PRECAMBRIAN GEOLOGY OF

INDIA
FIRST SEMMESTER OF THIRD YEAR GEOLOGY BACHALORS DEGREE
Course GEO1505C17 (2 credits)
 Unit-1 Dharwad Craton
-Concepts of Cratons -Peninsular Gneises-
SYLLABUS -Precambrian Structural trends in Indian -Dharwar Supergroup
subcontinent Bhandara Craton
-Architecture of Indian cratons -Sasurs Group
-Aravalli-Bundelkhand Craton -Satpura Orogeny
-Dharwad Craton Singhbum Craton
-Bhandara Craton -SInghbum Group,
-Singhbum Craton -Gangpur Group
-Eastern Ghats, -Dhanjor Group
-Granulite terrain -Simpal Complex
-Kolhangar Group
Unit-2 -Dalmo Volcanic suites
Aravalli-Bundelkhand Craton Eastern Ghats
-Banded Genissic Complex , -Eastern Ghats
-Bhilwara Supergroup , -Khondolite & Associated Rocks
-Aravalli Supergroup , -Charnokites
-Delhi Supergroup and Granulite terrain
-Champaner Group Alkaline Complex
-Bundelkhand Massif, Layered complexes
-Bijawar
 485.4
INTERNATIONAL CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHIC CHART Stage 10
489.5
Furongian Jiangshanian
494
An interactive version of the International Chronostratigraphic Chart, based on its Semantic Web representation.
Paibian
497
For comments/issues and this visualisation's code, please see its Git Code Repository. Guzhangian
500.5
Miaolingian Drumian
Cambrian 504.5
Time Scaling Wuliuan
509
Stage 4
TIMESCALENo FOR
Scaling
PRECAMBRIAN Series 2
Stage 3
514
521
Eonothem / Erathem / System / Stage 2 Numerical
Supereon Eon Era Period Series / Epoch
Terreneuvian Stage / Age Age 529
(Ma)
Fortunian 0
Meghalayan 541
Ediacaran 0.0042
Holocene Northgrippian 635
Neo-proterozoic Cryogenian 0.008276
Greenlandian 720
Tonian 0.0117
Quaternary Upper 1000
Stenian 0.126
Middle
Pleistocene 1200
0.781
Meso-proterozoic Ectasian Calabrian
Proterozoic 1400
1.8
Calymmian Gelasian
1600
2.58
Statherian Piacenzian
Pliocene 3.6
1800
Precambrian Orosirian Zanclean
Paleo-proterozoic 5.333
2050
Rhyacian Messinian
7.246
Tortonian 2300
Siderian
Neogene 11.63
Serravallian 2500
Neo-archean
Cenozoic Miocene 13.82
Langhian 2800
Meso-archean 15.97
Archean Burdigalian 3200
Paleo-archean 20.44
Aquitanian 3600
Eo-archean 23.03
Chattian
Oligocene 4000
27.82
Hadean Rupelian
~4600
33.9
International Commission on Stratigraphy's Chronostratigraphic Chart Geological Timescale (2018) Priabonian
37.8
Bartonian
Eocene
Interactive Geological Timescale 41.2
Paleogene Lutetian
47.8
This visualisation of the International Commission on Stratigraphy's Chronostratigraphic Chart uses the SKOS & Time Ontology in OWL
Ypresian
56
representation of it as the Geological Timescale (2018) for its data. Thanetian
59.2
Paleocene Selandian
 EA39CH03-Lee ARI 29 March 2011 19:55

CRATONS
180° 140° 100° 60° 20° 20° 60° 100° 140° 180°
1. Slave
2. Wyoming
60° 1 60°
3. Superior
6
4 5 4. Greenland
3
5. Fennoscandian
40° 2 10 40° 6. Siberian
16 7
7. North China
20° 20° 8. west Australian
rovided by Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda on 07/08/20. For personal use only.

