ICE AGE

1. Guided By Presented
By
Dr.Vishnu Gadgil Birbal
Muzalda
Class – M.Sc. ( I Sem.)
Govt. Holkar Science College Indore (M.P.)
Ice ages in Indian stratigraphy
01/12/2021 1

2. Content
1.Introduction
2.Causes of ice ages
3.Pleistocene ice ages
4.Carboniferas ice ages
5.Archean ice
6.Refrences

3. Glaciations- is an interval of time
(thousands of years) within an ice age that is
marked by colder temperatures and glacier
advances. There have been five known ice
ages in the Earth's history, with the Earth
experiencing the Quaternary Ice Age
during the present time. Within ice ages, there
exist periods of more severe glacial conditions
and more temperate referred to as glacial
periods and interglacial periods, respectively.
The Earth is currently in an interglacial period
of the Quaternary Ice Age, with the last glacial
period of the Quaternary having
endedapproximately 10,000 years ago with
the start of the Holocene epoch .

4. CAUSE IN ICE AGES
 Earth's orbital cycle (milankovitch
cycle)
 Continental positions
 Oceanic circulation
 Solar energy fluctuations

5. Cause : Orbital wobbles
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milutin_Milanković commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Milankovitch-cycles_hg.png
Milutin Milanković
(1879-1958)

7. Cause: Sun’s pacemaker
• In 1960s, deep sea records showed that Milanković was right!
cold
hot
1000s of years before present
© The Oil Drum
• The Earth’s climate had repeatedly blown hot and cold with
ice age cycles happening every hundred thousand years just
as Milanković had predicted.

9. PLEISTOCENE ICE AGES
The is pleistocene Epoch typically defined as the time period that began about
2.6 million years ago and lasted until abtou 11,700 years ago. The most resent
Ice Age occurred then, as glacial covered huge parts of the planet Earth.
DISCOVERY
Evidence for the quaternary glaciation was first understood in the 18th and
19th centuries as part of the scientific revolution.
Over the last century, extensive field observation have provided evidence that
continental glaciers covered large parts of Europe ,North America and siberia
.maps of glacial feature were compiled after many years of fieldwork by hundred
of geologist who mapped the location and orientation of drumlins, eskers,
moraine, striations, and glacial stream channels in order to reveal the extent of
the ice sheets, the direction of their flow, and the location of systems of
meltwater channels.

11. STARTIGRAPHY
• The Pliestocene has a long and controversial history.Because
the epoch best recognized Glaciation and climate change
many have suggested that its lower boundary should be
based on climate criteria for example – the oldest glacier
deposits or the first occureance of a fossils of a cold climate
life form in the sediments record. other criteria that have
been used to define the pliocene- pleistocene include the
apperance of humans the appereance of certain vertebrate
fossils in europe and the apperence or extinction of certain
micro fossils in deep sea sediments.

13. PLEISTOCENE CLIMATE-
• Plieastocene climate was marked by repeated
glacier cycle in with continental glaciers
pushed to the 40th parallel in some places.It is
estimated that maximum glacier extent 30%
of the earth`s surface was covered by ice.

14. PERMO-CARBONIFEROUS-
refers to the time period including the latter parts of the Carboniferous and early part of the
Permian period. Permo-Carboniferous rocks are in place not differentiated because of the
presence of transitional fossils, and also where noconspicuous stratigraphic break is
present.Permo-Carboniferous time, about 300 million years ago, was a period of great
glaciation.The widespread distribution of Permo-Carboniferous glacial sediments in South
America,Africa, Madagascar, Arabia, India, Antarctica and Australia was one of the major
piecesof evidence for the theory of continental drift and led ultimately to the concept of a
super-continent, Pangaea. Glacial activity spanned virtually the whole of Carboniferous
andEarly Permian time . Toward the end of the Carboniferous, around 290 million
years ago,Gondwana, the southern part of Pangaea, was located near the south pole. Glacial
centre expanded across the continents, producing glacial tallies and striations in pre-
existingrocks.The Late Carboniferous and Early Permian period was an exceptional phase in
the earth’shistory when the precursors of the modern continents were assembled in the
form of two big landmasses (Gondwana and Laurasia) which were connected to form
asupercontinent (Pangaea) such that the major part of the land area was in the
southernhemisphere. Since the Earth’s climate is dependent on land and ocean distribution,
theglobal air circulation and climate were radically different from the present.

