|
|
Evolution of a confined gravelly river to a braided-meandering river in the Late Cretaceous Khasi group, southern Shillong plateau, NE India |
Adrita Choudhuria,*, Prem Raj Uddandama, Debarati Nagb |
a Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, 226007, India;
b Savitribhai Phule Pune University, Pune, India |
|
|
Abstract This paper intends to unravel the depositional condition of the Basal Conglomerate/Jadukata Formation and the Lower Mahadek Formation in southern Shillong Plateau, NE India deposited during the Late Cretaceous period. The studied succession is entirely siliciclastics in composition and was built up on the Precambrian basement rocks. State-of-art facies analysis and palaeocurrent evidence helped us to reconstruct the palaeogeography and palaeoenvironment. The facies tracts reveal that frequent hyperconcentrated mass flow deposits dominated the proximal part of the river channels. Gradually, the river evolved to a sandy braided and finally mud-dominated, meandering system. The river channel changed its pattern through onlapping and progressive elimination of the accommodation space created by the tectonic subsidence/upliftment. Major shifts in palaeocurrent direction at different stages of the river evolution confirm the role of tectonics on the river channel evolution. QFL detrital modes of the sandstones reflecting lithic wacke composition and the recycled orogeny corroborate the interpretation. Rapid lateral and vertical facies transition suggests a pull-apart type basin due to ongoing rifting. Geochemical analyses also show signatures of the overlapping tectonic conditions supporting the pull-apart basin model.
|
Received: 13 February 2023
|
Corresponding Authors:
* E-mail addresses: adritachoudhuri@gmail.com, adrita.choudhuri@bsip.res.in (A. Choudhuri).
|
|
|
|
M.A. Ali, B.P. Duarah, 2022. Tectono-stratigraphic evolution of Shillong Plateau, North East India through the Permian-Eocene window. Geological Journal, 57, pp. 5127-5148.
J.S. Armstrong-Altrin, Y.I. Lee, S.P. Verma, S. Ramasamy, 2004. Geochemistry of sandstones from the upper Miocene Kudankulam Formation, Southern India: implications for provenance, weathering, and tectonic setting. Journal of Sedimentary Research, 74, pp. 285-297.
O.M. Bankole, A. El Albani, A. Meunier, M. Poujol, A. Bekker, 2020. Elemental geochemistry and Nd isotope constraints on the provenance of the basal siliciclastic succession of the middle Paleoproterozoic Francevillian Group, Gabon. Precambrian Research, 348, Article 105874.
R. Barkat, P.P. Chakraborty, S. Saha, K. Das, 2020. Alluvial architecture, paleohydrology and provenance tracking from the Neoproterozoic Banganapalle formation, Kurnool Group, India: An example of continental sedimentation before land plants. Precambrian Research, 350, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2020.105930.
S. Barua, A. Pundalik, 2021. Petrography of the Late Cretaceous Bottom Conglomerate Formation from Sohra-Mawsynram area, East Khasi Hills District, Meghalaya, NE India. Xplore - The Xavier’s Research Journal, 12, pp. 39-62.
M.R. Bhatia, K.A.W. Crook, 1986. Trace element characteristics of graywackes and tectonic setting discrimination of sedimentary basins. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 92, pp. 181-193.
P. Bhattacharjee, M. Rengarajan, S.K. Srivastava, S. Hamilton, R. Mohanty, 2017. Palaeochannel-controlled depositional features of the Cretaceous Lower Mahadek uranium mineralisation in Umthongkut Area, West Khasi Hills, Meghalaya. Journal of the Geological Society of India, 90, pp. 129-258.
P.K. Bose, S. Sarkar, S. Mukhopadhyay, B. Saha, P. Eriksson, 2008. Precambrian basin margin fan deposits: Mesoproterozoic Bagalkot Group, India. Precambrian Research, 162, pp. 264-283.
T.C. Blair, J.G. McPherson, 1994. Alluvial fans and their natural distinction from rivers based on morphology, hydraulic processes, sedimentary processes, and facies assemblages. Journal of Sedimentary Research, 64, pp. 450-489.
K.C. Condie, 1993. Chemical composition and evolution of the upper continental crust: contrasting results from surface samples and shales. Chemical Geology, 104, pp. 1-37.
R. Cullers, 2000. Geochemistry of the Mesoproterozoic Lakhanda shales in southeastern Yakutia, Russia: implications for mineralogical and provenance control, and recycling. Precambrian Research, 104, pp. 77-93.
L. Dalabehera, B. Iangrai, D. Mukherjee, 2021. Stratigraphy and faunal assemblages of the Upper Cretaceous sediments of Meghalaya Shelf: Palaeoenvironmental implications. Journal of the Geological Society of India, 97, pp. 1033-1048.
R. Das, A. Bhardwaj, S. Das Mitra, T. Pal, B.N. Mahanta, 2020. An insight to the initiation of Cretaceous sedimentation in Northeast Indian Craton. Journal of Sedimentary Environments, 5, pp. 457-471.
