The age of the Cuddapah and Kurnool systems,southern India

In southern India the older Precambrian is overlain unconformably in the Cuddapah Basin by the Cuddapah and Kurnool Systems. The former is tilted and unmetamorphosed in the west but eastwards becomes strongly folded and metamorphosed. It contains lavas and sills, particularly in the lower two groups, is intruded by dolerites and at Chelima by diatremes of kimberlitic affinities related to those intruding the older gneisses west of the Cuddapah Basin in the Wajrakarur area. The Kurnool System lacks any igneous rocks; its basal conglomerate is diamondi‐ferous.

Rb‐Sr dating of lava samples from the lowest group of the Cuddapah System shows that the age of the base of the system may be as great as 1,700 m.y. Together with data for a granite which intrudes probable Cuddapah rocks near the disturbed eastern margin of the basin the data imply that the base is unlikely to be younger than 1,555 m.y. Metamorphism affected some lavas at about 1,360 m.y. The diatremes have two ages of intrusion, about 1,225 m.y. and 1,140 m.y., the latter being the age of the Majhgawan pipe near Panna in northern India. Pre‐Kurnool dolerites have an age of 980 ±110 m.y.

The lavas and dolerites show a range of initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Rb ratios from about 0.704 to 0.708 and possibly 0.712.

The age data suggest that no simple correlation can be made with other Precambrian sequences in northern peninsular India. Deposition of the Cuddapah System appears to have started well before the start of the deposition of the Vindhyan System, while the Kurnool System is coeval with only part of the Upper Vindhyan. The data also suggest that present interpretations of the structural development of the Cuddapah Basin may need some revision.     

印度三个不同时代地洼区的铀成矿作用(英文)

在印度三个时代不同的地洼区中,出现重要的赋存于沉积岩中的铀矿化作用。这些地洼区是:a)印度南部的元古代库达帕洼地;b)印度东北部梅加拉亚的白垩纪Madadek盆地;c)印度北部的晚第三纪喜马拉雅前渊。库达帕洼地呈新月形,沿南印度克拉通东缘沉积,紧邻东加茨活动带,面积达44,500km~2。该洼地由数个上升、下落断块组成。在这些断块内,浅水砂质(库达帕亚组)和钙质(库尔努尔组)沉积物厚度超过12km,同时从2,000—600Ma,至少有四期粒玄岩墙侵入。铀矿化作用主要呈沥青铀矿(含硫化物)和次生铀矿物形式,沿库达帕洼地面南缘出现于磷质碳酸盐岩和共生物的帕帕格尼组砂质岩、砾岩中。如Tummalapalli、Ammasripall,在梅加拉亚,约200米厚的河流相、海相砂质、泥质沉积物分布于1.5km高的西隆高原南缘的Mahadek盆地。该盆地的铀矿化限于河流相、边缘海相早白垩世“石英粗砂碎屑岩/亚长石砂岩”型Mehadek砾岩中,如Comasahat,Pdensashakap、Domiasiat,并呈沥青铀矿、水硅铀矿、钛钠矿形式。这些矿物与还原剂(如碳、生物成因黄铁矿)紧密共生。在喜马拉雅前渊,铀矿化赋存于河流相锡瓦利克砂岩中,并主要产于锡瓦利克砂岩的下-中或中-上接触面上,如Thein、Morni、Hamirpur,Naugajiarao等地。矿化主要呈沥青铀矿、水硅铀矿(与硫化物共生)和大量次生铀矿物形式——这主要是由于持续至现在的反复的活化作用和沉淀作用。这三个地洼区铀成矿作用的共同特点是河流相沉积物围岩(主要为砂岩,并来源于丰富的酸性源区)、远成热液成矿作用和原始成矿作用时的强烈还原环境。这特征可作为在地洼区寻找赋存于沉积岩中的铀矿化的标志。     

Eocene fan delta-submarine fan deposition in the Wagwater Trough, east-central Jamaica

