Downloaded from http://mem.lyellcollection.

org/ at University of Birmingham on March 19, 2015

Chapter 4

Lithostratigraphic, geochronological and depositional framework of the Precambrian

basins of the Aravalli Mountains and adjoining areas, Rajasthan, India

A. B. ROY1* & RITESH PUROHIT2

1
Department of Geology, Presidency University, Kolkata 700073, India
2
Government College, Sirohi-307001, Rajasthan, India
*Corresponding author (e-mail: [email protected])

Abstract: The Aravalli Mountains and neighbouring areas have well-preserved records of a protracted history of development of
Precambrian basins, which spans about 2500 myr of the Earth’s history. The oldest depositional basins are the greenstone belts that
occur within the Archaean gneiss–granite terrain. Geochronological data indicate evolution of one such greenstone belt from 3300 to
2850 Ma. The younger Proterozoic cover successions include the Aravalli Supergroup, Delhi Supergroup and Sirohi Group, which
evolved during three successive orogenic cycles spanning between c. 2200 and c. 1850 Ma, c. 1700 and c. 1450 Ma, and c. 1000 and
c. 850 Ma, respectively. Each of these lithostratigraphic units evolved in separate basins having distinctive tectonic, metallogenic and
evolutionary histories. The inversion of the youngest ‘orogenic’ basin marks the final cratonization of the Precambrian Aravalli crust
at around 850 Ma. The succeeding depositional episodes include formation of ephemeral basins during the early phase of the plume-
related Malani Group from 780 to 730 Ma, and the formation of the Marwar Supergroup deposited in stable platformal basins marks
the terminal phase of the Precambrian crust-building history in the region.

The Aravalli Mountains and adjacent areas covering Rajasthan and a younger South Delhi Fold Belt (Sinha-Roy 1984) based on
parts of neighbouring states are endowed with well-preserved unconstrained isotope (Rb/Sr) ages of some granites.
records of a protracted geological history of Precambrian basin 7. A new Sirohi Group is recognized as a distinct lithostrati-
evolution, as in most of the shield areas in the world. The foun- graphic unit overlying the Delhi Supergroup (Roy &
dation for the geological studies in this terrain was laid by early Sharma 1999). Occurring on the western side of the Aravalli
workers, like Coulson (1933), Gupta (1934), Gupta & Mukherjee Mountains, this newly defined lithostratigraphic unit was
(1938) and Heron (1917a, b, 1923, 1936). Excellent geological earlier considered a time-equivalent of the ‘Aravalli system’
maps prepared by these workers helped Heron (1953) to erect a by Coulson (1933) and Heron (1953).
stratigraphic succession, shown in Table 4.1. 8. Identification of the Malani Group (‘Group’ replacing
Studies made during the last six decades in a number of inter- ‘series’ of early workers) as a volcano-sedimentary –plutonic
disciplinary fields like tectonics, stratigraphy, metamorphism, mig- ensemble considered as the geological manifestation of
matization, metallogeny and geochronology (Roy & Jakhar 2002) plume impingement during the late Neoproterozoic (Roy &
highlighted some shortcomings in Heron’s (1953) summary of Jakhar 2002).
geological formations, necessitating extensive revisions in the 9. Recognition of a typical cratonic platformal sequence, termed
lithostratigraphic framework of the Precambrian rocks of the the Marwar Supergroup, as a distinct ensemble uncon-
Aravalli Mountains and adjoining areas (Fig. 4.1). The most sig- formably overlying the Malani Group. The newly defined
nificant revisions proposed by more recent studies are: lithostratigraphic ensemble was earlier considered equivalent
to the Vindhyans occurring east of the Aravalli Mountains,
1. Confirmation of the presence of an unconformity with evi- and described as a ‘Trans-Aravalli’ formation.
dence of a great erosion-related hiatus (‘erosion unconformity’
of Heron 1953) between the oldest gneissic basement and Assuming that the issues involved in some of the above-
the immediately overlying metasedimentary – metavolcanic mentioned revisions are truly contentious, it would be pertinent
cover succession (Poddar 1965; Roy et al. 1980, 1988; Roy to evaluate critically at least some of these before any attempt
& Paliwal 1981; Roy 1990). is made at building up the relative stratigraphy of different
2. Some isolated granite –gneiss bodies around the Udaipur belt formations.
in the south, earlier classed as intrusive into the cover succes-
sion, are proved be basement inliers.
3. A new nomenclature (Sandmata Complex) is proposed for Relative stratigraphy and history of basin evolution
the tectonothermally reconstituted Archaean basement in the
central part, east of the Delhi Basin. Question of basement and basement – cover relationship
4. In southeastern Rajasthan, a single continuous lithostrati-
graphic succession has been recognized as the oldest cover The recognition of the oldest basement and the understanding of
succession, named Aravalli Supergroup, revising the earlier the basement –cover relationship are the two most burning
ideas of a three-tier division into Aravalli system, Raialo questions of the Precambrian geology of Rajasthan that hindered
series and the ‘outliers’ of the Delhi system as the oldest erection of a coherent lithostratigraphic framework of the region.
cover ensemble overlying the Archaean basement. Heron’s (1953) recognition of the Banded Gneissic Complex
5. No separate stratigraphic status is recognized for the ‘Raialo (BGC) and the Bundelkhand Gneiss as the oldest basement was
series’ of Heron (1953), which was thought to have been challenged by Naha and co-workers (see Naha & Mohanty 1990
deposited during the ‘Eparchaean Interval’ (cf. the Archaean – for references), who worked in high-strain zones and concluded
Algonkian break). that the ‘BGC of Heron (1953) represented migmatized Raialo –
6. A diachronous evolutionary history of the Delhi Supergroup Aravalli rocks’. Crookshank (1948), who studied the mica-belt
has been suggested, with an older North Delhi Fold Belt and rocks of the Bhilwara region, had earlier made a similar

From: Mazumder, R. & Eriksson, P. G. (eds) 2015. Precambrian Basins of India: Stratigraphic and Tectonic Context.
Geological Society, London, Memoirs, 43, 55– 65, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/M43.4
# 2015 The Geological Society of London. For permissions: http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/permissions. Publishing disclaimer: www.geolsoc.org.uk/pub_ethics
 Downloaded from http://mem.lyellcollection.org/ at University of Birmingham on March 19, 2015

56 A. B. ROY & R. PUROHIT

Table 4.1. Summary of geological formations of Rajasthan (former Rajputana) and adjoining areas
(after Heron 1953)

Vindhyan system
Malani series
ALGONKIAN Ajabgarh series
Delhi system
Alwar series

Eparchaean interval Raialo series

Aravalli system
ARCHAEAN Banded Gneissic Complex and Bundelkhand Gneiss

suggestion. The tectonostratigraphic status of the BGC as the than they have solved. In view of this, we prefer to desist from
earliest formed basement underwent further review when Gupta any detailed discussion of the map of Gupta et al. (1980).
et al. (1980) published a revised map replacing the earlier geologi- Recent tectonostratigraphic studies based on continuous
cal maps of Coulson (1933), Gupta (1934), Gupta & Mukherjee mapping in the Zawar –Udaipur –Nathdwara belt helped to
(1938) and Heron (1936, 1953). The most remarkable feature in confirm Heron’s (1953) identification of a profound ‘erosion’
the revised map (Gupta et al. 1980) is the recognition of the meta- unconformity between the gneissic basement (Fig. 4.2a) and the
sedimentary ensemble of the Bhilwara –Chittaurgarh –Hindoli belt overlying cover metasediments (Poddar 1965; Roy et al. 1980,
as a pre-Aravalli basement (termed Bhilwara Supergroup), contra- 1988, Roy & Paliwal 1981; Roy 1990). The unconformity
dicting the correlation of the litho-formations of the region as
‘Raialo series’ and the ‘Aravalli system’ by earlier workers like
Gupta (1934) and Heron (1953). In short, the revisions proposed
in the new geological map, without providing any stratigraphic
reasoning, and without following the ‘Standard Codes of Strati-
graphic Nomenclature’, while introducing a host of new names for
the assumed geological formations, have created more problems

Fig. 4.2. (a) Complexly deformed banded gneiss constituting the basement
Fig. 4.1. Generalized geological map of the Aravalli Mountains and for the cover rocks. (b) Reconstituted basement gneiss co-folded with later
neighbouring areas (after Roy & Jakhar 2002). intrusive meta-basalt.
 Downloaded from http://mem.lyellcollection.org/ at University of Birmingham on March 19, 2015

