The document summarizes key information about the Gondwana Supergroup, including its stratigraphy, paleoclimate, distribution, and economic importance. It is divided into two major units based on lithological and paleontological evidence. The lower part indicates a cold paleoclimate while the upper part shows a transition to drier conditions. It is distributed across major river basins in India, including the Damodar, Mahanadi, and Godavari, and is an important source of coal and iron ore.

1. Stratigraphy, Palaeoclimate Distribution and
Economic Importance of Gondwana Supergroup
SESSION –: 2019-20
DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY
Guided By – Presented By-
Dr. Vishnu Gadgil Namrata Singh
M.Sc. 1st Semester
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2. Contents
• Introduction.
• Stratigraphy.
• Palaeoclimate.
• Distribution.
• Economic Important.
• Conclusion.
• Reference.
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3. 3
Dondwana Supergroup
Classification
Fig.No.1

4. Introduction
• After the deposition of the Vindhyan rocks and their uplift, there was a
great hiatus in the stratigraphical history of the peninsula.
• At the end of the Palaeozoic Era, I.e., towards the Upper Carboniferous, a
series of changes took place which brought about a redistribution of the
lard sea and which was responsible for the mountain-building movements
called the Hercynian or Variscan.
• This continent included India, Australia, South America, Antarctica, South
Africa and Madagascar, has been called Gondwanaland.
• The Prevalence of the same climatic conditions and distribution of the
same type of deposits from the Upper Carboniferous to the Jurassic.
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5. Gondwana
Supergroup
• The term ‘Gondwana’ was coined by H.B.Medicott in 1872.
• It was derived from the kingdom of the Gonds ,a great and ancient tribe
who still inhabit in the Central Provinces(Madhya Pradesh).
• The term supergroup may be use for several associated groups or for
associated groups and formations with significant lithological properties in
common.
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6. Fig. no.2
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7. Stratigraphy
• A major part of the Gondwana sediments are confined to the three tracts,
which include Koel-Damodar, Son-Mahanadi and Pranhita-Godavari
basins.
• The gondwana Supergroup is into two major divisions based on their
lithological and palaeontological evidence.
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9. Talchir Formation
• This formation rests unconformably over the basement of either
Achaeans gniesses and schists or proterozoic age.
• Boulder bed/tillite,100-125 m. rhythmite, khaki green needle shale and
light green sandstone are constitute in this formation.
• Presence of a few plant fossils of seed ferns Gangmopteris cyclopteroides
and Glossopteris indica.
Karharbari Formation
• Conglomerates, Pebble beds, coarse to very coarse grained pebbly
sandstone ,siltstone, shale and thin streaks and bands of coal are Present.
• Contains of coal seams in a few basins and the plant fossil Gondwanadium
burriada biozone is considered as characteristic of this formation.
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10. Raniganj Formation
• Consists of sandstones, shale and coal seams, the sandstones being fine-
grained than those in the Barakar Formation .
• Valuable coal-seams occur in these strata only in the Raniganj coalfield.
Panchet Formation
• The formation comprises of greenish, buff and brownish sandstones and
shales in the lower Part, and greyish micaceous and feldspathic
sandstones and shales in the upper Part.
• lower sandstones are often false-bedded and contain no coal seams or
carbonaceous matter.
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12. Palaeoclimate
• The lower part of the Gondwana Sequence is dominated by arkosic
sediments representing a cold palaeo-climate.
• Agreat change in the climatic conditions has been noticed at the beginning
of deposition of the Triassic Gondwana.
• The dry climates were responsible for the disappearance of Glossopteris
flora.
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13. Distribution
• Distribution of the Gondwana rocks outcrops of the Gondwana system.
• A large linear tract in Bengal along The valley of Damodar river, With
considerable area in the Rajmahal Hills.
• An extensive out in Madhya Pradesh Prolonged to the South-east in a belt
approximatey following the Mahanadi valley.
• A series of More or less connected troughs forming an elongated band
along the Godavari river from hear Nagpur to the head of delta.
• Besides these main Areas outliers of the upper Gondwana rocks.
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14. 14
Fig.No.4
Ganga 2525km
Godavari. 1465km
Mahanadi 858km
Damodar. 592km
Son. 784km
Narmada 1312km

15. Son-Mahanadi valley
• About 575 km long funnel-shaped gondwana tract of son
valley basin in the northwest and NW-SE.
• Most of the coalfields are located in Rewa-Chattishgarh
areas.
• The coalfields of son valley part include Singrauli, Sohagpur
sonhat Ramkola, Tatapani etc.
• The coalfields of Mahanadi valley are korba, Hasdo-Around
and manendragarh.
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16. Rajmahal Hills
• It is situated in the north eastern part of the Jharkhand State, preserve
Gondwana Formation comprising talchir, Barakar and Dubrajpur
Formations.
• These are overlain by the Rajmahal formation made up of a series of
basaltic lava flows and associated inter-trapping beds.
• The Rajmahal Traps are predominantly composed of fine grained to
coarsely crystalline dolerite.
• These Trap are platean basalt characterized by the absence or rare
occurrence of olivine.
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17. Economic Importance
Coal :
THE Barakar and Raniganj Formation of the Damuda Groupm Group
constitute the important coal bearing rock formations . All of the Gondwana
coal is of bituminous variety.
Iron Ore:
About 760m thick ferruginous shales, known as the “Iron stones
shales “. These shales from a diposif of sideritic iron ore which contains about
40-50% iron.
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18. 18
Fig.No.5

19. Coal Mines
 Ganga valley
 Damodar valley
 Kaveri delta
 Narmada valley
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20. Conclusion
• Talchir and karharbari formations (permo-caroniferrous) records an abrupt
change over from glacio marine to terrestrial fluviolacustrine depositional
envoirnment.
• The lower Gondwana is characterized by Glossopteris flora whereas
theupper Gondwana is characterised by ptilophyllum flora.
• The lower Gondwana consists of predominantly upper palaeozoic rocks
whereas the lower Gondwana basin comprises essentially of the Mesozoic
rocks.
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21. Reference
• Geology of India and Burma by Krishnan M.S. 6th Edition (Page no.284-
298).
• Fundamentals of Historical Geology and stratigraphy of India by Ravindra
Kumar, (page No.176-193).
• Geology of India , volume 2 by Vaidyanadhan R. and Ramakrishna M.
(Page No. 615-648).
• Slideshare.net/mobile/Gondwana-Supergroup.
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22. THANK YOU ALL
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