16. CARBONIFEROUS CLIMATE
• The conglomerate beds and green shales in
the bottom of the sediments indicates that
this period started with a glacier climate in
which most of the gondwana super group was
covered by continent ice sheets. Gradually the
warming of the climate lead to melting of
glacier and soil green deposition.only
vegetative fossils are found in them.

18. Past glaciation evidence in Jharkhand state-
Rocks of glacial derivation are limited to the Talchir Formation at the base of
Gondwanasupergroup. The Talchir, all over Peninsular India comprises a variety of rock
typesincluding diamictite (tillite), conglomerate, sandstone, laminated varve-like shale-
siltstone (rhythmite facies), and locally turbide deposits. The maximum known
thicknessis seldom in excess of 300 m.The sediments comprising the Talchir Formation
contain records of a chain of eventscaused by the climatic evolution during the
Carboniferous–Permian boundary period inIndia. The occurrence of a boulder bed
derived from a glacial moraine at the base of theTalchir Formation indicates presence
of glacier ice near the basin periphery. Subsequentoccurrence of sandstone–siltstone
beds and their sedimentary features signify evolutionof a large water body. Different
research work suggests that the water of this basin was supplied by melting of the
glacier. The glacier later retreated far from the lake margin when sediments were
carried by melt-water streams. This development marks a relatively rapid warming
episode, which reached a climax when waves generated by intense storms created
hummocky cross-stratification in the sedimentary layers. Several Gondwana basins in
east-central India recorded this climatic transition in the basal part of their
sedimentary sequence typified by the Talchir Formation. The warming initiated during
late Talchir continued for a geologically longtime with substantial melting of ice in
various regions leading to increase in sea level as evidenced by signature of
marine transgressions (at Umaria, Manendragarh and Daltonganj ).

19. This chain of events finally culminated in occurrence of
widespreadvegetation and swampy land, which formed the massive
Permian coal deposits of easternIndia.Damodar Valley basin in
Jharkhand State contains a chain of sub-basins containing acomplete
stratigraphic sequence of Talchir sediments(Ghosh and Mitra,1975).
An excellent exposure occurs near the confluence of Dudhi Nala,
Dube Nala, and Silai Nalaabout 0.5 km south of the village Jarwa in
the western part of the Bokaro sub-basin.

21. EastBokaro coalfield:
The East Bokaro coalfield ranks third amongst Indian coalfields in the respect of
coal potentiality. The name of the Bokaro field was given by D.H. Williams in 1846-
47 as the Bokaro river flows through the field for nearly 40 km. The Talchir
formation crops out only in the north-eastern periphery around Chapri. The
Talchir formation has its base the typical tillage, which crops out in the nala
(rivulet) southeast of Lakarkatwatoli village. The tillage is practically unstratified
and devoid of sandyinterbands. It usually attains a thickness of 2m to 3m. the till
favbric study in the Chapriarea indicates that the inflow at the dawn of Gondwana
sedimentation was from WNW to ESE. It is therefore evident that the Precambrian
upland lying to the north of East Bokarocoalfield was the main gathering ground of
ice. Because of the restricted distribution of Talchir beds in the vicinity of Chapri it
is surmised that only one major lobe of ice advanced into the eastern periphery of
the coalfield.

22. West Bokaro coalfield :
The base of Gondwana sequence is marked by a thick pile of glacial and periglacial
deposits of Talchir Formation. The Talchir beds are well exposed in the western
part of the coalfield to the east and northwest of Mandu in Hazaribag district and
also occur as alenticular patch north of Tapin. The Talchir formation comprises
diamictites, sandstones, hales, turbidities and rhythmites, which are all typified by
a khaki green color. This section lies at a distance of 68 km, from Ranchi. The area
of study lies at a distance of nearly 3 km from Mandau, off the west side of the
Dudhi bridge. Characteristic features of glacial transport are observed in the forms
of polished and striated boulders. Unsorted nature of the deposit also suggests
their glacial origin.

23. Ramgarh Coalfield:
The Talchir rocks are best developed in the northern part of the basin around the
BarkiPunu. A narrow strip of such rocks is also exposed all along the eastern
periphery of the basin where good exposures are present in the Bhera river near
famous Rajrappa temple.Till fabric analysis of the basal tallies in the Barky Punu
area has indicates glacial transport from WNW to ESE which is compatible with ice
flow directions from equivalent horizons in the adjoining Karanpura and Bokaro
basins (Ghosh andMitra,1975).