PRECAMBRIAN BASINS OF ARAVALLI MOUNTAINS 57

between the two major stratigraphic units has been recognized on

the basis of features like (a) pockets of palaeosols along the surface
of separation, (b) local occurrence of quartz-pebble conglomerate,
and (c) the structural, metamorphic and lithologic discordance
between the two ensembles.
Apart from the major outcrops of basement such as the BGC and
some granites like the Bundelkhand Granite (rechristened Berach
Granite, Crawford 1970), continuous mapping in and around
Udaipur also helped to identify several other granite –gneiss
bodies, like the Ahar River Granite, Udaisagar Granite, Jaisamand
Road Granite, etc., as part of the Archaean basement underlying
the younger cover metasediments (Roy & Paliwal 1981; Roy
et al. 1985; Gopalan et al. 1990; Roy & Kröner 1996; Wiedenbeck
et al. 1996; Purohit et al. 2012a); the former were earlier con-
sidered as the ‘post-Aravalli, pre-Delhi’ granites by Heron
(1953). Recent field studies have also helped to recognize
another category of basement granite – gneiss, which has under-
gone extensive remobilization during the post-Archaean reconsti-
tution (Naha & Roy 1983; Fig. 4.2b).
Some sporadic outcrops of dismembered greenstone belts have
been recorded within the Archaean basement. These are the depos-
its of the oldest depositional basins in the Precambrian litho-
stratigraphic framework of the region. One group of such rocks
occurs at a place near Mavli (248470 :738590 ), which includes
large disjointed bodies of quartzite, marble and micaschist (Roy
et al. 2000) along with large co-folded bodies of amphibolite (thoe-
liitic metabasalt) and small patches of talc –antigorite, and silicate
ironstones like banded magnetite quartzite and quartz –magnetite –
grunerite. Quartzite is greenish, characterized by abundance of
Cr and Ni. The carbonates are low-Mg-type marble with minor
impurities. The intrusive character of the amphibolite indicates
its late emplacement in the greenstone belt but predating the defor-
mation and metamorphism of the ensembles. Field relationships
and geochronological data (see below) confirm the Archaean age
of the greenstone belt rocks.

Aravalli Supergroup: the oldest cover succession

The oldest cover succession unconformably overlying the gneiss –

granite basement of Archaean age is termed the Aravalli Super-
group (Roy 1988; Roy et al. 1988). The outcrops of this ensemble
occur over a wide area in southwestern Rajasthan, and are distrib-
uted in three different sectors (Fig. 4.1). The complete succession
has developed in the type area of the Udaipur sector, which extends Fig. 4.3. (a) Stromatolitic rock-phosphate showing prolific growth
southwards into the Lunavada sector. The northeastern arm of the of cyanobacterial colonies. (b) Amygdular metabasalt indicating outpouring
basin continues into the Bhilwara sector following a NE –SW trend of mafic lava flows during the initial stages of Aravalli Basin formation.
(Fig. 4.1).
Recent studies indicated that the different components of the
volcano-sedimentary succession constituted a single stratigraphic Udaipur belt shows two distinctive associations; the eastern belt is
unit instead of a three-tier classification comprising the ‘Aravalli characterized by the occurrence of arenites, psammopelites and
system’, ‘Raialo series’ and ‘Outliers of Delhi system’ conceived carbonates hosting stromatolitic phosphorite, and syn-sedimentary
earlier by Heron (1953). Unequivocal evidence of the Proterozoic lead –zinc mineralization (Roy 2000). The stromatolitic rock-
age of this sedimentary –volcanic succession is indicated by the phosphate deposits are related to extensive cyanobacterial
presence of features like (a) the dolomitic character of the major activities along tidal and intertidal flats of the earliest developed
carbonate-bearing formations (Roy & Jakhar 2002), (b) prolific epicontinental sea (Roy & Paliwal 1981). The occurrence of
growth of cyanobacterial colonies that deposited stromatolitic gold is reported locally, while uranium mineralization occurs in
rock-phosphate in the carbonate (Fig. 4.3a) (Banerjee 1971a, b; the metamorphosed black-shale facies rocks. The western belt is
Chauhan 1979; Roy & Paliwal 1981), (c) the occurrence of syn- represented by a carbonate-free association of dominantly pelitic
sedimentary lead –zinc sulphide mineral deposits (Roy 2000), (d) and psammopelitic rocks with bands of arenite. This belt is
extensive development of black shale facies indicating the pres- devoid of any mineralization. Lithostratigraphically, the eastern
ence of biogenic carbon, (e) the isotopic character of carbon in shelf facies and rocks are divided into three stratigraphic groups
the lead – zinc-bearing sulphide ore bodies (Deb 1989), and (f) (Lower, Middle and Upper) separated by prominent unconfor-
the nature of d13C enrichment in the carbonate rocks (Purohit mities (Fig. 4.4).
et al. 2010). The Aravalli Supergroup in the Bhilwara sector shows bimodal
The Aravalli basins in the Udaipur sector opened along linear distribution of lithologies. The eastern belt shows dominance of
rifts marked by an outpouring of mafic volcanics (Fig. 4.3b), inter- metavolcanics with minor metasediments, which have undergone
rupted by deposition of thin bands of mature sandstone and rarely a low-grade metamorphic reconstitution. The western belt of the
of carbonate. The distribution of the Aravalli metasediments in the Bhilwara sector is characterized by a stable shelf litho-association
 Downloaded from http://mem.lyellcollection.org/ at University of Birmingham on March 19, 2015

58 A. B. ROY & R. PUROHIT

the pre-Delhi rocks (constituted by the Aravalli Supergroup and

the Archaean basement) is clearly noted in the northeastern part
(Roy & Jakhar 2002) east of Jaipur. The Delhi Basin comprises
several sub-basins, which include the Alwar –Bayana Basin in
the NE and the Main Delhi Basin in the west and south. The
latter extends from Khetri in the north to the SW of Mt Abu in
the south.
Heron’s (1917a, b) stratigraphic scheme has been adopted
by later workers (Banerjee & Singh 1977; Singh 1988) with
some modification in conformity with the ‘Standard Code of
Stratigraphic nomenclature’, mainly for the ensembles of the
Alwar – Bayana Basin:

Ajabgarh Group – dominantly pelitic and psammopelitic rocks

and volcanics;
Alwar Group – dominantly arenitic rocks and volcanics;
Raialo Group – dominantly volcanics and carbonates with pelites.

Sedimentary attributes of different lithostratigraphic units indi-

cate their deposition in a number of rifted graben (Singh 1988).
The volcanic assemblages (mostly of mafic flows locally associ-
ated with felsic tuffs and ash beds) provide evidence of active
rifting during different phases of basin evolution. The overall
character of the lithologies suggests their deposition in stable plat-
form type basins. A host of primary sedimentary features includ-
ing cyanobacteria-induced stromatolitic structures (Fig. 4.5a)
recorded in these rocks indicate a shallow-water depositional
Fig. 4.4. Lithostratigraphic column of the Aravalli Supergroup in the shelf
facies zone of the Udaipur sector (after Roy & Jakhar 2002).
setting, which varied from fluvial to shallow-marine palaeo-
environments (Singh 1988).
The stratigraphic division of the rocks of the Main Delhi Basin
demonstrating an upper amphibolite facies metamorphism. There by Heron (1953) was based on the stratigraphic model that he
are several instances of lead –zinc and copper mineralization. established in the Alwar –Bayana Basin. Later workers did not
A large number of serpentinite bodies occur with the Aravalli find it tenable outside the northern sub-basin. Several proposals
Basin of the Udaipur sector, both in the shelf facies and the inferred were made to erect a stratigraphic succession in different parts
deep-water regions. A group of such bodies defines a linear trend of the Main Delhi Basin. One significant suggestion has been
following the separation zone of the two depositional sub-basins made in recent years to divide the entire Delhi Basin into two
(belts), which has been described as the ‘Rakhabdev Lineament’ different fold belts: an older North Delhi Fold Belt (NDFB) and
by Gupta et al. (1980). No such trend in the occurrence of ultrama- a younger South Delhi Fold Belt (SDFB) (Sinha-Roy et al.
fic bodies is visible in the western belt of deep-water facies sedi- 1998). The division, apparently relying on unconstrained granite
ments. From the nature of deformation and the thermal alteration ages, does not specify the line (trace of the surface) of separation
of the carbonates occurring close to these bodies, the serpentinite of the two blocks. Detailed mapping based on the study of sedi-
intrusion appears to have post-dated the deposition of the different mentary features indicating the direction of ‘younging’ indicated
lithologies of the Aravalli Supergroup (Purohit et al. 2015). that the northern block rocks (NDFB) are younger than those of
Primarily based on the distribution pattern and the stratigraphic the southern parts (SDFB) (Sengupta 1984). The information
correlation of lithologies, a three-stage evolutionary model of the seems to belie the suggestion of polychronic evolution of the
Aravalli rift basins has been proposed (Roy 1990, 2000; Roy & Delhi basins. However, the presence of a folded unconformity in
Jakhar 2002). The rift basins, which opened as conjugate sets the region cannot be totally ruled out (Roy & Kataria 1999).
with one or more failed arms, were presumably linked at a triple Keeping in mind the diverse opinions about the stratigraphic
junction. The sequence of basin evolution is not clear; however, correlation of rocks of the different parts of the Delhi Basin, Roy &
it appears possible that all the different basins did not open Jakhar (2002) made the following broad generalization in regard to
simultaneously. the tectonostratigraphic relationship of the rocks of the Main Delhi
Basin.
Delhi Supergroup: history of Mesoproterozoic rift 1. A strictly uniform pattern of structural and metamorphic evol-
basin evolution ution of the supracrustal ensembles is observed in the entire
Delhi Basin, including the Main Delhi Basin.
A unique feature in Heron’s (1953) stratigraphic classification is 2. In addition to the inliers of the gneiss –granite basement at
the recognition of the Raialo ‘series’ supposed to have been depos- Beawar and possibly at Anasagar at Ajmer, some recent
ited during the Archaean –Algonkian (¼Proterozoic) interval. geochronological data indicate the presence of pre-Delhi
More recent tectonostratigraphic studies (Naha & Halyburton metasedimentary bodies in the northern part of the Main
1974; Roy et al. 1988), however, failed to corroborate any separate Delhi Basin.
stratigraphic status for the so-called Raialo rocks, especially for 3. No direct stratigraphic correlation of rocks appears possible
those which were reported from outside the Delhi Basin. between the rocks of the Main Delhi Basin and the Alwar –
Outcrops of the Delhi Basin replicate the shape of a huge fan Bayana Basin.
having a long handle (Fig. 4.1). The lithological associations
occurring in this basin, barring the large bodies of ‘inlier rocks’ In spite of the controversies on stratigraphic correlation of rocks
as well as the younger anorogenic bodies of granite, diorite and occurring in different sub-basins, the structural and metamorphic
gabbro-norite-charnockite, constitute the Delhi Supergroup. An history of the entire Delhi Basin suggests a single-stage orogenic
unconformable relationship between the Delhi Supergroup and evolution. The pattern of deformation and metamorphism,
 Downloaded from http://mem.lyellcollection.org/ at University of Birmingham on March 19, 2015