ABSTRACT The Wagwater Trough is a fault-bounded basin which cuts across east-central Jamaica. The basin formed during the late Palaeocene or early Eocene and the earliest sediments deposited in the trough were the Wagwater and Richmond formations of the Wagwater Group. These formations are composed of up to 7000 m of conglomerates, sandstones, and shales. Six facies have been recognized in the Wagwater Group: Facies I-unfossiliferous massive conglomerates; Facies II—channelized, non-marine conglomerates, sandstones, and shales; Facies III-interbedded, fossiliferous conglomerates and sandstones; Facies IV—fossiliferous muddy conglomerates; Facies V—channelized, marine conglomerates, sandstones, and shales; and Facies VI—thin-bedded sheet sandstones and shales. The Wagwater and Richmond formations are interpreted as fan delta-submarine fan deposits. Facies associations suggest that humid-region fan deltas prograded into the basin from the adjacent highlands and discharged very coarse sediments on to a steep submarine slope. At the coast waves reworked the braided-fluvial deposits of the subaerial fan delta into coarse sand and gravel beaches. Sediments deposited on the delta-front slope were frequently remobilized and moved downslope as slumps, debris flows, and turbidity currents. At the slope-basin break submarine fans were deposited. The submarine fans are characterized by coarse inner and mid-fan deposits which grade laterally into thin bedded turbidites of the outer fan and basin floor.     

Thermo-mechanical structure of the southern part of the Indian Shield and its relevance to Precambrian basin evolution

The thermal and mechanical structures of the southern part of the Precambrian Indian Shield have been estimated using available heat flow data and shear stress profiles from olivine rheology. These and other geological, geochronological and geophysical data including deep seismic studies (DSS) profiles of Proterozoic Cuddapah basin on South Indian Shield, are utilized to examine thermal models for the evolution of Precambrian intracratonic, platform basins on the Archean lithosphere of Indian Shield. Evidence of mantle perturbations and cycles of thermal events are documented to be important in the Cuddapah basin's evolution. Haxby et al.'s (1976) thermal model has been shown to explain the Cuddapah basin's flexuring and magnitude of subsidence.     

吉林东部中、新生代盆地非常规油气资源及潜力分析

通过对吉林东部中、新生代区域构造、盆地地质、沉积背景的综合研究,详细阐述了吉林东部中、新生代盆地非常规油气的类型、分布及其地质特征,认为研究区非常规油气的主要类型为油页岩和煤层气,具有一定的页岩气资源潜力。油页岩主要分布在辉桦盆地、罗子沟盆地、松江盆地、延吉盆地和敦化盆地等盆地中,主要层位为下白垩统大拉子组和古近系桦甸组,主要沉积环境为半深湖-- 深湖环境。煤层气的分布范围较广,主要层位为早、中侏罗世地层和古近纪梅河组、珲春组,集中在珲春盆地、敦化盆地、双阳盆地等煤层较厚、埋藏较浅的盆地中。伊通盆地具有页岩气潜力。     

Temporo-spatial Coordinates of Evolution of the Ordos Basin and Its Mineralization Responses

The Ordos basin was developed from Mid-Late Triassic to Early Cretaceous, and then entered into its later reformation period since the Late Cretaceous. Its main body bears the features of an intra-cratonic basin. The basin also belongs to a multi-superposed basin which has overlapped on the large-scale basins of the Early and Late Paleozoic. Currently, Ordos basin has become a residual basin experienced reformation of various styles since the Late Cretaceous. It＇s suggested that there were at least four obvious stages of tectonic deformations existing during the basin＇s evolution, dividing the evolution and sedimentation into four stages. The prior two stages were of the most prosperous, during which the lake basin was broad, the deposition range was more than twice larger than the current residual basin, resulting in major oil- and coal-bearing strata. The two stages were separated by regional uplift fluctuations in the area. At the end of the Yan＇an Stage, the depositional interruption and erosion were lasting for a short period of time. The third one is the Mid- Jurassic Zhiluo-Anding stage, in which the sedimentation extent was still broad but the lake area was obviously reduced. In the Late Jurassic tectonic deformation was intensive. A thrust-nappe belt was formed on the basin＇s western margin while conglomerate of different thickness were accumulated within the foredeep of the eastern side. The central and eastern parts of the basin were subject to erosion and reformation. A regional framework with ＂uplift in the east and depression in the west＂ took shape in the area west of the Yellow River. In the Early Cretaceous sediments were widely distributed, unconformably overlapping the former western margin thrust belt and the ridges on the northern and southern borders. There are abundant energy resources such as oil, natural gas, coal and uranium deposits formed in Ordos Basin. The main stages of generation, mineralization and positioning of the multiple energy resources have obvious responding co     

