PALYNOLOGICAL SUCCESSION of the LO\I\Ler GOND\I\Lana \
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The Palaeobofanisl, 32(1): 26-34, 1984. PALYNOLOGICAL SUCCESSION OF THE LO\i\lER GOND\i\lANA \. SEDIMENTS IN UMARIA COALFIELD, MADHYA PRADESH, INDIA SURESH C. SRIVASTAVA & ANAND-PRAKASH Birbal S:lhni Tn,titute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road, Lucknow 226 007, India ABSTRACT Palynological investigation of the Lower Gondwana sediments from Umrar River section and Umaria Coal Mine, Umaria Coalfield has been described. Four miofloral zones have been recognized. The first zone is characterized by the dominance of Callu mispora+Jayanfisporiles and the second wne is marked by the dominance of Parasaccites and belongs to Lower and Upper Karharbari miofloras respectively. Miofloral Zone-3 has the dominance of Scheuringipollenites, whereas Miofloral Zone-4 shows the overall dominance of striate-disaccate pollen grains representing the Lower and Upper Barakar \........ miofloras in succession. Key-words - Palynology, Ca/lumispora, Jayantisporifes, Parasaccites, Scheuringi pollenites, Umaria Coalfield, Lower Gondwana (India). mm-r ~ ~ ~-mr ~ ~ ~-W:~ lWr ('ifro'f) if; ~~~~-~if J;fW<: 'f>f 'RflTf1lTN'f> ~ ~-effi ~ ~-l9T'f ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ '1ft m if; 'fiT <nJlTTUT ~ ~ ~e:ll'l'1~fCl;;mfl(. ~ ~ ~ ~. ~ f'f>liT lflIT ~ I if; 'n: 'i!'l"<: <r'1Tit lfi1" I ~ m'l1mlfO'rd'~, ~ ~<'f ir~ ll~ ~ <h~'lf'l'i4I(1 + \i111f.d'i4l(i'iife'l '1ft ij' ~ ~ ~ ?fiJT~: ~ ~ifTU ~1}'1<R~ ~ mr '1ft Olffif CNT J;fW<: ;o'lf<: ~ ij' tfKff.mf I ~1}~Rr"l"Rft<:r ~<'f - 3 rofwrifr.r'1"f'!ifhf ij' ll"'+1T<ft ~, "1'~f'f> - 4 'tf\N-fu:'liT501'l" 'RflT ~ ~ ~ 'Ii""l1 'Ift~!fflT if; tWi-m~ J;f'flill" if ~ ~ ;oqf( if<[ifi( ~1?~Rr"1'rn1 'fiT I INTRODUCTION dating by Feistmantel (1882) and Hughes (1885). Chandra and Srivastava (1982) HE Umaria Coalfield is situated in have also described three species of ,Gan South Rewa Gondwana Basin gamopteris, four species of Glossopteris, T between longitudes 80°47'-80°56' and and few equisetalean stems from Umaria, latitudes 23°29'-23°38'. Feistmantel (1882) and equated their assemblage with the and Hughes (1885) first described the plant known KHharbari assemblages. However, fossils from the CJal-bearing beds. Maithy Fox (1931) considered them to be Barakar (1966) recorded Gangamopteris cyclopteroides in age and thus the age of the coal-bearing Feistmantel, Glossopteris indica Schimper, beds remained a controversial subject. In Noeggerathiopsis sp., Cordaicarpus zeilleri addition to these, Tripathi (1952) discovered Maithy, cf. Gondwanidium sp. and few some megaspores from the coal horizon equisetale3.n stems. He also recorded 15 of Umaria Coalfield. The Talchir For miospore genera, majority of monosaccate mation including the marine intercalations pollen grains, and thus snggested a Kar- were studied by Lele and Chandra (1969, harbari age for the coal-bearing beds of 1972) and Chandra and Lele (1979). The Umaria Coalfield conforming to the earlier miofloral records were rather poor but ,.