PRECAMBRIAN BASINS OF ARAVALLI MOUNTAINS 59

Delhi Basin at Kayar and at other places north of Ajmer, as well

as in the Deri –Ambaji region in the southern part of the basin. Sig-
nificant copper deposits occur in the Khetri Copper Belt in the
north and in the Basantgarh –Swaroopganj region in the south.

Evolution of Neoproterozoic basins

Sirohi Group. A group of deformed metasedimentary rocks

occurs west of the Main Delhi Basin with an intervening belt
of the gneiss –granite ensemble of Mount Abu and Sewaria.
The narrow belt of metasediments that passes through Sirohi,
which was earlier correlated with the ‘Aravalli system’ of Heron
(1953), has been remapped as the Sirohi Group by Roy &
Sharma (1999). Isolated outcrops of these metasediments are
also traceable further north of Sirohi, continuing along the
line of occurrence of the marble outcrops of Ras and Makrana.
The marbles of the latter outcrops were correlated earlier as
the ‘Raialo series’ by Coulson (1933) following the usage of
Heron (1953).
The Sirohi Group is the youngest of the three Proterozoic oro-
genic supracrustal ensembles that constituted the edifice of the
Aravalli Mountains in northwestern India (Fig. 4.1). It comprises
dominantly a ‘shale – carbonate’ association with minor bodies
of fine-grained arenites (Roy & Sharma 1999); these low-grade
metamorphic rocks underwent a single-phase shear-related defor-
mation showing strong development of penetrative foliation and
lineation, especially along their margins with the basement
granite gneisses. An imprint of later thermal metamorphism is
indicated in the haphazard development of large ‘porphyroblasts’
of andalusite (Fig. 4.6a) in the pelitic components of the Sirohi
sedimentary rocks. The Sirohi Group is devoid of any volcanic
component, which suggests that the basin opened during passive
rifting in an ensialic environment. However, for some local occur-
rences, the poor development of arenites and virtual absence of
coarse ‘clastics’ (especially conglomerates) in the Sirohi rocks
are manifestations of the highly peneplained hinterland (prove-
nance) that supplied the sediments.
According to Roy & Sharma (1999), the single-phase defor-
Fig. 4.5. (a) Cone-in-cone type stromatolite in limestone in the Alwar–Bayana mation pattern observed in the Sirohi rocks is quite distinctive,
Basin. (b) Massive pyroxinite occurring in a milieu of exotic rocks in the and cannot be correlated with the Delhi Basin rocks that show evi-
southern part of the Main Delhi Basin. dence of multiphase folding. Available geochronological data and
C isotope studies confirm the Neoproterozoic age of the Sirohi
Group (Purohit et al. 2012b).
however, varies considerably over the entire Delhi Basin. In the
extreme NE, the rocks are weakly deformed, showing very low-
grade greenschist facies metamorphic condition, while in the Malani Group. The closing of the Sirohi Basin by the mid-
southernmost part, because of the influence of younger high- Neoproterozoic marks the complete cratonization of the Precam-
temperature plutonic magmatism, the Delhi rocks underwent brian crust of the Aravalli Mountains. During the succeeding
extensive melting and thermal perturbation (Roy et al. 2004). period until the opening of the large stable platform-type basins
It is possible that all components of the Delhi Basin did not in the western part of the Aravalli Mountains, the terrain witnessed
evolve simultaneously in the two major basins. Integration of effusive magmatism with development of volcanic lava flows
different types of basins, as the available geochronological data (dominantly acidic and minor mafic bodies) and pyroclastics
indicate, took place at around 1450 Ma (Roy 1990). Based on like the ash beds and ‘welded’ tuffs (ignimbrites), and plutonic
the occurrence of low-K pillowed tholeiite (Bhattacharyya & intrusions of granites of diverse types and composition. Almost
Mukherjee 1984) along with dacitic andesite, banded gabbro and simultaneously with the development of igneous rock masses,
massive pyroxenite (Fig. 4.5b) along a narrow strip in the southern some linear sedimentary basins evolved in which conglomerate,
part of the Delhi Basin, suggestions have been made that the belt grits and arkose were deposited mainly as interlayered bodies
represents an ophiolite sequence (Sinha-Roy & Mohanty 1988; within the effusive rocks. Some primary sedimentary structures
Khan et al. 2005). The occurrence of such an exotic ensemble in developed in the thin clay interbands within beds of arkose
an ensialic basin, according to Roy & Jakhar (2002), could be suggest that the sedimentation took place concurrently with
due to a limited ‘opening of ocean floor’ within the ‘aulacogen’ basinal seismic activity (Fig. 4.6b).
that constituted the Main Delhi Basin in a way similar to the The field relationships, in spite of the isolated occurrences of
ocean-opening observed in the case of the Red Sea between the rock bodies, provide evidence that the diverse rock types are
Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. stratigraphically, or more precisely chronologically, intercon-
Apart from the small occurrences of copper mineralization at nected rock assemblages (Pareek 1981; Bhushan 1984, 1991,
Kho-Dariba, the Alwar – Bayana Basin is relatively free from any 2000; Kochhar 1984; La Touche 1902; Kochhar & Dhar 1993).
significant mineralization. On the other hand, there are a number The entire ensemble of rocks has been classified as the Malani
of reports of lead –zinc deposits in the central part of the Main Group by Roy (1998), in preference to the different nomenclatures
 Downloaded from http://mem.lyellcollection.org/ at University of Birmingham on March 19, 2015

60 A. B. ROY & R. PUROHIT

melting of upper crust at low temperatures. Some of these

granite bodies show evidence of tungsten mineralization, and are
impregnated with lithophile elements that caused extensive meta-
somatism of the pre-existing crustal components.
The anorogenic character of the Malani magmatism is well
established. The chemistry of the different volcano-plutonic com-
ponents of the Malani Group is a clear reflection of magma gener-
ation from different levels of the crust as well as from the mantle.
According to Kochhar (1984) the evolution of such diverse rock
types could result from typically anorogenic hotspot activities
developing over a mantle plume (Roy & Jakhar 2002).