Structural trends in the Cuddapah basin from deep seismic soundings (DSS) and their tectonic implications

Structural trends in the upper Proterozoic Cuddapah basin, at the basement level and at the Moho level have been discussed based on Deep Seismic Sounding (DSS) studies. Results of DSS studies along the Alampur-Koniki profile (profile 2 of Fig. 1) crossing the northern part of the Cuddapah basin have been discussed in detail. These results, combined with the results of the Kavali-Paranpalle section of the Kavali-Udipi DSS profile (profile 1 of Fig. 1, Kaila et al., 1979) crossing the basin on its southern flank, along with geological data and earthquake epicentral locations, are used to explain the structural trends of the area. It has been shown that the Cuddapah basin was first created in its western part by downfaulting of the crustal block between faults 7 and 14 towards the west and fault 6 in the east (Fig. 1). Subsequently, the eastern part was downfaulted against fault 6 before the commencement of upper Cuddapah sedimentation. Further downfaulting towards the north along fault 5 created the Srisailam block. Minor-scale downfaulting between faults 7 and 13 in the west and fault 6 in the east and fault 8 in the north gave rise to the Kurnool sub-basin at a later stage. Similar downfaulting east of fault 9 and north of fault 5 gave rise to the Palnad sub-basin. Both these sub-basins received Kurnool sediments.After the close of Kurnool sedimentation, the blocks between faults 4 and 6 along profile II and between 11 and 6 along profile I were uplifted at the basement level, thus giving rise to the Nallamalai hills and Iswarakuppam dome (Fig. 1). The low-angle thrust fault 3 on the eastern margin of the Cuddapah basin might be a post-Cuddapah phenomenon. The low-angle thrust fault 2 probably occurred in the post-Dharwar period. Faults 1, 17 and 10 near the east coast of India seem to be comparatively younger probably of Mesozoic time, along which the coastal block is downfaulted giving rise to the sedimentary basins.     

Crustal structure of the northern part of the Proterozoic Cuddapah basin of India from deep seismic soundings and gravity data

A crustal depth section was obtained from Deep Seismic Soundings (DSS) along the Alampur-Koniki-Ganapeshwaram profile, cutting across the northern part of the Proterozoic Cuddapah basin, India, running just south of latitude 16° N and between longitude 78° E and 81°E. The existence of a low-angle thrust fault at the eastern margin of the Cuddapah basin (Kaila et al., 1979) was confirmed along a second profile. Another low-angle thrust, along which charnockites with the granitic basement are upthrust against the Dharwars was delineated further east. The contact of the khondalites (lower Precambrian) with quaternary sediments near the east coast of India seems to be a fault boundary, which may be responsible for the thick sedimentary accumulation in the adjoining offshore region.The basement in the western part of the Cuddapah basin is very shallow and is gently downdipping eastward, to a depth of 1.7 km about 20 km west of Atmakur. It attains a depth of about 4.5 km in the deepest part of the Kurnool sub-basin, around Atmakur. Under the Nallamalai ranges its depth varies between 3.5 and 6.5 km, with an easterly dip. In the region north of the Iswarkuppam dome, the basement is at a depth of about 5.0 km, to about 6.8 km in the eastern part of the Cuddapah basin. Outside the eastern margin of the basin, the depth of the basement is about 1.8 km and further eastwards it is exposed. A fault at the contact of the khondalites with quaternary sediments near the east coast brings the basement down to a depth of approximately 1.3 km.In the Kurnool sub-basin the depth to the Moho discontinuity varies from 35 km under Atmakur to 39 km under the Nallamalai hills. In the region of the Iswarkuppam dome it is at a depth of about 36 km, deepening to about 39 km before rising to 37 km towards the east. Two-dimensional velocity modelling using ray-tracing techniques tends to confirm these results.Gravity modelling of the crustal structure, utilizing a four-layer crustal model in most parts along this profile, conforms to the observed gravity values. A weak zone in the eastern part of the profile where high-density material (density 3.05 g/cm³) has been found seems to be responsible for the gravity high in that part.     