9
15
9. Indian
u. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 2011.39:59-90. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org

14
0° 0°
11
10. Tarim
20°
Precambrian basement
13
20° 11. Tanzanian
12 8
Archean basement 12. South African
Phanerozoic basement
40° 40° (Kaapvaal)
13. Congo
60°
14. west African
60° ?
?
? ? 15. Amazonia
180° 140° 100° 60° 20° 20° 60° 100° 140° 180°
16 Colorado Plateau
Figure 1
Lee et
Mapal.,of2011: doi: 10.1146/annurev-earth-040610-133505
Precambrian (>540 Mya) and Phanerozoic (<540 Mya) crustal basement. Archean cratons are shown in red. Cratons are
labeled as follows: 1, Slave; 2, Wyoming; 3, Superior; 4, Greenland; 5, Fennoscandian; 6, Siberian; 7, North China; 8, west Australian;
9, Indian; 10, Tarim; 11, Tanzanian; 12, South African (Kaapvaal); 13, Congo; 14, west African; 15, Amazonia; 16, Colorado Plateau.
Modified from Goodwin (1991) and Pearson & Wittig (2008).

“freezes” in the original 187 Os/188 Os of the rock, which can be used to calculate a model age for
separation from the convecting mantle. The compatibility of Os also ensures that most metaso-
matizing agents (melts or fluids) are highly depleted in Os; hence disturbance by metasomatism
CRATONS
´Old stable parts of Continental crust that has
survived the merging and splitting of continents
and supercontinents for at least 500 MY.
´Differentiated parts of the continental
lithosphere with one or more Archaean nuclei,
exhibiting thick lithospheric mantle roots
´Found in the Continental Interior
´Comprises of Felsic igneous rocks (granite)
attached with Upper Mantle
´May extend ~200 -700 Km (root of cratons)
CRATONS…..
´Subdivided into Geological provinces
´Geological Provinces Classified as:
´Archon (Archaean Era: > 2500 MY)
´Proton (Early-Middle Proterozoic era: >1600 MY)
´Bacteria, fungi, Primitive multicellular organism
´Tecton (Proterozoic era: 1600-800 MY)
´Bacteria, fungi, Primitive multicellular organism
Major Geological Provinces
Cratons within Indian Subcontinent
1. Aravalli-Bundelkhand Craton
2. Singhbum Craton
3. Bhandara /Baster Craton
1
2 4. Eastern Ghat
3 5. Eastern Dharwar Craton
4
6. Western Dharwar Craton
7. Granulite
6 5

7
GEOLOGY
STRUCTURE
1. Great Boundary Fault 6. Godavari Lineament
(Aravalli & Bundelkhand) (Bhandara & E Dharwar)
2. Narmada-Son Lineament
7. Close pet Granite
(Aravalli-Bundelkhand &
Bhandara, Singhbum) (W Dharwar & E Dharwar)
1

2 3. Mahanadi Lineament 8 . Transition Boundary

3 (Singhbum & Bhandara) (Granulite & Dharwar)
4
6 5 4. Sukinda Fault
(Singhbum & E Ghats)

5. Western margin thrust

7
(E Ghats & Bhandara, E
8 Dharwar)
 KN : Karnataka nucleus.
SN: Singhbhum nucleus.
JBN: Jeypore-Bastar nucleus

MOBILE BELTS
EPMB: Early Proterozoic Mobile belt
MPMB: Middle Proterozoic Mobile belt

Schist belts with nuclei

Tonalitic Gneisses

Granodiorite/ Granodiortic
gneisses/ Granulite of EPMB
K-granite of EPMB

Granulite & Gneisses of MPMB

Middle Proterozoic sedimentary basins

Gondwana Sediment (Godavari rift)

Anorthosite (in EPMB-MPMB)

Eastern Ghats-Singhbum thrust

Deccan Trap
ARAVALLI-BUNDELKHAND CRATON
NORTH : HIMALAYAN FRONTAL FAULT
WEST AND NW: ALLUVIAL IN WEST AND NW
SW: CAMBAY GRABEN
S & SE: NARMADA-SON LINEAMENT

GREAT BOUNDARY FAULT (GBF)