Marwar Supergroup. The Marwar Supergroup constituted by a

c. 2 km-thick sedimentary succession (without any volcanics)
was deposited over the eroded surfaces of the Malani Group.
Representing a typical association of sand –shale – carbonate
with evaporates, the ensemble shows faunal affiliation to the
Himalayan basin of the Salt Range (in Pakistan) (Barman 1980;
Awasthi & Prakash 1981). The Himalayan affiliation makes the
Marwar Supergroup a distinctive sedimentary lithostratigraphic
unit which was earlier described as the ‘Trans-Aravalli Vindhyans’
(Heron 1953). The Marwar Supergroup developed over two differ-
ent basins: the Main Marwar Basin in the north and the Birmania
Basin in the SW.
The Main Marwar Basin characteristically shows development
of a typical platformal shelf facies rock association of sand –
shale –carbonate with evaporate. The ensemble consists of three
successive lithostratigraphic units: Jodhpur Group, Bilara Group
and Nagaur Group. The opening of the Main Marwar Basin is
linked to deposition of a thin boulder bed at the base of the succes-
sion. The main lithology includes boulders, pebbles and cobbles
mainly of felsic volcanics, granitoids and quartzite enclosed in a
reddish and brownish matrix of clay and silt-sized sand grains.
Known as the Pokhran Boulder Bed, this assorted basal succession
has been recognized as glacial and fluvio-glacial erratics (Kumar
1999). The overlying siliciclastic sediments constituting the
Jodhpur Group show characteristics of cratonic sheet sediments
deposited predominantly under deltaic conditions, which during
Fig. 4.6. (a) Haphazardly oriented crystals of andalusite in a fine-grained the terminal phases changed to beach environments and fluvial
mica-schist, indicating thermal reconstitution of the rock. (b) Soft-sediment settings. The Bilara Group that overlies the dominantly arenitic
deformation in shale layers within arkose, suggesting deposition during sequence of the Jodhpur Group comprises carbonates having an
synsedimentary basinal seismic activity. estimated thickness of about 300 m. The outcrops of the Bilara
Group are, however, quite scanty. Recent studies, based on
detailed geological, geophysical and subsurface borehole data,
helped to recognize a typical evaporate succession, named the
like Malani Rhyolite, Malani Volcanics, Malani Igneous Suite, Hanseran Evaporite Group (Dasgupta et al. 1984). The Hanseran
Malani Igneous Complex, and so on. Group is considered homotaxial (time equivalent) to the Bilara
Of all the different constituents, acid lava flows and pyroclastics Group, recognized on the surface (Kumar 1999). Borehole data
(including ash beds, welded tuffs or ignimbrites, and volcanic revealed the presence of seven cycles of halite-bearing evaporates
breccias) occur most extensively over the entire region, which is with rare potash salt deposits.
also referred to as the Malani Igneous Province (Coulson 1933). Pandit et al. (2001), based on the study of a carbon isotopic evol-
The dominant lithology of the acid flows is rhyolite. Rhyodacite, ution curve, suggested an end-Neoproterozoic (Vendran –Tomma-
dacite, trachyte and pitchstone are present in some of the acid tian) age of the Bilara Group. Extremely low d13C values in the
volcanic successions. Bilara carbonates have been interpreted as an indicator of glacial-
A number of granites of different compositions occur in the related cold climatic conditions. On the other hand, the marked
Malani Group, some of which show close association with rhyolite oscillations in the d13C values, showing cyclic negative and posi-
and tuffs. Broadly speaking two different types of granite occur in tive shifts are thought to signify sequential changes from cold to
the milieu of the Malani ‘igneous’ ensembles, the prototypes of warmer climatic conditions (Pandit et al. 2001).
which are the Jalore Granite and the Siwana Granite. The Jalore The Nagaur Group which overlies the Balara carbonates is dom-
Granite, which forms a huge boss-like outcrop, is a predominantly inantly an arenite succession. Culmination of the Main Marwar
peraluminous, sub-solvus type presumably formed from melting of Basin with the inversion of the Nagaur sub-basin marks the end
the lower crust (Dhar et al. 1996). The Siwana Granite, on the other of the Precambrian depositional history in the region.
hand, is peralkaline and hypersolvus and resulted from a higher- The Birmania Basin occurring SW of the Main Marwar Basin
temperature (between 660 and 740 8C) melt fraction (Venkatara- covers a relatively much smaller area compared with the Main
man et al. 1968). Based on Sr, Pb and Nd isotope studies of the Marwar Basin. The rocks occurring in the basin belong to two
Siwana Granite, Dhar et al. (1996) suggested mantle derivation lithostratigraphic formations. The basal Randha Formation is dom-
of the magmas, which show significant modification in compo- inantly an arenitic succession which is correlated with the Jodhpur
sition due to crustal contamination. Apart from these two types, Group of the Main Marwar Basin. Overlying this, is the carbonate-
a third type of granite is recorded that evolved during the dominant Birmania Formation which characteristically shows
 Downloaded from http://mem.lyellcollection.org/ at University of Birmingham on March 19, 2015

PRECAMBRIAN BASINS OF ARAVALLI MOUNTAINS 61

207
development of stromatolitic and bedded phosphorite deposits. /Pb/206Pb ratio corresponding to an age of 1906 + 0.4 Ma
Unlike the northern Main Marwar Basin, the Birmania Basin from a sample collected at the Narayan – Sagar Dam located SE
does not show any arenite sequence overlying the carbonates. of the Rampura –Agucha Lead –Zinc Mine (Roy et al. 2012).
According to Pareek (1984), the absence of arenite beds over- Several isotope dates are available from different parts of the
lying the Birmania Formation could be the result of extensive Delhi Basin, which require a critical assessment in order to have
post-depositional erosion. some meaningful correlation of all the events reflected in these
age data. The oldest dates reported from the basin include: (a) an
Rb –Sr isochron age of 1844 + 7 Ma from the Jasrapura Granite
in the North Khetri belt (quoted by Gupta et al. 1995) and (b) a
Geochronologic framework and lithostratigraphy 1848 + 9 Ma single zircon age from the Anasagar Granite
of Precambrian basins (Mukhopadhyay et al. 2000). A number of single zircon ages
between 1.85 and 1.82 Ga have been reported from the northern
It is now universally understood that a precisely established lithos- part of the Delhi Basin by Kaur et al. (2009, 2011a). These ages
tratigraphic column (based on the relative stratigraphy) plays a key are similar to the closing ages suggested for the Aravalli Orogeny
role not only in the interpretation of isotope ages of different rocks (i.e. Aravalli Basin inversion). We cannot, however rule out the
but also for constructing a rational geochronological framework of possibility that these Proterozoic ages represent the age of recon-
a region. Fortunately, several workers have now generated con- stitution of the pre-Delhi basement during the Aravalli Orogeny.
siderable age data using a variety of isotope systematics, which Like the Aravalli Supergroup, there is also no direct geochrono-
help in erecting a geochronological framework of the different logical control over the age when the earliest Delhi Basin opened.
lithostratigraphic formations. Fareeduddin & Kröner (1998) reported several detrital zircon
The available isotope data not only confirm the presence of an ages from the western margin of the Delhi Basin, the youngest
Archaean basement in the Aravalli Mountains and adjacent of which is c. 1700 Ma. Similar ages (1.78 –1.72 Ga) have also
areas but also help in erecting a billion-year evolutionary history been recorded by Kaur et al. (2011b) from the northern part of
spanning between 3500 Ma and 2500 Ma (Vinogradov et al. the Delhi Basin. Roy & Jakhar (2002) considered the youngest
1964; Crawford 1970; Gopalan & Choudhary 1984; Gopalan of these (c. 1700 Ma) as the maximum age of the Delhi Basin
et al. 1990; Wiedenbeck & Goswami 1994; Roy & Kröner 1996; opening. Roy et al. (2005) reported several single zircon ages
Wiedenbeck et al. 1996; Roy 2006). Several greenstone belts ranging between 1725 and 1622 Ma from the granulites of the
evolved during this phase of crustal growth where sediments and Bhinai region in the Sandmata Complex. Assuming that the
volcanics were deposited. One such body has been mapped in granulite facies metamorphism and the process of exhumation
detail at a place near Rakhiawal (Roy et al. 2000), a few kilometres took place under an extensional regime, Roy et al. (2005, 2012)
west of Mavli (248470 :738590 ). Sm/Nd isotope data indicate a linked these tectonic processes to the rift opening stage of the
2828 + 46 Ma age of the amphibolite (metabasalt) (Gopalan Delhi Orogenic cycle.
et al. 1990) intruding into co-folded quartzite. This is interpreted There are a number of Rb –Sr isochron ages between 1340
as the minimum (youngest) age of the greenstone belt. On the and 1480 Ma from apparently synkinematic granites from the
other hand, the c. 3300 Ma age of detrital zircons (Roy et al. northern part of the Delhi Basin (Gopalan et al. 1979; Choudhary
2001) is interpreted to reflect the age of the basement from which et al. 1984). Relying on these ages, Roy (1990) suggested
the minerals were derived. In other words, this would be the c. 1450 Ma as the closing age of the Delhi Orogeny. Significantly,
maximum age for the greenstone belt evolution. Fareeduddin & Kröner (1998) recorded a population of zircons
The Aravalli Supergroup overlies the Archaean basement of giving a c. 1435 Ma age from the pelitic granulites of the
gneisses and granites with a profound unconformity. There is Puskar – Parbatsar region of the Delhi Basin, which they con-
hardly any geochronological control over the basin opening or sidered as the date of the peak metamorphism and dry melting
depositional age of the Aravalli Supergroup. The 2500 Ma resulting in the formation of charnockite. Reports abound about
minimum age of the basement over which the Aravalli Supergroup the ages of around 1000 Ma from different parts of the Delhi
is deposited suggests that the basin opening for this cover sequence Basin (Deb et al. 1989, 2001; Fareeduddin & Kröner 1998;
could not have been earlier than this. The only available isotope Volpe & Macdaugall 1990; Bhowmik et al. 2010). A few age
dates indicating the age of the Aravalli Basin opening is the ill- data centring on this age bracket come from outside the Delhi
constrained Pb/Pb model age of c. 2075 and 2150 Ma determined Basin (Gopalan et al. 1979; Sarkar et al. 1989; Deb 2000).
from galena associated with coeval veins of barite in the basal vol- These ages, many of which are mere thermal imprints, are compa-
canics (Deb & Thorpe 2004). A somewhat similar age is suggested tible with the globally reported ‘Grenvillian dates’ (Peucat et al.
by the nature of the heavy 13C enrichment event seen in some car- 1989). Combining these dates with younger dates of c. 836 Ma,
bonate formations of the Aravalli Supergroup of the Udaipur Deb et al. (2001) thought of a separate Pindwara Orogeny,
sector, which is correlated with the ‘global’ ‘Lomagundi Event’ without elaborating on the tectonostratigraphic aspects. The idea
dated at 2.06 Ga (Purohit et al. 2010). Other indirect evidence of is supported by the possible linking between the tectonothermal
the maximum age of the Aravalli Supergroup is the Pb/Pb iso- event of metamorphism and exhumation of granulites in the
chron age of 2273 + 3 Ma with MSDW þ18.1% error reported Puskar – Parbatsar belt of the Delhi Basin and the rift opening of
by Schleicher et al. (1997) from the dolomitic carbonatite of the Sirohi basins west of it. The basin inversion of the Sirohi
Newania about 45 km east of Udaipur. Giving due allowance to Group has been envisioned as the final phase of cratonization of
the error factor regarding the age of the Newania carbonatite, the the Precambrian Aravalli crust at around 850 Ma. The event is
intrusion of this alkaline body has been correlated with the marked by coeval intrusion of granites not only in the Sirohi
opening of the Aravalli Basin (Roy & Jakhar 2002). Thus, assum- Basin but also in the southern part of the Delhi Basin.
ing that the depositional age of the Aravalli Supergroup might The Sirohi Group is the youngest of the three Proterozoic oro-
range between 2100 and 2200 Ma, we can think of a possible genic supracrustal ensembles that constituted the edifice of the
hiatus of 300–400 Ma for the Archaean –Proterozoic boundary Aravalli Mountains in northwestern India (Fig. 4.2). Occurring
in this terrain. The closing of the Aravalli orogeny is indicated along a linear belt west of the Main Delhi Basin with an interven-
by the 1900 + 80 Ma Rb/Sr isochron age of the synkinematically ing belt of granitoids of diverse types and ages, the Neoprotero-
emplaced Darwal Granite (Choudhary et al. 1984). Confirmation zoic age of the Sirohi Group is based on the reports of younger
of the age data comes from (a) Pb/Pb isochron data from the tec- tectonothermal events between 1000 and 950 Ma from the
tonically reconstituted dolomitic carbonate of the Aravalli Super- region surrounding the Sirohi basins (Deb et al. 1989, 2001;
group of the Udaipur region (Sarangi et al. 2006) and (b) the mean Volpe & Macdaugall 1990; Fareeduddin & Kröner 1998; Pandit
 Downloaded from http://mem.lyellcollection.org/ at University of Birmingham on March 19, 2015