LATE CENOZOIC LITHOLOGY AND MAGNETIC POLARITY STRATIGRAPHY IN THE JIUXI BASIN: IMPLICATIONS FOR TECTONIC EVENTS OF THE WEST QILIAN MT

LATE CENOZOIC LITHOLOGY AND MAGNETIC POLARITY STRATIGRAPHY IN THE JIUXI BASIN: IMPLICATIONS FOR TECTONIC EVENTS OF THE WEST QILIAN MTtheNationalKeyProjectforBasicResearchandCASProjectforTibetanResearchProject (KZ951 A1 2 0 4 ,KZ95T 0 6 )     

Discovery of lamproites near Vattikod Area, NW margin of the Cuddapah basin, Eastern Dharwar craton, southern India

A cluster of lamproite dykes are located 1 km west of Vattikod village at the NW margin of the Cuddapah basin, Eastern Dharwar craton, southern India, during the pursuit for locating primary diamond source rocks by adapting multifarious applications. These exotic rocks are emplaced along WNW-ESE to NW-SE trending fractures in the granitic rocks belonging to the Peninsular Gneissic Complex. Ten out of twelve lamproites occur near Vattikod village and one each is located in the vicinity of Marepalli and Gundrapalli villages respectively. These lamproites, though highly altered, contain microphenocrysts of altered olivine, clinopyroxene, phlogopite, leucite and sanidine and translucent to opaque, amoeboid shaped patches of glass set in a groundmass rich in carbonate, phlogopite, serpentine, and chlorite. This new cluster of lamproites constitutes a part of the recently discovered Ramadugu lamproite field. The Vattikod and Ramadugu lamproites, together with those from Krishna lamproite field and the Cuddapah basin, constitute, a wide spectrum of ultrapotassic magmatism emplaced in and around the Palaeo-Mesoproterozoic Cuddapah basin in southern India.     

Subcrop Gondwana of Bengal basin and their reservoir characteristics

In Bengal basin the subcrop Gondwana sediments occur in N-S trending elongated grabens originated largely by the graben forming tectonisms of the Gondwanaland which overlie the crystalline basement in the sub-surface in an intra-cratonic setup. So far five wells in shelf part of Bengal Basin have penetrated Gondwana sediments, out of which three wells i.e.,G1, G3 and G2 have been drilled up to Precambrian basement. In subcrop Gondwana graben, glacial to glacio-fluvial Talchir Formation of Early Permian age was deposited above the basement. Early Permian Barakar Formation overlies Talchir Formaion. Flood basin model of deposition is postulated for this coal rich unit. In the absence of Barren Measure Formation, coal bearing Raniganj Formation overlies Barakar Formation. The fluvial set up changed over to arid environment during deposition of Panchet/Supra Panchet Formation (undifferentiated). The deposition of Panchet Formation is followed by eruption of doleritic rocks in both subcrop and outcrop Bengal Gondwana whereas lamprophyres are absent in subcrop of Bengal Gondwana. Rifting as well as pull-apart basin model due to transtensional movement is postulated for Gondwana basins. Detailed lithostratigraphic analysis of the core / cutting samples of the Gondwana sediments reveal that the sediments are mainly fine to coarse grained, poorly sorted sandstone. These sediments are characterized as poor reservoir and needs some treatment for permeability enhancement for hydrocarbon production.     