W.R. Dickinson, 1985. Interpreting provenance relations from detrital modes of sandstones. G.G. Zuffa (Ed.), Provenance of Arenites, Springer, Dordrecht, pp. 333-361.
W.R. Dickinson, C.A. Suczek, 1979. Plate tectonics and sandstone compositions. AAPG Bulletin, 63, pp. 2164-2182.
P. Evans, 1932. The Tertiary succession in Assam: Geology and Metallurgy Institute of India. Transactions in Mineralogy, 30, pp. 174-233.
P. Evans, 1964. The tectonic framework of Assam. Journal of the Geological Society of India, 5, pp. 80-96.
R.V. Fischer, 1983. Flow transformations in sediment gravity flows. Geology, 11, pp. 273-274.
R.B. Færseth, R.J. Steet, 1978. Silurian conglomerate sedimentation and tectonics within the Fennoscandian continental margin, Sunnhordland, western Norway. Norsk Geologisk Tidsskrift, 58, pp. 145-159.
P.A. Floyd, B.E. Leveridge, 1987. Tectonic environment of the Devonian Gramscatho basin, south Cornwall: framework mode and geochemical evidence from turbiditic sandstones. Journal of the Geological Society, 144, pp. 531-542.
M. Ghnahalla, O.M. Bankole, A.A. Elmola, M. Poujol, C. Fontaine, M.S. Sabar, A. Trentesaux, C. Tu, T.W. Lyons, A. El Albani, 2023. Tracing the sedimentary provenance of the Mesoproterozoic rocks from Taoudeni Basin (∼ 1.1 Ga) Mauritania: Evidence from Sm/Nd and elemental geochemistry. Precambrian Research, 388, Article 107003.
S. Ghosh, A.E. Fallick, D.K. Paul, P.J. Potts, 2005. Geochemistry and origin of Neoproterozoic granitoids of Meghalaya, northeast India: Implications for linkage with amalgamation of Gondwana supercontinent. Gondwana Research, 8, pp. 421-432.
GSI, 2009. Geological Survey of India Miscellaneous Publication, 2 (ii) (2009)30, Part IV.
K. Hayashi, H. Fujisawa, H.D. Holland, H. Ohmoto, 1997. Geochemistry of 1.9 Ga sedimentary rocks from northeastern Labrador, Canada. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 61, pp. 4115-4137.
J. Holbrook, S.A. Schumm, 1999. Geomorphic and sedimentary response of rivers to tectonic deformation: a brief review and critique of a tool for recognizing subtle epeirogenic deformation in modern and ancient settings. Tectonophysics, 305, pp. 287-306.
B. Iangrai, L. Dalabehera, D. Mukherjee, 2022. A report on the Late Cretaceous-Early Palaeocene molluscs and echinoids from the Meghalaya shelf in the vicinity of the K-Pg Mass Extinction Boundary. Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India, 67, pp. 285-309.
M.S. Islam, R. Shinjo, J.R. Kayal, 2011. Pop-up tectonics of the Shillong Plateau in northeastern India: Insight from numerical simulations. Gondwana Research, 20, pp. 395-404.
S.J. Jones, L.E. Frostick, T.R. Astin, 2001. Braided stream and flood plain architecture: the Rio Vero Formation, Spanish Pyrenees. Sedimentary Geology, 139, pp. 229-260.
S.N. Kak, H. Mohammad, 1979. Genesis and characteristics of Uranium mineralization in Mahadek sandstones. Indian Journal of Earth Sciences, 6, pp. 152-161.
R.R. Large, I. Mukherjee, I. Zhukova, R. Corkrey, A. Stepanov, L.V. Danyushevsky, 2018. Role of upper-most crustal composition in the evolution of the Precambrian ocean–atmosphere system. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 487, pp. 44-53.
C. Limarino, A. Tripaldi, S. Marenssi, L. Net, G. Re, A. Caselli, 2001. Tectonic control on the evolution of the fluvial systems of the Vinchina Formation (Miocene), northwestern Argentina. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 14, pp. 751-762.
D.R. Lowe, 1979. Sediment gravity flows: their classification and some problems of application to natural flows and deposits, 27, SEPM Special Publication, pp. 75-82.
B.N. Mahanta, T. Pal, A. Bhardwaj, 2019. Basin margin fan-delta deposits of the Cretaceous sediments of Meghalaya, India-a hint for Gondwana breakup. Indian Journal of Geosciences, 73, pp. 89-94.
A.I. Malinovsky, V.V. Golozubov, 2011. Lithology and depositional settings of the terrigenous sediments along transform plate boundaries: Evidence from the Early Cretaceous Zhuravlevka Terrane in Southern Sikhote Alin. Russian Journal of Pacific Geology, 5, pp. 400-417.
A.I. Malinovsky, 2018. Geochemical features and geodynamic settings of the formation of Cretaceous terrigenous rocks of the West Sakhalin Terrane. Lithology and Mineral Resources, 53, pp. 140-158.
