Lithostratigraphy and Palynostratigraphy of the Lower Gondwana Formations in the Hutar Coalfield, Palamau District, Bihar, India
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The Palaeobofanisf, ~1(2): 176-190, 1983. LITHOSTRATIGRAPHY AND PALYNOSTRATIGRAPHY OF THE LOWER GONDWANA FORMATIONS IN THE HUTAR COALFIELD, PALAMAU DISTRICT, BIHAR, INDIA MANOJ SHUKLA Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road, Lucknow 226007, India ABSTRACT The paper deals with the various aspects of lithostratigraphy of the Hular Coalfield alongwith the palynoflora recovered from the various formations. The palynozonation of the Lower Gondwana formations has been done on the basis of palynofloras re covered from the samples belonging to three measured sections along Deori Naja, Saphi Nala and Koel River. Extension of these zones in various other nalas of the Hutar Coalfield has been traced. Comparison of these palynozones with those in other Lower Gondwana coalfields has also been done. Assemblage Zone 5 of the Barakar Formation contains a palynoflora similar to the Barren-Measure Formation of otha coalfields. Key-words - Palynostratigraphy, LithostratigraphY, Lower Gondwana, HUlar Coalfield, India. mmr ~ (~) -tf'!.:~ !1T<irn~~!.f it "ll<'rfll6; "R'R if; g-<ln: 'l>1!.f<1T-ali'f~it >;ruP;~'l1:5ifT'fT m, 'fiT ~ q (l'iiOlwF<if;'pOl - llff<1T ~ ma-<rn it ~ m,-~ ~ ~<m<!1 lfU'TT1I1fq"f; ~fcr;rffi if; Wlf-Wlf g-<ln: 'fiTl:l<1T ~ ~ 'l1~r m,~ e'ffi ~ ~i\1fdF<"'l if; Pn'll?r 'fiT m;r;; f'!;m 1T1lT I >;ruP; 'fit q"([lTT'lT ~ "T~ ~ m~ fq"f; 'IffiR ~ 'IT\1T, fTT'li't 'IT\1T C('l' 'l>1!ffi "Ten if; Wlf-Wlf ~ <tii if; qU ~.q'1fYfd"lld if; man: <n: f'!;m 1T1lT ~ I g<m: 'l>1!.f<ir-em- if; ~ f'll?f-f'll?r "Tr<1'i it ~ <tii ~ ~ ~ ~ >;r!1~ 'l1~r ~ 'fiT fu:m<: f'!;m 1T1lT I HlliiOIFn t:is<1'i '!<i'fT JA'!.f 'l>1!.f<ir-e:t<ii '1ft ~ ~ ~ I orrm;n: m,-ff~Q if; tf~'Oi'f!.f-li:S<i - 5 ~ ~m 'fU11TlITf<f~ Q;mfu"l"T<1 5Il"d ~r ~ ~~T ~B m,~ ~ ~-~ ~ "1"1 fif; J;p:f if; m I INTRODUCTION Glossopteris indica, G. damudica, Ganga mopteris cyc/opteroides var. attenuata, G. HE Hutar Coalfield (latitude, 23°44' to cyc/opteroides var. subauriculata, coniferous 23°52' and longitude, 83°53' to 84°11 ') branch and equisetaceous stems, found T• lies in east-west trending Gond near the northern mergin of the Hutar wana belt along Koel Valley. Earlier, Coalfield. Ghosh, Singh and Acharyya Ball (1880) and Rizvi (1972) prepared (1977) reported the presence of Barren the detailed geological maps of this coalfield. Measures Formation in the Hutar Coalfield They recognized only three groups of sedi without giving any details. Palynological ments, vi,.;., Talchir, Barakar and Mahadeva. analysis of the Talchir Formation has been Recently, Shukla (1982) demarcated the done by Lele and Shukla (1981). Karharbari Formation in this coalfield The Gondwana sediments in the Hutar and revised the geological map of Rizvi Coalfield form a syncline. They are sur (1972). The presence of Karharbari sedi rounded on all sides by Archaeans. The ments was earlier inferred by Festimantel Talchir Formation rests nonconformably (1886) on the basis of plant fossils, viz., over the Archaeans. The Talchir sediments IN SHUKLA - LITHOSTRATIGRAPHY OF LOWER GONDWANA FORMATIONS 177 are succeeded by the K3.rharbari Forma Striations on the boulders are rarely seen. tion. A conglomtfate between the Talchir The granite gneisses, vein-quartz, amphi and Karharbari sediments indicates a hiatus bolite Schist, pegmatite, quartzite and Jespar betw.:en these two formations. The Karhar form most of the pebbles while boulders b:Hi-Barakar boundary is mostly faulted are made of granite gneisses. They are except in the east and north-eastern parts embedded in a' sandy matrix. of the coalfield. Norm'll contacts are The sandstone varies from fine to medium m3.rked by the ridgeforming Chocolate brown grained and is poorly sorted. In a vertical to red Lower B:Hakar sandstone in this section the member shows pseudostrati coalfield. Dhankutia, Dhaj and Ranimai fication. hillocks mark this contact in the eastern 2. Shale Member - This member overlies and north- north-eastern portion of the the Basal Sandstone Conglomerate Member. coalfield. The Barakar sandstone is It shows two lithological facies: ovulain by massive red sandstone of the (i) Shale jacies comprising greenish-yellow, Mahadeva Formation with an angular u n fine-grained splintery shales which break conformity. into small needle-like fragments. (ii) Rhythmite jacies is represented by varves and sh,de siltstone alternations. The LITHOSTRATIGRAPHY varves are best exposed in the Saphi Nala near Ukamnar Village and in The Archaeans surrounding the Hutar the Behra Nala near Putvagarh Village. Coalfield belong to a series of metamorphic They Show alternation between dark rocks consisting of granites, gneisses with green clayey and light grey silty layers. mica, hornblende and quartz