Petrogenesis of Proterozoic Lamproites and Kimberlites from the Cuddapah Basin and Dharwar Craton, Southern India

Proterozoic mafic potassic and ultrapotassic igneous rocks emplacedin the Cuddapah Basin and Dharwar Craton of the southern Indianshield are among the earliest recorded on Earth. Lamproitesintrude the basin and its NE margin, whereas kimberlites intrudethe craton to the west of the basin. Kimberlites occur in twospatially separate groups: the non-diamondiferous Mahbubnagarcluster that was emplaced at 1400 Ma and is of a similar ageto the Cuddapah lamproites, and the predominantly diamondiferousAnantapur cluster, emplaced at     

Structure and evolution of the Sunwu-Jiayin basin in NE China and its relation to the Zeya-Bureya basin in the Far East of Russia

The Sunwu-Jiayin Basin is located on the Amur River’s right side and comprises four depressions separated by two NE-trending uplifts. The basin is bounded by first-order steep to vertical faults (mostly normal faults) formed under extension conditions. These faults control the structural pattern of the basin. The sedimentary cover of the depressions developed during five stages: extension, early inversion, thermal subsidence, late inversion, and formation of depressions. The Late Paleozoic and Precambrian basement of the Sunwu-Jiayin basin composed of granitoides and metamorphosed shales crops out within the uplifts and plunges within the depressions to a depth ranging from 0.5 to 3.4 km. The basin under consideration is considered to be the southern margin of the Zeya-Bureya Basin according to the conditions of its formation and the structural features.     

青藏高原东缘新生代构造层序与构造事件

新生代龙门山前盆地和盐源盆地是青藏高原东缘龙门山－锦屏山冲断带内及前缘地区发育和保存最好的新生代沉积盆地，本次以地层不整合面和ESR测年资料为主要依据，将该区新生代构造地层序列划分为5个构造层序，即TS1（65－55Ma)、TS2(40-50Ma)、TS3（23－16Ma)、TS4(4．7-1.6Ma)和TS5（0．74－0Ma)，据此将青藏高原东缘新生代构造变形和隆升事件划分为5期，其中TS1与喜马拉雅地体和拉萨地体拼合事件相关，TS2与印亚碰撞事件相关，TS3与青藏高原第一次隆升事件相关，TS4与青藏高原第二次隆升事件相关，TS5与青藏高原第三次隆升事件相关。     

Pyritic shales and microbial mats: Significant factors in the genesis of stratiform Pb-Zn deposits of the Proterozoic?

Extensive horizons of pyritic shale occur in Mid-Proterozoic sediments of the eastern Belt basin, Montana, U.S.A. These pyritic shales are of striped appearance. Laminated pyrite beds alternate with nonpyritic shale beds. Laminated pyrite beds have wavycrinkly internal laminae and are interpreted as mineralized microbial mats. Pyrite is essentially the only sulfide mineral in these shales. Pyritic shale horizons occur along the basin margins, and it is feasible that colloidal iron was introduced by rivers into basin marginal lagoons and then incorporated into microbial mats and reduced to pyrite. The pyritic shales in the Newland Formation show great similarity to those that host the Pb-Zn deposits of Mt. Isa and McArthur River. It is suggested that pyritic shales of this kind are relatively common in Mid-Proterozoic shales, and that the processes that led to the occasional formation of Pb-Zn ore bodies in these shales are not related to those that formed the pyritic shales themselves.     