SEPERATES ARAVALLI RANGE
AND BUNDELKHAND MASSIF –SON VALLEY

DELHI-HARDWAR RIDGE

FAIZABAD RIDGE
SINGHBHUM CRATON SW: MAHANADI
N & NE: NARMADA-SON LINEAMENT
N: INDO-GANGETIC PLAIN
E: EAST COAST OF INDIA
NE: GARO-RAJMAHAL PLATEAU BASALT
THREE GEOLOGICAL PROVINCE &
THURST

1. CHOTTANAGPUR-SATPURA BELT
(CHOTANAGPUR TERRAIN)
-------DALMA THRUST------------
2. CENTRAL: SINGHBUM-DHALBHUM
MOBILE BELT
--------SINGHBUM THRUST--------
3. SINGHBUM IRON ORE-ORISSA
NUCLEUS
(SINGHBHUM NUCLEUS)
--------SUKINDA THRUST---------
BHANDARA /BASTER CRATON
RECTANGULAR INDIAN SHIELD
N: NARMADA-SON LINEAMENT
SW: GODAVARI RIFT
NE: MAHANADI RIFT
SE: EASTERN GHATS
5
1 1 CHATTISGARH GROUP
2 GRANITES
3 DONGARGARH GROUP
4
2 3
4 SAKOLI GROUP
6
5 SAUSAR GROUP

6 UNCLASSIFIED GNEISSESSC

7 7 JAYPORE-BASTER
GREEN STONE BELT
 W: THRUST
(ZONE OF ABRUPT VARIATION IN BOUGUER GRAVITY)
NE: SUKINDA THRUST (EXTENSION OF MAHANADI RIFY)
EASTERN GHATS E: COASTAL PLAINS (BAYOF BENGAL)
SW: GRANULITE TERRAIN
Sukind
Mahanadi River
a
Anorthosite /Mafic complexes
1. Chilka Lake
2. Bolangir
3. Kalahandi
t
es
W 4. Koraput
Godavari River 5. Kondapalle
6. Chimalpahad
7. Chimkurti

Alkaline Complexes
1. Baradnua
2. Kalahandi
3. Koraput
4. Borra
5. Kunavaram
Madras 6. Elchuru
7. Purimetla
8. Uppalapadu
 W: ARABIAN SEA
WESTERN DHARWAR N: DECCAN TRAP
S: TRANSITION ZONE
CRATON E: CLOSEPET GRANITE
(POST TECTONIC)

Panjim Dharwar
N Kanara Bellary
AR
AB
IA N
SEA

S Kanara Bangalore
Mangalore

Mysore
Sagur
EASTERN DHARWAR N: DECCAN TRAP / GODAVARI RIFT
W: CLOSEPET GRANITE
(SHEAR ZONE IS TO ITS WEST)
S: TRANSITION
E: THRUST FAULT
(BETWEEN CUDDAPAH BASIN & NELLORE SHCHIT BELT)
(BELOW GRANULITE FACIES OF EASTERN GHATS)

HYDERABAD

(BHIMA)

E GHATS
(Pa)
CUDDAPAH

KOLAR

BANGALORE
 2 Alkaline Complex
1. Simalpatti + + Granite
2. Sevathur
+
GRANULITE TERRAIN
3. Hogenekal
4. Sivamalai - - -
Supracrustal Suites
- -
| | | Khondalites
Bangalore
Madras | |
Mysore o o o
Massifs
o o
Undiferentiated
Cannanore
Nilgiri Transition zone
Salem

7 Anorthosite-Mafic Complexes
1. Sindhuvalli
2. Konkanhundi
3. Kurihundi Shear zone
4. Mamandur Mo Moyar shear
Madurai 5. Salem (Chalk Hills) Bh Bhavani shear
6. Sittampundi at Attur shear
7. Bhavani No-ca Noyil-Cauvery
8. Ezhimala
9. Agali
10. Chinnadharampuram
11. Kadavur
12. Oddanchattram

Trivandrum
References

Naqvi S. M. and rogers J. J. W . 1987. Precambrian Geology of India. Oxford

University Press pp 223

Cin-Ty A. Lee, Peter Luffi, and Emily J. Chin Building and Destroying Continental
Mantle Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 2011. 39:59–90. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-earth-
040610-133505

International Commission on Stratigraphy's Chronostratigraphic Chart Geological

Timescale (2018)