, 1997). The sheet conglomerate/pebbly sandstone is exposed in the south-eastern part of the basin where the Chaibasa Formation directly overlies the granitoid basement (see Bose et al, 1997;Mazumder, 2005;Mazumder et al, 2012bMazumder et al, , 2014. Bose et al (1997) have traced the sheet conglomerate/pebbly sandstone along the contact of the Chaibasa and Dhanjori Formations and have noted that the unit becomes thinner towards west.…”

“…Bose et al (1997) have traced the sheet conglomerate/pebbly sandstone along the contact of the Chaibasa and Dhanjori Formations and have noted that the unit becomes thinner towards west. The sheet conglomerate/pebbly sandstone has been interpreted as a transgressive lag deposit and the shale facies of the Chaibasa Formation has been interpreted as a transgressive systems tract (Bose et al, 1997 and references therein;Mazumder, 2005;Mazumder et al, 2012bMazumder et al, , 2014.…”

Palaeoarchaean sedimentation and magmatic processes in the eastern Iron Ore Group, eastern India: A commentary

“…The IOG along with the Singhbhum Granitoid batholith constitutes the Archaean nucleus of Singhbhum (Mukhopadhyay, ). The Palaeoproterozoic successions were deposited in the marginal basins encircling the Archaean nucleus (Mukhopadhaya, 2001; Mazumder, ; Mazumder et al, , ). A zone of intense shearing (the Singhbhum Shear Zone, SSZ) passes through the Late Archaean/Palaeoproterozoic Dhanjori Formation (Figure ).…”

Chapter 1 Precambrian basins of India: stratigraphic and tectonic context

“…Both IOG and subsequent immature conglomeratic facies thus appear to have been relatively widespread on the Singhbhum Craton, thus supporting possibly broadly correlatable greenstone successions, as for example also found in the Pilbara Craton of Western Australia, and in contrast to accretionary greenstones of the Superior or Kaapvaal cratons, which young across preserved cratonic nuclei. Issues related to the Archaean -Proterozoic transition in the Singhbhum Craton and the relation of Singhbhum Craton-specific geological events to possible global equivalents are discussed by Mazumder et al (2015). Post-Singhbhum Granitoid cooling and later possibly plume-related crustal doming during the Chaibasa -Dhalbhum transition appear to have been prime controls on subsequent sedimentation.…”