Riphean stromatolitic formations fringing the East European platform

Riphean stromatolitic formations flank the East European epi-Karelian platform only in the east and northeast. They are traceable as long (over 3600 km) relatively narrow belt consisting of two rectilinear segments, one running along the Urals western flank from southern extremity of the Bashkirian meganticlinorium to the Polyudov Ridge and the other one extending from the southern and central Timan to the Kil’din Island and northern Norway. Within the belt there are known stromatolitic formations of all Riphean erathems: the Lower and Middle Riphean stromatolitic buildups are confined to the eastern segment of its southern part only, while the Upper Riphean occur everywhere. Their distribution conformable to large structural elements of the plaform margin being replaced by carbonate-terrigenous rocks almost lacking stromatolites westward and southwestward in the Kama-Belaya aulacogen system and by substantially siliciclastic succession eastward and northeastward. The distribution area of Upper Riphean stromatolitic formations includes the Karatavian stratotype region, where 12 stromatolite beds ranging in age from ≥900 to 620 Ma are established. Many of the beds are traceable along the strike far beyond the stratotype region. Representing relatively small reference units, the beds facilitate reconstruction of distribution dynamics of the Upper Riphean stromatolites. Distribution area of the latter was always parallel to marginal structures of the platform, though being of changeable size, particularly of length. Originated in the stratotype region eastern part, stromatolites first advanced into northeastern areas never crossing boundaries of the Upper Riphean distribution area during the Early Karatavian. In the initial Late Karatavian, they occupied a longest distribution area that was sharply reduced at the end of that period. According to distribution peculiarities in space and with time, the Upper Riphean stromatolitic formations accumulated likely in peripheral areas of an open sea or oceanic basin adjacent to the East European platform, rather than in closed epiplatform basins.     

Contrasting red bed diagenesis: the southern and northern margin of the Central European Basin

We compare the diagenetic evolution of deeply buried Rotliegend (Permian) red bed sandstones at the southern and northern margin of the Central European Basin (CEB) in Germany. Main target is to evaluate the influence of maturation products from hydrocarbon (HC) source rocks during red bed diagenesis. At the southern margin of the CEB, thick coal-bearing Carboniferous source rocks are omnipresent beneath the Rotliegend. They contain dominantly gas-prone terrigenous organic material and some oil source rocks. Hydrocarbons were generated from Late Carboniferous onwards throughout most of basin subsidence. At the northern margin of the CEB, source rocks are almost absent due to deep erosion of Carboniferous rocks and a low TOC of local Lower Carboniferous relics. Early diagenetic processes are comparable at both basin margins. Significant differences in burial diagenetic evolution are spatially correlated to the occurrence of hydrocarbon source rocks. Burial diagenesis at the southern margin of the CEB is characterized especially by bleaching of red beds, major dissolution events, pervasive illite formation, impregnation of pore surfaces with bitumen, and formation of late Fe-rich cements. Almost none of these features were detected at the northern basin margin. Instead, relatively early cements are preserved down to maximum burial depths. This suggests that major diagenetic mineral reactions in deeply buried red bed sandstones are controlled by the presence or absence of maturing hydrocarbon source rocks.     

Comments on: 'Petrogenesis of Proterozoic Lamproites and Kimberlites from the Cuddapah Basin and Dharwar Craton, Southern India'

Kimberlites intrude the late Archaean eastern Dharwar Cratonin two spatially separate fields (150 km apart, near Mahbubnagarin the north and Anantapur in the south) to the west of theProterozoic Cuddapah Basin in southern India. Two lamproitebodies intrude the thick Cuddapah Basin sediments near Chelimaand Zangamarajupalle, and a third occurs just outside the presentNE margin of the basin near Ramannapeta. Chalapathi Rao et al.(2004) have studied this spatially, and possibly temporally,close association of kimberlites and lamproites to provide insightsinto their genesis and genetic relationship. Although the mainemphasis of their paper is the petrochemical characterizationof these two suites of rocks, they also report Sr–Nd isotopedata for a small subset of samples, which they use to provideconstraints on the nature of the mantle source regions. Of some     

Tectonic, sea-level, and climatic controls on Late Paleozoic sedimentation in the western basins of Argentina