62 A. B. ROY & R. PUROHIT

Table 4.2. Lithostratigraphic and geochronological framework of Precambrian formations of the Aravalli Mountains and adjoining areas

Major stratigraphic units Tectonic setting of basin evolution Age (Ma) References

Marwar Supergroup Stable cratonic basins c. 543 to c. 635 Kaufman et al. (2006), Roy (2006)
Malani Group ¼ Sindredth Plume-related underplating c. 730 to c. 780 Aswathnarayanan (1964), Crawford & Compston (1970),
Group and opening of shallow basins Rathore et al. (1999), Torsvik et al. (2001a, b),
Tucker et al. (2001)
Basin closing c. 852 Bhowmik et al. (2010), Choudhary et al. (1984),
Deb et al. (1989), Fareeduddin & Kröner (1998)
Sirohi Group Sirohi Orogenic cycle
Basin opening c. 1000 Volpe & Macdaugall (1990)
Basin closing c. 1450 Choudhary et al. (1984), Roy (1990)
Delhi Supergroup Delhi orogenic cycle
Basin opening (emplacement c. 1725 Buick et al. (2006), Fareeduddin & Kröner (1998), Roy
of Sandmata granulite) et al. (2005, 2012), Sarkar et al. (1989)
Basin closing c. 1850 Choudhary et al. (1984), Sarangi et al. (2006)
Aravalli Supergroup Aravalli Orogenic cycle
Basin opening c. 2200 Deb & Thorpe (2004), Schleicher et al. (1997)
Archaean Basement Greenstone belt evolution c. 2500 to c. 3300 Gopalan et al. (1990), Roy & Kröner (1996),
(BGC of Heron, 1953 Roy et al. (2001), Wiedenbeck & Goswami (1994),
and granites) Wiedenbeck et al. (1996)

et al. 2003; Just et al. 2011). The maximum age of the Sirohi Basin The Marwar Supergroup that overlies the Malani ensembles reg-
is indicated by the age of single zircons collected from a granite isters the last event in the Precambrian crustal growth in Rajasthan
gneiss outcrop near the village of Veerwara, 10 km east of and adjoining regions. There is absolutely no geological control
Sirohi town, which unconformably underlies the Sirohi Group. over the age of the Marwar Supergroup. However, assuming the
A 207Pb/206Pb age indicated 920.4 + 0.8 Ma with one ‘xenocryst’ correlation of the basal Pokhran Boulder Bed of possible gla-
grain indicating 992.6 + 1.3 Ma (Purohit et al. 2012b). The ciogenic origin (Kumar 1999) with the Blaini Formation of the
992.6 Ma ‘age’ obtained from the xenocrystic zircon, even taking Krol Group in the Himalayas, an age corresponding to the Mar-
into account the expected error factor, appears quite similar to the inoan glaciation phase at c. 635 Ma (Kaufman et al. 2006) may
age of the thermal event at c. 1000 Ma reported from different be suggested for the initiation of the Marwar depositional basins.
parts of the Aravalli Mountains (Sarkar et al. 1989; Volpe & Such an assumption would indicate the presence of a hiatus of
Macdaugall 1990; Deb et al. 2001; Pandit et al. 2003; Buick about 50 myr between the culmination of the Malani (plume-
et al. 2006; Just et al. 2011). We interpret that the Sirohi basin related) events and the Neoproterozoic glaciation that coincided
opening must have taken place later than c. 993 Ma, and more with the opening of the Marwar Basin in the NW of the Aravalli
likely later than 920 Ma. The single zircon age of a sample col- Mountains. The inversion of Marwar basins is possibly linked to
lected from the Jawai Bandh region, 40 km north of Sirohi, is the major stratigraphic break at around 550 Ma marking the Proter-
822.8 + 0.8 Ma (Purohit et al. 2012b). The younger age is inter- ozoic –Cambrian boundary in this terrain. In view of the absence of
preted as the minimum age of the Sirohi basin on the grounds any definite information on the tectonic relationship between the
that the granite body from which the sample was collected Vindhyan Supergroup and the Proterozoic belt of the Aravalli
shows features indicating its synkinematic character in relation Mountains and adjoining areas (as discussed above), and also
to the deformation of the Sirohi rocks. The c. 820 Ma age obtained owing to the lack of any unambiguous age data on the span of
from the present study appears a little younger than the earlier this cratonic platformal sedimentation, we prefer not to include
reported c. 835 Ma age from different granite bodies occurring this in the geochronological framework shown in Table 4.2.
within or close to the outcrops of the Sirohi Group (Choudhary
et al. 1984). Based on the single zircon ages a time span between
c. 920 and 820 Ma is suggested for the opening and closing of the Summary and conclusions
Sirohi Basin.
A considerable number of well-constrained isotope ages are The recent revisions of the Precambrian geology of the Aravalli
now available for the essentially tectonothermal event related to Mountains and the neighbouring areas indicated the presence
the development of the volcano-sedimentary –plutonic ensemble of an Archaean basement having a billion-year evolutionary
comprising the Malani Group. Rathore et al. (1999) reported an history. Several dismembered greenstone belt components occur
Rb/Sr isochron age of 779 + 10 Ma for the felsic volcanics within the basement, which constitute the oldest supracrustal
from the eastern margin of the occurrence of the Malani Group. depositional basins in the region. Three successive cover for-
The field data as indicated earlier suggest that the rocks of the mations, the Aravalli Supergroup, the Delhi Supergroup and
region represent the oldest volcanics of Malani affinity (Hacket, the Sirohi Group, evolved over the Archaean basement with
quoted by Pareek 1984; La Touche 1902). Apart from the periods of hiatus in between. These Proterozoic cover ensembles
779 + 10 Ma age of the oldest volcanics and 698 + 10 Ma Rb/ originated during three successive orogenic cycles between
Sr isochron age of the ultrapotassic granites of Siwana (Rathore c. 2200 and c. 1850 Ma, c. 1700 and c. 1450 Ma, and c. 1000
et al. 1999), a great majority of ages (mostly granite ages) reported and c. 850 Ma. Each of these lithostratigraphic units evolved
from the Malani rocks are constrained within the age bracket in separate basins having distinctive tectonic, metallogenic and
between 750 and 720 Ma (Aswathanarayan 1964; Crawford & evolutionary histories. The basin inversion of the Sirohi Group
Compston 1970; Trivedi et al. 1987; Torsvik et al. 2001a, b; at c. 850 Ma marks the closing of the youngest ‘orogenic’ basin.
Gregory et al. 2009; van Lente et al. 2009). All of these ages This geological event marks the culmination of the Precambrian
(including the oldest event dated at c. 780 Ma) suggest a span of cratonization of the Aravalli Crust. The next succeeding deposi-
about 60 myr for the deposition and emplacement of the different tional story involves formation of ephemeral basins in response
rocks of the Malani Group. to the plume impingement under the cratonized Aravalli crust
 Downloaded from http://mem.lyellcollection.org/ at University of Birmingham on March 19, 2015

