Chapter 13 Geology of Mesoproterozoic Chhattisgarh Basin, central India: current status and future goals

Abstract

In the last two decades multiproxy studies involving process-based sedimentology, geochronology of interbedded tuff units from different stratigraphic levels, sediment geochemistry including stable isotope signatures and documentation of structural grains within selective stratigraphic intervals from the Chhattisgarh Basin, central India have resulted in a perception change on various aspects of the basin fill including its time frame, stratigraphic framework and depositional architecture in the space-time domain. In addition to establishing a Mesoproterozoic (c. 1450-1000 Ma) time frame for the basin on a strong foothold, these studies also proposed revision of its stratigraphy by introducing new stratigraphic units at 'formation' and 'group' level. From collation of available data, their critical evaluation and presentation of new data, the present work proposes a four-tier lithostratigraphy for the Chhattisgarh Supergroup, namely, Singhora Group, Chadarpur Group, Raipur Group and Kharsiya Group. Further, application of sequence stratigraphic rationale allowed the basin succession to be subdivided into four and three nonconformity/unconformity-bound depositional sequences in its eastern and western parts, respectively. The present chapter also highlights the potential of the basin for carrying out studies related to Mesoproterozoic ocean oxygenation and outlines the necessity of well-planned geophysical transects to resolve issues related to tectonic setup of the basin.

Geochemistry of carbonate formations of the Chhattisgarh Supergroup, central India: implications for Mesoproterozoic global events

“…The contact between the two groups is gradational with the arenaceous Chandarpur Group grading into thinly bedded limestone-marl rhythmite of the Charmuria Formation ( Fig. 3A; Chakraborty et al 2015 (Fig. 3B).…”

“…The Charmuria and Chandi formations in the Hirri sub-basin ( Fig. 2) are considered as lateral equivalents of the Sarangarh and Saradih formations, respectively, of the Bharadwar sub-basin, albeit facies variations (Chakraborty et al 2015). The Tarenga and Hirri formations overlie the Chandi Formation ( Fig.…”

A status report on age, depositional motif and stratigraphy of Chhattisgarh, Indravati, Kurnool and Bhima basins, Peninsular India

“…A number of publications in recent years (Chakraborty et al, 2015;Das et al, 2017;Bickford et al, 2017;George et al, 2019) have enriched our understanding not only about stratigraphy and depositional history of the basin but also helped us in age bracketing the basin on strong foothold. Chakraborty et al (2015) attempted collation of recent data from the basin with emphasis on erstwhile debates (Basu and Bickford, 2015) on stratigraphy and tectonics of the basin and argued in favour of independent stratigraphic status of the Singhora Group in Chhattisgarh stratigraphy based on structural data, AMS data and detrital zircon geochronology and ruled out the proposition of equating it with the Chandrapur Group by earlier workers. They pointed out the variation in stratigraphic subdivision between the eastern and western parts of the basin; and suggested a four-tier stratigraphic subdivision of the basin.…”

Geochronology, paleomagnetic signature and tectonic models of cratonic basins of India in the backdrop of Supercontinent amalgamation and fragmentation

“…The sandstone-shale assemblage of the Kharsiya Group is a lateral facies equivalent of the uppermost shale-dolomite succession of the Hirri sub-basin. The sedimentary succession of the basin thus may be looked upon as four successive unconformity bound successions of group status, namely, Singhora, Chandarpur, Raipur and Kharsiya (Chakraborty et al, 2015b;Saha et al, 2013;Chaudhuri, 2008, 2010) (Fig.3).…”