Tectonic activity, sea-level changes, and the climate controlled sedimentation in Late Paleozoic basins of western Argentina. The role of each factor is investigated from the geologic record of the Río Blanco and Paganzo basins using three hierarchical orders of stratigraphic bounding surfaces. First-order surfaces correspond to regional unconformities, second-order ones to local unconformities with a lesser regional extent, and third-order surfaces represent locally extended sedimentary truncation. Using this methodology, the Carboniferous–Permian record of the Paganzo and Río Blanco basins may be divided into two megasequences, four sequences, and 12 stratigraphic sections. Megasequences are bounded by regional unconformities that result from tectonic events important enough to cause regional paleogeographic changes. Sequences are limited by minor regional extension surfaces related to local tectonic movements or significant sea-level falls. Finally, stratigraphic sections correspond to extended sedimentary truncations produced by transgressive events or major climatic changes. Sequence I is mainly composed of marine deposits divided into basal infill of the basin (Section 1) and Tournaisian–Visean transgressive deposits (Section 2). Sequence II is bounded by a sharp erosional surface and begins with coarse conglomerates (Section 3), followed by fluvial and shallow marine sedimentary rocks (Section 4) that pass upward into shales and diamictites (Section 5). The base of Sequence III is marked by an extended unconformity covered by Early Pennsylvanian glacial sedimentary rocks (Section 6) that represent the most important glacial event along the western margin of Gondwana. Postglacial deposits (Section 7) occur in the two basins and comprise both glaciolacustrine (eastern region) and transgressive marine (central and western regions) deposits. By the Moscovian–Kasimovian, fluvial sandstones and conglomerates were deposited in most of the Paganzo Basin (Section 8), while localized volcanic activity took place in the Río Blanco Basin. Near the end of the Carboniferous, an important transgression is recorded in the major part of the Río Blanco Basin (Section 9), reaching the westernmost portion area of the Paganzo Basin. Finally, Sequence IV shows important differences between the Paganzo and Río Blanco basins; fluvial red beds (Section 10), eolian sandstones (Section 11), and low-energy fluvial deposits (Section 12) prevailed in the Paganzo Basin whereas volcaniclastic sedimentation and volcanism dominated in the Río Blanco Basin. Thus, tectonic events, sea-level changes and climate exerted a strong and complex control on the evolution of the Río Blanco and Paganzo basins. The interaction of these allocyclic controls produced not only characteristic facies association patterns but also different kinds of stratigraphic bounding surfaces.     

Regional tectonic framework,structure and evolution of the western marginal basins of India

The Kutch-Saurashtra, Cambay and Narmada basins are pericontinental rift basins in the western margin of the Indian craton. These basins were formed by rifting along Precambrian tectonic trends. Interplay of three major Precambrian tectonic trends of western India, Dharwar (NNW-SSE), Aravalli-Delhi (NE-SW) and Satpura (ENE-WSW), controlled the tectonic style of the basins. The geological history of the basins indicates that these basins were formed by sequential reactivation of primordial faults. The Kutch basin opened up first in the Early Jurassic (rifting was initiated in Late Triassic) along the Delhi trend followed by the Cambay basin in the Early Cretaceous along the Dharwar trend and the Narmada basin in Late Cretaceous time along the Satpura trend. The evolution of the basins took place in four stages. These stages are synchronous with the important events in the evolution of the Indian sub-continent—its breakup from Gondwanaland in the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic, its northward drifting during the Jurassic-Cretaceous and collision with the Asian continent in the Early Tertiary. The most important tectonic events occurred in Late Cretaceous time. The present style of the continental margins of India evolved during Early Tertiary time.The Saurashtra arch, the extension of the Aravalli Range across the western continental shelf, subsided along the eastern margin fault of the Cambay basin during the Early Cretaceous. It formed an extensive depositional platform continuous with the Kutch shelf, for the accumulation of thick deltaic sediments. A part of the Saurashtra arch was uplifted as a horst during the main tectonic phase in the Late Cretaceous.The present high thermal regime of the Cambay-Bombay High region is suggestive of a renewed rifting phase.