PRECAMBRIAN BASINS OF ARAVALLI MOUNTAINS 63

during the 780–720 Ma interval. The last basin-forming event Chauhan, D. S. 1979. Phosphate-bearing stromatolites of the Precam-
was the deposition of the Marwar Supergroup, signalling the end brian phosphorite deposits of Udaipur region, their environmental
of Precambrian crust-building history in this region. significance and genesis of phosphorite. Precambrian Research, 8,
In summary, the protracted geological history of basin evolution 95– 126.
in the Aravalli Mountains and neighbourhood matches well with Choudhary, A. K., Gopalan, K. & Sastry, C. A. 1984. Present status of
the global records of crust-building events noted in different the geochronology of the Precambrian rocks of Rajasthan. Tectono-
shield areas of the world. As in other parts of the world, a profound physics, 105, 131 – 140.
break in the stratigraphic succession is noted here also at 2.5 Ga. Coulson, A. L. 1933. The Geology of Sirohi State, Rajputana. Geological
Survey of India, Hyderabad, Memoirs, 63.
The next event is the closing of the Palaeoproterozoic Aravalli
Crawford, A. R. 1970. The Precambrian geochronology of Rajasthan and
‘orogenic’ basin at c. 1850 + 50 Ma. The date assumes impor- Bundelkhand, Northern India. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences,
tance in view of the emerging concept linking this part of the 7, 91 – 110.
Indian continental crust with the Palaeo-Mesoproterozoic Colum- Crawford, A. R. & Compston, W. 1970. The age of Viindhyan system of
bia Supercontinent (Meert 2012; Kaur et al. 2013). Unlike the Peninsular India. Quarterly Journal of Geological Society of London,
probable Columbia dates, the opening and closing of the Delhi 125, 351 –372.
basins at c. 1700 and c. 1450 Ma, respectively, are unknown Crookshank, H. 1948. Mineral of the Rajputana pegmatites. Trans-
outside the Precambrian crustal ambit of the Aravalli Mountains actions of the Mining, Geological & Metallurgical Institute of
and neighbourhood. On the other hand, c. 1000 Ma dates that are India, 42, 105– 189.
globally recognized as manifestations of the Grenvillian orogenic Dasgupta, S. P., Ramchandra,, Jairam, M. S. & Kumar, V. 1984.
or tectonothermal event have been recorded from different parts of Potash occurrences in Nagaur-Ganganagar Evaporite in Northwes-
the Aravalli Mountains. The Sirohi orogenic cycle spanning tern Rajasthan. Indian Minerals, 42, 1 –14.
between c. 1000 and c. 850 Ma (the earliest period of the Neopro- Deb, M. 1989. Genesis and metamorphism of two stratiform massive sul-
terozoic Era) is correlatable with the Tonian event in North phide deposits at Ambaji and Deri in the Precambrian of western
America. India. Economic Geology, 75, 571 –591.
Deb, M. 2000. VMS deposits: Geological characteristics, genetic models,
A. B. Roy acknowledges financial assistance from the Indian National Science
and a review of their metallogenesisin the Aravalli Range. In: Deb,
Academy under the INSA Honorary Scientist scheme. RP wishes to thank
M. (ed.) Crustal Evolution and Metallogeny in Northwestern Indian
UGC-CRO, Bhopal, India, for funding. We are thankful to H. N. Bhattacharya
Shield. Narosa, New Delhi, 328 –363.
for his help during the preparation of the manuscript.
Deb, M. & Thorpe, R. I. 2004. Geochronological constraints in the Pre-
cambrian Geology of Rajasthan and their metallogenic implications.
In: Deb, M. & Goodfellow, W. D. (eds) Sediment-hosted Lead-
Zinc Sulphide Deposits. Narosa, New Delhi, 246 – 263.
References Deb, M., Thorpe, R. I., Cumming, G. L. & Wagner, P. A. 1989. Age,
source and stratigraphic implications of Pb-Isotope data for con-
Aswathanarayanan, U. 1964. Age determination of rocks and geo- formable, sediment hosted, base metal deposits in the Proterozoic
chronology of India. In: Brochure, 22nd International Geological Aravalli –Delhi orogenic belt, northwestern India. Precambrian
Congress, New Delhi, 23. Research, 43, 1– 22.
Awasthi, A. K. & Prakash, B. 1981. Depositional environments of Deb, M., Thorpe, R. I., Krstic, D., Davis, D. & Corfu, F. 2001. Zircon
unfossiliferous sediments from Jodhpur Group, Western India. U–Pb and galena Pb isotope evidence for an approximate 1.0 ga
Sedimentary Geology, 30, 15 –42. terrane along western margin of the Aravalli-Delhi orogenic belt,
Banerjee, D. M. 1971a. Aravallian stromatolites from Udaipur, northwestern India. Precambrian Research, 108, 195 – 213.
Rajasthan. Journal of the Geological Society of India, 12, 349 – 355. Dhar, S., Frei, R., Kramers, J. D., Nagler, T. F. & Kochar, N. 1996.
Banerjee, D. M. 1971b. Precambrian stromatolitic phosphorites of Sr, PB, and ND isotope studies and their bearing on the paragenesis
Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. Journal of the Geological Society of of Jalore and Siwana Complexes, Rajasthan, India. Journal of the
America, 82, 2319– 2380. Geological Society of India, 48, 151– 160.
Banerjee, A. K. & Singh, S. P. 1977. Sedimentary tectonics of Bayana Fareeduddin, & Kröner, A. 1998. Single zircon age constraints on
Sub-basin, Northeastern Rajasthan. Journal of the Indian Association the evolution of Rajasthan granulite. In: Paliwal, B. S. (ed.) The
of Sedimentology, 1, 74 –85. Indian Precambrian. Scientific Publishers (India), Jodhpur, 547– 556.
Barman, G. 1980. An analysis of the Marwar Besin, Western Rajasthan, Gopalan, K. & Choudhary, A. K. 1984. The crustal records in
in the light of stromatolitic study. Geological Survey of India, Hyder- Rajasthan. Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Science (Earth
abad, Miscellaneous Publications, 44, 292– 297. and Planetary Sciences), 93, 337– 342.
Bhattacharyya, P. K. & Mukherjee, A. D. 1984. Petrochemistry of Gopalan, K., Trivedi, J. R., Balasubramanyaum, M. N., Ray, S. K. &
metamorphosed pillows and the geochemical status of amphibolites Sastri, C. A. 1979. Rb– Sr geochronology of the Ketri belt,
(Proterozoic) from Sirohi District, Rajasthan, India. Geological Rajasthan. Journal of the Geological Society of India, 20, 450– 456.
Magazine, 121, 465 – 473. Gopalan, K., Macdaugall, J. D., Roy, A. B. & Murali, A. V. 1990.
Bhowmik, S. K., Bernhardt, H-J. & Dasgupta, S. 2010. Grenvillian age Sm–Nd evidence for 3.3 Ga old rock in Rajasthan, north-western
high-pressure upper amphibolite–granulite metamorphism in the India. Precambrian Research, 48, 287 – 297.
Aravalli –Delhi Mobile Belt, Northwestern India: new evidence Gregory, L. C., Meert, J. G., Bingen, B. A., Pandit, M. K. & Torsvik,
from monazite chemical age and its implication. Precambrian T. H. 2009. Paleomagentism and geochronology of the Malani
Research, 178, 168– 184. igneous suite, northwest India: implications for the configuration of
Bhushan, S. K. 1984. Classification of Malani Igneous Suite. In: Sym- Rodinia and the assembly of Gondwana. Precambrian Research,
posium on Three Decades of Development in Petrology, Mineralogy 170, 13– 26.
and Petrochemistry in India. Geological Survey of India, Hyderabad, Gupta, B. C. 1934. The geology of Central Mewar. Geological Survey of
Special Publications, 12, 199– 205. India, Hyderabad, Memoirs, 65, 107 –168.
Bhushan, S. K. 1991. Granitoids of Malani Igneous Complex, Western Gupta, B. C. & Mukherjee, P. N. 1938. Geology of Gujarat and southern
Rajasthan. India Journal of Earth Sciences, 18, 184 –194. Rajputana. Record, Geological Survey of India, 73, 103 –208.
Bhushan, S. K. 2000. Malani Rhyolites – a review. Gondwana Research, Gupta, S. N., Arora, Y. K., Mathur, R. K., Iqbaluddin,, Prasad, B.,
3, 65 – 77. Sahai, T. N. & Sharma, S. B. 1980. Lithostratigraphic Map of the
Buick, I. S., Allen, C., Pandit, M., Rubatto, D. & Herman, J. 2006. Aravalli Region, Southern Rajasthan and Northeastern Gujarat. Geo-
The Proterozoic magmatic and metamorphic history of the Banded logical Survey of India, Calcutta, Scale 1:1,000,000.
Gneissic Complex, central Rajasthan, India: La-ICP-MS U –Pb Gupta, P., Mukhopadhyay, K., Fareeduddin, & Reddy, M. S. 1995.
zircon constraints. Precambrian Research, 151, 119– 142. Stratigraphy and structure of Delhi Supergroup of rocks in central
 Downloaded from http://mem.lyellcollection.org/ at University of Birmingham on March 19, 2015