veins. Re These Jayds invariably exhibit graded gionally these rocks are uniform in nature. appearance within the laminae and vary The area in the south of the Hutar Coal in thickness Variation is more fre field is covered by granite gneisses, in which quent in the light coloured silty layers. quartz veins having general trend of £15° Laterally as well as vertically the varves N-W 15°S are also seen. Some of these grade into shales. In the Ukamnar veins are up to 30 cm thick. Towards area they are seen affected by reverse north-west, black synite is present. In faulting. Ripple marks, current bedd the west of the coalfield, the a rea is covered ing, slump structure, etc. are also ob with gneisses, traversed by pegmatite and served in the sediments associated with quartz veins. Granite gneisses traversed them. The shales, immediately over by dolerite dykes are seen in the East of lying the varves, show dropstones. the coalfield. These dykes are trending The siltstone alternation are exposed in east-west. Deori Nala, Ukamnar area and the Behra Nala exposures. The silty layers vary in thickness from 2-20 cm and can be distin TALCHIR FORMATION guished from the shales due to differential type of weathering, massive appearance This form3.tion is distinguishable into and compact nature. These beds are the following three membus in ascending laterally traceable in the field for long order. The scheme proposed by Ghosh distances. and Mitra (1969) has been followed here 3. Upper Sandstone Member - It is coarse for stratigraphic classification. grained and greenish in colour and CO\l /. Basal Sandstone Conglomerate Member stituted mostly of immature subround - It is characterized by lateral and vertical ed quartz grains and rock fragments. variations in the lithology from conglo The sandstone is overlain by a con merate to sandstone. Towards southern glomerate. side of the coalfield the boulder bed is seen grading into sandstone and shale. Some conglomeratic lenses have also been noticed KA}{HARBARI FORMATION in the sandstone. Boulders and pebbles forming these bedS range from I cm to The Karharbari Formation in the Hutar 1 m in size and are subrounded in nature. Coalfield is seen overlying the Talchir 178 THE PALAEOBOTANIST Formation without any discordance in dips, BARAKAR FORMATION but the beds of the two formations are separated by a bed of conglomerate i ndicat It has been divided into following three ing a hiatus. This conglomerate bed is members: noticeable both in the Koel and the Deori 1. Compact red Sandstone Member - It Nala sections. Some good sections of the is a characteristic member which can be Karharbari Formation are exposed in deeper taken as marker horizon to separate the nala - and river-cuttings through the Barakar and Karharbari formations. Due to Barakar sandstones. This formation con hard and compact nature of the sediments in sists of thick succession of gritty ferruginous this member it stands out in the form of a sandstones separated by thi n coal-shale number of hillocks which mark the Kar beds. harbari-Barakar boundary. The sandstone I. Basal Conglomerate Member - The is red to chocolate brown, coarse-grained pebbles are mostly of granite gneiss, horn and poorly sorted. Occasionally, the lenses blende-schist, mica schist, chlorite-schist, of conglomerate are also present. Pebbles quartzite, vein-quartz, Talchir Shale and are mostly of quartz. epidiorites, which are set in a fine sandy 2. Critty Sandstone Member - This mem matrix. In the past, this conglomerate ber is also composed of two distinct was classified with the Talchir boulder lithologies, viz., gritty sandstone and coal beds due to apparent lithological similarities. shale. In the present work it is taken as a basal Sandstone - It is coarse grained and unit of the Karharbari Formation, as it occasionally gritty. The grains are sub marks the beginning of the Karharbari rounded. Le.nses of conglomerate made cycles of sedimentation. • up of immature quartz pebbles are also 2. Critty Sandstone Member - It consists seen. It is less ferruginous than the Kar of two distinct types of sediments, viz., harbari sandstones. Iron nodules are also sandstones and coal-shales. Four coal-shale rare. At few places, carbonaceous grits beds have been observed in the Deori Nala associated with shale beds have also been Section, where the Karharbari Formation seen. is best exposed.. Coal-Shale bed - The lower Barakar sedi Sandstones - They are medium-to coarse ments of this coalfield are characterized grained, reddish brown, poorly sorted and by thick and frequent coal seams. The mainly composed of subrounded quartz coal is generally shaly and dull in nature. and feldspar grains. Occasionally, the sand The coal seams show gradational contact stones are gritty to pebbly. At places iron with sandstones passing through shale and nodules are also seen in the sandstone. sandy shale beds.