D.McB. Martin, I.G. Stanistreet, P.M. Camden-Smith, 1989. The interaction between tectonics and mudflow deposits within the Main Conglomerate Formation in the 2.8-2.7 Ga Witwatersrand basin. Precambrian Research, 44, pp. 19-38.
S.M. McLennan, S.R. Taylor, M.T. McCulloch, J.B. Maynard, 1990. Geochemical and Nd-Sr isotopic composition of deep-sea turbidites: Crustal evolution and plate tectonic associations. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 54, pp. 2015-2050.
S.M. McLennan, S. Hemming, 1992. Samarium/neodymium elemental and isotopic systematics in sedimentary rocks. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 56, pp. 887-898.
S.M. McLennan, S. Hemming, D.K. McDaniel, G.N. Hanson, 1993. Geochemical approaches to sedimentation, provenance, and tectonics. Geological Society of America Special Papers, Geological Society of America, pp. 21-40.
T. Mulder, J. Alexander, 2001. The physical character of subaqueous sedimentary density flows and their deposits. Sedimentology, 48, pp. 269-299.
S. Mukherjee, A. Dey, S. Sanyal, M. Ibanez-Mejia, P. Sengupta, 2019. Bulk rock and zircon geochemistry of granitoids from the Chotanagpur Granite Gneissic Complex (CGGC): implications for the late Palaeoproterozoic continental arc magmatism in the East Indian Shield. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 174, pp. 1-17.
M.V.N. Murthy, C. Chakraborty, S.C. Talukdar, 1976. Stratigraphic revision of the Cretaceous-Tertiary sediments on the Shillong Plateau. Records of the Geological Survey of India, 107, pp. 80-90.
D.R. Nandy, 2001. Geodynamics of northeastern India and the Adjoining Region. Scientific Book Centre, Guwahati, Assam, India, p. 272.
T.H. Nilsen, A.G. Sylvester, 1999. Strike-slip basins: Part 1. The Leading Edge, 18, pp. 1146-1152.
T. Oldham, 1859. On the geological structure of a portion of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills, Bengal. Memoirs of the Geological Survey of India, 1, pp. 99-210.
H.W. Posamentier, R.G. Walker, 2006. Deep-water turbidites and submarine fans. H.W. Posamentier, R.G. Walker (Eds.), Facies Models Revisited, 84, SEPM Special Publication, pp. 399-520.
F. Pflüger, A. Seilacher, 1991. Flash flood conglomerates. G. Einsele, W. Ricken, A. Seilacher (Eds.), Cycles and Events in Stratigraphy, Springer, Berlin, pp. 383-391.
H.G. Reading, 1986. Sedimentary Environments and Facies. (second ed.), Blackwell, Oxford, p. 524.
B.P. Roser, R.J. Korsch, 1988. Provenance signatures of sandstone-mudstone suites determined using discriminant function analysis of major-element data. Chemical Geology, 67, pp. 119-139.
A. Saha, S. Ganguly, J. Ray, N. Chaterjee, 2010. Evaluation of phase chemistry and petrochemical aspects of Samchampi–Samteran differentiated alkaline complex of Mikir Hills, northeastern India. Journal of Earth System Science, 119, pp. 675-699.
E. Schneiderhan, U. Zimmermann, J. Gutzmer, K. Mezger, R. Armstrong, 2011. Sedimentary provenance of the Neoarchean Ventersdorp Supergroup, Southern Africa: shedding light on the evolution of the Kaapvaal craton during the Neoarchean. The Journal of Geology, 119, pp. 575-596.
S. Sengupta, 1966. Studies on orientation and imbrication of pebbles with respect to cross-stratification. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, 36, pp. 363-369.
Y.K. Sohn, C.W. Rhee, B.C. Kim, 1999. Debris flow and hyperconcentrated flood-flow deposits in an alluvial fan, northwestern part of the Cretaceous Yongdong Basin, Central Korea. The Journal of Geology, 107, pp. 111-132.
S.R. Taylor, S.M. McLennan, 1985. The Continental Crust: Its Composition and Evolution. Blackwell Scientific Publications, United States (1985)xvi + 312.
M.K. Upadhyay, A. Majumdar, A. Barla, S. Bose, S. Srivastava, 2021. Thiourea supplementation mediated reduction of grain arsenic in rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars: a two year field study. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 407, Article 124368.
R.G. Walker, 1978. Deep water sandstone facies and ancient submarine fans models for exploration for stratigraphic traps. Bulletin of American Association of Petroleum Geology, 62, pp. 932-966.
R.G. Walker, 1984. Shelf and shallow marine sands. R.G. Walker (Ed.), Facies Models, 1, Geoscience Canada Reprint Series, pp. 141-170.
Y. Wang, D.P. Yan, 2003. Fluvial gravel facies architecture of late Pleistocene age at Po Chue Tam, Lantau Island, Hong Kong: tectonic versus climatic control?. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 21, pp. 1113-1123. |
|
|
|