64 A. B. ROY & R. PUROHIT

part of Aravalli Range. Record, Geological Survey of India, 120, Pandit, M. K., Sial, A. N., Jamrani, S. S. & Ferreira, V. P. 2001.
12 –26. Carbon isotopic profile across the Bilara Group Rocks of
Heron, A. M. 1917a. Geology of Northeastern Rajputana and Adjacent Trans-Aravalli Marwar Supergroup in Western India: implications
Districts. Geological Survey of India, Hyderabad, Memoirs, 45. for Neoproterozoic – Cambrian Transition. Gondwana Research, 4,
Heron, A. M. 1917b. The Byana –Lalsot hills Eastern Rajputana. Record, 387 – 394.
Geological Survey of India, 48, 181 –203. Pandit, M. K., Carter, L. M., Ashwal, L. D., Tucker, R. D., Torsvik,
Heron, A. M. 1923. Geology of Western Jaipur. Record, Geological T. H., Jamtveit, B. & Bhushan, S. K. 2003. Age, petrogenesis and
Survey of India, 54, 345 –397. significance of Early Neoproterozoic granitoids and related rocks
Heron, A. M. 1936. Geology of Pre-Vindhyan Geology of Rajputana. from the Sendra area, Aravalli Craton, NW India. Journal of Asian
Transactions of the National Institute Science, India, 1, 17 –33. Earth Science, 22, 363 – 381.
Heron, A. M. 1953. Geology of Central Rajputana. Geological Survey of Pareek, H. S. 1981. Petrochemistry and petrogenesis of the Malani
India, Hyderabad, Memoirs, 79. Igneous Suite, India. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America
Just, J., Schulz, B., de Wall, H., Jourdan, F. & Pandit, M. K. 2011. (I & II), 92, 206 – 273.
Monazite CHIME/EPMA dating of Erinpura granitoid deformation: Pareek, H. S. 1984. Pre-Quaternary Geology and Mineral Resources of
Implications for Neoproterozoic tectono-thermal evolution of NW Northwestern Rajasthan. Geological Survey of India, Hyderabad,
India. Gondwana Research, 19, 402 –412. Memoirs, 115.
Kaufman, A. J., Jian, G., Christic-Blick, N., Banerjee, D. M. & Rai, Peucat, J. J., Ohta, Y., Gree, D. G. & Bernard-Griffiths, J. 1989.
V. 2006. Stable isotope record of the thermal Neoproterozoic Krol U –Pb, Sr and Nd evidence for Grenvillian and latest Proterozoic tec-
platform in the Lesser Himalayas of northern India. Precambrian tonothermal activity in the Spitbergen Caledonodes, Arctic Ocean.
Research, 147, 156 – 185. Lithos, 22, 275 –285.
Kaur, P., Chaudhri, N., Raczek, I., Kröner, A. & Hofmann, A. W. Poddar, B. C. 1965. Stratigraphic position of the Banded Gneissic
2009. Record of 1.82 GaAndean-type continental arc magmatism in Complex of Rajasthan. Current Science, 34, 433 – 434.
NE Rajasthan, India: insights from zircon and Sm–Nd ages, com- Purohit, R., Sanyal, P., Roy, A. B. & Bhattachrya, S. K. 2010. d13
bined with Nd –Sr isotope geochemistry. Gondwana Research, 16, enrichment in the Palaeoproterozoic carbonate rocks of the Aravalli
56 –71. Supergroup NW India: influence of depositional environment. Gond-
Kaur, P., Zeh, A., Chaudhri, N., Gerdes, A. & Okrusch, M. 2011a. wana Research, 18, 538 –546.
Archaean to Palaeo-proterozoic crustal evolution of the Aravalli Purohit, R., Mehta, P., Bhu, H. & Avadich, P. C. 2012a. Tectonostrati-
orogen, NW India, and its hinterland: the U– Pb and Hf isotope graphic status of the Proteorozoic Babarmal pink marble from the
record of detrital zircon. Precambrian Research, 187, 155 –164. Aravalli supergroup. Journal of the Geological Society of India, 79,
Kaur, P., Chaudhri, N., Raczek, I., Kröner, A., Hofmann, A. W. & 235 – 250.
Okrusch, M. 2011b. Zircon ages of late Palaeoproterozoic Purohit, R., Papineau, D., Kröner, A., Sharma, K. K. & Roy, A. B.
(c. 1.72– 1.70 Ga) extension-related granitoids in NE Rajasthan, 2012b. Carbon isotope geochemistry and geochronological con-
India: regional and tectonic significance. Gondwana Research, 19, straints of the Neoproterozoic Sirohi Group from northwest India.
1040– 1053. Precambrian Research, 220 – 211, 80– 90.
Kaur, P., Zeh, A., Chaudhri, N., Gerdes, A. & Okrusch, M. 2013. Purohit, R., Bhu, H., Sarkar, A. & Joga Ram, 2015. Evolution of the
Nature of magmatism and sedimentation at a Columbia active ultramafic bodies of the Rakhabdev and Jharol belts in southeastern
margin: insights from combined U–Pb and Lu –Hf isotope data of Rajasthan, India: new evidence from imagery mapping, petro-
detrital zircons from NW India. Gondwana Research, 23, minerological and O–H stable isotope studies. Journal of the Geo-
1040– 1052. logical Society of India, 84, in press.
Khan, M. S., Smith, T. E., Raza, M. & Huang, J. 2005. Geology, geo- Rathore, S. S., Venkatesh, T. R. & Srivastava, R. K. 1999. Rb– Sr
chemistry and tectonic significance of mafic –ultramafic rocks of isotope dating of Neoproteroozic (Malani Group) magmatism from
Mesoproterozoic Phulad Ophiolite Suite of South Delhi Fold Belt, southwest Rajasthan, India: evidence of younger Pan-African
NW Indian Shield. Gondwana Research, 4, 553– 566. thermal event by 40Ar – 39Ar studies. Gondwana Research, 2,
Kochhar, N. 1984. Malani Igneous Suite: hot-spot magmatism and crato- 271 – 281.
nization of the northern part of the Indian shield. Journal of the Geo- Roy, A. B. 1988. Stratigraphic and tectonic framework of the Aravalli
logical Society of India, 25, 155 – 161. Mountain Range. In: Roy, A. B. (ed.) Precambrian of the Aravalli
Kochhar, N. & Dhar, S. 1993. The association of hypersolvous– Mountain, Rajasthan, India. Geological Survey of India, Hyderabad,
subsolvous granites: a study of Malani Igneous Suite, India. Memoirs, 7, 3– 31.
Journal of the Geological Society of India, 42, 449 – 476. Roy, A. B. 1990. Evolution of early Precambrian crust of the Aravalli
Kumar, V. 1999. Evolution and geological set-up of the Nagaur– Mountain range. In: Naqvi, S. M. (ed.) Precambrian Continental
Ganganagar Basin, northwestern Rajasthan. In: Paliawal, B. (ed.) Crust and its Economic Resources. Development of Precambrian
Geological Evolution of Northwestern India. Scientific Publishers Geology, Elsevier, Oxford, 327 – 348.
(India), Jodhpur, 34 –60. Roy, A. B. 1998. Malani Igneous Suite of rocks (Correspondence).
La Touche, T. D. H. 1902. Geology of Western Rajputana. Geological Journal of the Geological Society of India, 51, 556– 557.
Survey of India, Hyderabad, Memoirs, 35. Roy, A. B. 2000. Geology of Palaeoproterozoic Aravalli Supergroup of
Meert, J. G. 2012. What’s in a name? The Columbia (Paleopangaea/ Rajasthan and northern Gujarat. In: Deb, M. (ed.) Crustal Evolution
Nuna) supercontinent. Gondwana Research, 21, 987– 993. and Mettalogeny in Northeastern Indian Shield. Narosa, New Delhi,
Mukhopadhyay, D., Bhattacharya, T., Chattopadhya, N., Lopez, R. 87 – 114.
& Tobisch, O. T. 2000. Anasagar gneiss: a folded granitoids pluton in Roy, A. B. 2006. Proterozoic lithostratigraphy and geochronologic frame-
the Protarozoic South Delhi Fold Belt, Central Rajasthan. Proceed- work of the Aravalli Mountains and adjoining areas in Rajasthan and
ings of the Indian Academy of Science (Earth and Planetary neighbouring states, northwest India. Indian Journal of Geology, 78,
Sciences), 109, 21 –37. 5 –18.
Naha, K. & Halyburton, R. V. 1974. Early Precambrian stratigraphy of Roy, A. B. & Jakhar, S. R. 2002. Geology of Rajasthan: Precambrian to
central and southern Rajasthan, India. Precambrian Research, 1, Recent. Scientific Publishers (India), Jodhpur.
55 –73. Roy, A. B. & Kataria, P. 1999. Precambrian geology of Aravalli Moun-
Naha, K. & Mohanty, S. 1990. Structural studies in the Pre-Vindhyan tains and neighbourhood: analytical update of recent studies. In:
rocks of Rajasthan: a summary of work of the last three decades. Pro- Kataria, P. (ed.) Proceedings of the Seminar on the Geology of
ceedings of the Indian Academy of Science (Earth and Planetary Rajasthan: Status and Perspective. Mohanlal Sukhadia University,
Sciences) (special issue on structure & tectonics, ‘The Indian Udaipur, 81 – 86.
Scene’), 99, 279 – 291. Roy, A. B. & Kröner, A. 1996. Single zircon evaporation ages constrain-
Naha, K. & Roy, A. B. 1983. The problem of Precambrian basement in ing the growth of the Archaean Aravalli craton, northwestern Indian
Rajasthan, Western India. Precambrian Research, 19, 217 – 234. shield. Geological Magazine, 133, 333 – 342.
 Downloaded from http://mem.lyellcollection.org/ at University of Birmingham on March 19, 2015