24. North Karanpura Coalfield:
The North Karanpura coalfield which is the western most member in the east-west chain of
the Damodar valley basins forms a large expanse of coal bearing sediments spread over
Hazaribag, Ranchi and Palamau districts.Talchir formation is exposed along the fringes
of the basin in the north, east and south.Tillite which is dumped type deposit comprises out
sized clasts, which vary in size from a few centimeters to a few meters. The different
occurrences of the tallies indicate that they were laid down by different lobes of valley
glaciers as ablation till or lodgment till rather than by a continuous ice sheet (De,
!980).Glacial pavements with undisputed glacial striate indicating ice transport from north
and NW has been reported from the north of Pakri Barwadih at the northern margin of
the basin ( Chakra borty and Bhattacharya, 1973).

25. Auranga Coalfield:
Auranga coalfield is the easternmost of the North coal valley Gondwana basins. It is only 8
km away from the North Karanpura basin, the westernmost of the Damodar
Valleycoalfields.The Talchir formation in Auranga basin has a maximum thickness of 30 m to
35 m. It is evident the ice had moved from the southern uplands and deposited the moraine
material in bedrock depression. From the distribution pattern and their facies organization,
it can be concluded that several lobes of ice had reached this basin and deposited glacial
andfluvioglacial sediments in the bedrock depressions.

26. Hutar coalfield:
The Hutar coalfield is the westernmost of the Damodar-Koel valley
Gondwana basins. It is one of the four coal bearing areas in Palamau
district of Jharkhand. The Talchir sediments in this area
exposed along the northern, south eastern and southern boundaries
of the Hutar basin and they crop out as narrow strips. Good exposure
of Talchir rocks are observed in the section of nalas (rivulets) like the
Saphi nala near Unkamanr, the Deori nala west of Barwadih and near
Paisartanr, the Baheradhora nala,the Thongwa nala, tributaries of the
Saphi nala around Nawadih, the Jamtipani nala andits tributaries and
a tributary of the Jharna nala.

27. A modified glacial age in india –whether India ,that is parts
lying to the south of the himalayas, passed through a Glacial Age
is a interestig though an unsettled problem. In India ,it must be
understood, we can not look for the actual existence ice sheets
during the pleistocene glacial epoch ,because a refrigeration
which can produce glacial condition in northern urope and
America would not , the present zonal distribution of the
climate being assumed , be enough to depres the tempreture of
India beyond that of the present tempreture zones.

28. Age Group Bed Thickness Lithology Fissils
Permian Damuda Karharbari 60-120 m. Sandstone
&shale
Gengamapte
ris
Carbonifero
us
Talchir Green shale
&sandstone
100-125 m. Green shale
&sandstone
Glasopteris
Conglomerat
e
10-30 m. Riolite&cong
lomerate

30. ARCHEAN ICE AGE
The archean eon is one of the four geological
eon of earth history,occuring 4,000 to 2,500
millions years ago.during the Archean, the
earth`s crust had cooled enough to allow the
formation of continents and life started to
form.

31. ENVIRONMENT OF ARCHEAN
The Archean atmosphere is thought to have nearly lacked
free oxygen.Astronomers think that the sun had about 70-
75% of the present Luminosity, yet temperatures on Earth
appear to have been near modern levels after only
500million years ago of Earth's formation. The present of
liquid water is evidence by certain highly deformed gneisses
products by metamorphism of sedimentary protoliths.the
moderate temperatures may reflect the presence of greater
amounts of greenhouse gases than later in the Earth's
history.Alternatively, Earth's albedo may have been lower at
the time, due to less land area and cloud cover.

32. EFFECTS OF THE LAST ICE-AGE
Last glacial maximum advance 18,000 years
ago.
Sea level was lower 120m.
Crust depressed by ice (isostasy)
Ecological changes – temperature,food supply.
Temp.was lower,but average only 2-6 degree
centigrade.
Landforms of continental glaciation.

34. References
Book
Wadia D. N. -Geology of India(page no.353 to 363)
Website
Www.answersingenesis.org(04/10/2019)
Www.britannica.com(04/10/2019)

35. Thank you.