PRECAMBRIAN BASINS OF ARAVALLI MOUNTAINS 65

Roy, A. B. & Paliwal, B. S. 1981. Evolution of lower Proterozoic epicon- Schleicher, H., Todt, W., Viladkar, S. G. & Schimdt, F. 1997. Pb – Pb
tinental deposits: Stromatolite bearing Aravalli rocks of Udaipur, age determinations of the Newania and Savattur carbonatites of India:
Rajasthan, India. Precambrian Research, 14, 49– 74. evidence for multiple stage histories. Chemical Geology, 140,
Roy, A. B. & Sharma, K. K. 1999. Geology of the region around Sirohi 261– 273.
town, western Rajasthan- A story of Neoproterozoic evolution of Singh, S. P. 1988. Stratigraphic and sedimentation patterns of the
the Aravalli crust. In: Paliwal, B. S. (ed.) Geological Evolution of Proterozoic Delhi Supergruop, northeastern Rajasthan, India. In:
Northwestern India. Scientific Publishers (India), Jodhpur, 19 –33. Roy, A. B. (ed.) Precambrians of the Aravalli Mountain, Rajasthan.
Roy, A. B., Nagori, D., Golani, P. R., Dhakar, S. P. & Choudhuri, R. Geological Survey of India, Hyderabad, Memoirs, 7, 193 – 206.
1980. Structural geometry of the phosphorite bearing Aravalli rocks Sinha-Roy, S. 1984. Precambrian crustal interaction in Rajasthan, NW
around Jhamarkortra Mines area, Udaipur dist., Rajasthan. Indian India. In: Proceedings of Seminar on Crustal Evolution of Indian
Journal of Earth Science, 7, 191– 202. Shield and its Bearing on Metallogeny. Indian Journal of Earth
Roy, A. B., Golani, P. R. & Bejarniya, B. R. 1985. The Ahar River Sciences, 11, 84 –91.
Granite: its stratigraphic and Structural relation with the Proterozoic Sinha-Roy, S. & Mohanty, M. 1988. Blue schist facies metamorphism
rock of south-eastern Rajasthan. Journal of the Geological Society of in the ophiolite melange of the late Proterozoic Delhi Fold Belt,
India, 26, 315 – 325. Rajasthan, India. Precambrian Research, 42, 97– 105.
Roy, A. B., Paliwal, B. S., Shekhawat, S. S., Nagori, D. K., Golani, Sinha-Roy, S., Malhotra, G. & Mohanty, M. 1998. Geology of
P. R. & Bejarniya, B. R. 1988. Stratigraphy of the Aravalli Super- Rajasthan. Geological Society of India, Bangalore.
group in the type area. In: Roy, A. B. (ed.) Precambrians of Aravalli Torsvik, T. H., Ashwal, L. D., Tucker, R. D. & Eide, E. A. 2001a. Neo-
Mountain, Rajasthan, India. Geological Survey of India, Hyderabad, proterozoic geochronology and paleogeography of the Seychelles
Memoirs, 7, 121– 131. microcontinent: the India link. Precambrian Research, 110, 47 – 59.
Roy, A. B., Kataria, P., Kumar, S. & Laul, V. 2000. Tectonic study Torsvik, T. H., Carter, L. M., Ashwal, L. D., Bhushan, S. K., Pandit,
of Archaean Greenstone association from Rakhiawal, east of M. K. & Jamtveit, B. 2001b. Rodinia refined or obscured: paleomag-
Udaipur, Southern Rajasthan. In: Gyani, K. C. & Kataria, P. (eds) netism of the Malani Igneous Suite (NW India). Precambrian
Proceedings of National Seminar on Geology of Rajasthan: Research, 108, 319 –333.
Status and Perspective. Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, Trivedi, J. R., Gopalan, K. & Patel, S. P. 1987. Whole rock and mineral
143 – 157. Rb– Sr isochron ages of the Idar Granite, north Gujarat. In: Saha,
Roy, A. B., Kröner, A. & Laul, V. 2001. Detrital zircons constraining A. K. (ed.) Geological Evolution of Peninsular India-Petrological
basement age in a late Archaean greenstone belt of south-eastern and Structural Aspects. Recent Researches in Geology, Hindustan
Rajasthan, India. Current Science, 81, 407 –410. Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 13, 77– 83.
Roy, A. B., Kroner, A., Laul, V. & Purohit, R. 2004. Single zircon Tucker, R. D., Ashwal, L. D. & Torsvik, T. H. M. 2001. U– Pb geo-
dating of hypersthene-bearing granitoids from Balarampur-Abu chronology of Sychellesgranitoids: Neoproterozoic continental arc
Road area, southern part of the Aravalli Mountains, NW India – fragment. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 187, 27 –38.
Implications for Malani magmatism related thermal event. In: Van Lente, B., Ashwal, L. D., Pandit, M. K., Bowring, S. A. &
Thomas, H. (ed.) Metamorphism and Crustal Evolution. Atlantic, Torsvik, T. H. 2009. Neoproterozoic hydrothermally-altered basaltic
Delhi, 339 –346. rocks from Rajasthan, northwest India; implications for late Precam-
Roy, A. B., Kröner, A., Bhattacharyya, P. K. & Rathore, S. 2005. brian tectonic evolution of the Aravalli Craton. Precambrian
Metamorphic evolution and zircon geochronology of early Protero- Research, 170, 202 –222.
zoic granulites in the Aravalli Mountains of northwestern India. Geo- Venkataraman, P. L., Ray, S. M., Vishwanathan, T. V. & Murthy,
logical Magazine, 142, 287 –302. M. V. N. 1968. Comagmatic relationship among rhyolites and high
Roy, A. B., Kröner, A., Rathore, S., Laul, V. & Purohit, R. 2012. level granites of the Malani Suite, Rajasthan, India. Geological
Tectono-metamorphic and geochronologic studies from Sandmata Survey of India, Hyderabad, Miscellaneous Publications, 8, 93– 105.
Complex, northwest Indian Shield: implications on exhumation of Vinogradov, A. P., Tugarinov, A. I., Zhukov, C. I., Stanikova, N. I.,
late-Palaeoproterozoic granulites in an Archaean – early Palaeopro- Bibikova, E. V. & Khorre, K. 1964. Geochronology of Indian Pre-
terozoic granite –gneiss terrane. Journal of the Geological Society cambrians. In:, Report, 22nd International Geological Congress
of India, 79, 323 –334. New Delhi, 10, 553 – 567.
Sarangi, S., Gopalan, K., Roy, A. B., Sreenivas, B. & Das Sharma, S. Volpe, A. M. & Macdaugall, J. D. 1990. Geochemistry and isotope
2006. Pb –Pb age of the carbonates of Jhamarkotra Formation con- characteristics of mafic (Phulad Ophiolite) and related rocks in the
straining the age of the Aravalli Supergroup, Rajasthan. Journal of Delhi Supergroup, Rajasthan, India: Implications for rifting in the
the Geological Society of India, 67, 442 – 446. Proterozoic. Precambrian Research, 48, 167– 191.
Sarkar, G., Barman, T. R. & Corfu, F. 1989. Timing of continental arc Wiedenbeck, M. & Goswami, J. N. 1994. An ion-probe single zircon
207
magmatism in northwest India: evidence from U– Pb geochronology. Pb/206Pb age from Mewar Gneiss at Jhamarkotra, Rajasthan.
Journal of Geology, 97, 607 – 612. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 58, 2135– 2141.
Sengupta, S. 1984. A reinterpretation of the stratigraphy of central Wiedenbeck, M., Goswami, J. N. & Roy, A. B. 1996. Stabilization
Rajasthan between Rajosi and Chowdasya, Ajmer District, Rajasthan, of the Aravalli craton of the northwestern India at 2.5 Ga.: an
India. Indian Journal of Geology, 11, 38– 49. ion-microprobe zircon study. Chemical Geology, 129, 325 – 340.