- 20 SRIVASTAVA & ANAND-PRAKASH - PALYNOLOGICAL SUCCESSION OF L. GONDWANA 27 the marine bed yielded considerably rich Supra Barakar Massive, conglomeratic, pebbly and gritty, white sandstone with acritarchs. Thus, obviously, the knowledge intercalations of red clay regarding palynological fossils of the Lower Gondwana sediments of Umaria Coalfield Barakar Massive, medium to coarse grained sandstone, shale and remains incomplete and hence to fill the coal seams lacunae an attempt has been made here to work out a palynostratigraphic succession Talchir Marine bed, greenish pebbly of sediments. sandstone, clay and shales . GEOLOGY Metamorphics Gneisses and schists The geology of the area was first studied The Lower Gondwana sediments are by Medlicott (1860) and later by Hughes deposited over the Archeans which are (1879-81). Gee in 1928 proved the existence exposed towards west, north and southern of workable coal seams. Later, Venkata p:ut of the coalfield. The oldest formation, ppayya, Deshmukh and Srivastava (1960) i.e. Talchir Formation, rests over the meta mapped the area in detail. The known morphics and is exposed along Umrar River geological formations in the UmHia Coal and a few tributaries south and south-west field are as follows (Mapi) : of Umaria. The marine fossiliferous beds 23· 35'1 INDEX ,••••·1 TRAP }{ ~ SUPRA BARAKAR F:»:":·I BARAKAR ~t-:-::3 TALCHIR 1 METAMORPHICS [TI VIELDING SAMPLES 0 I Mile I , MAP 1 - Geological map of the Umaria Coalfield, Madhya Pradesh (after Hughes, 1884). ,1 28 THE PALAEOBOTANIST are exposed in the railway cutting near Seam T 1.2-1.5 m Narsarha nala north-west of Umaria railway Parting 12.1 m station. The B3.rakar Form3.tion overlies Seam H 1.5-2.4 m the Talchir Formation and is the principal Parting 24.3-27.4 m coal-bearing horizon in this coalfield and Seam III 1.5-3.9 m includes massive, medium to coarse-grained Parting 2.7-7.0 m sandstones, shale and six c03.1 seam,. The Seam IV 1.5-2.1 m succession of these sediments is exposed Parting 12.1 m along Umrar Rivu which ultim3.tely traverses S;:am V 1.0 m (Exposed near the into Supra BJrakar sediments in the northern railway bridge) part of the Unnria Coalfield. Parting 24.3 m The general succession of coal seams in Seam VI 1.2 m (Exposed near the this area is as follows: Jwalamukhi temple) TABLE 1-SHOWING DETAlLS OF SAMPLES COLLECTED FROM THE UMARIA COALFIELD SAMPLE LOCALITY LITHOTYPE ACE MIOSPORE No. OCCURRENCE Umrar River Section GI Sandstone Supra Barakar? G2 Fine grained sandstone Barakar? G3 Coarse grained sandstone Barakar G4 Sandy Shale Barakar ++ G5 Sandstone Barakar G6 Near Kalesar Ghat Sandstone Barakar G7 Sandstone Barakar G8 Medium grained sandstone Barakar G9 Bdl~w railw~y bridge Carbonaceous shale Barakar ++ G10 Sandstone Barakar Gil Sandstone Barakar Spicules? GI2 Sandstone Barakar Gl3 South of railw'~y bridge Top sandy shale (2 m) Barakar ++ Gl4 Carbonaceous shale Barakar ++ Gl5 " Carbonaceous shale (2 m) Barakar ++ Gl6 " Sandstone G17 Sandstone GI8 Sandstone Talchir " + Railway Cutting Gl9 Sandstone Talchir G20 Boulder bed Talchir G21 Sandstone Talchir G22 Needle shale Talchir G23 Needle shale Talchir G24 Basement rock Archean Jwalamukhi Temple un Tributary of Umrar River Coal Barakar ++ un On the bank facing the Coal Barakar ++ temple Umaria Coal Mine Bottom coal+underlying Barakar + shale - III seam 2 Top Coal III Seam + 3 Carbonaceous shale over- + lying III seam 4 Coal- IV Seam + 5 Coal- V Seam + Note: + +, rich in miospores; +, miospores rare; -. miospores absent. SRIVASTAVA & ANAND-pRAKASH- PALYNOLOGICAL SUCCESSION OF L. GONDWANA 29 TABLE 2-SHOWING PERCENTAGE COMPOSITION OF MIOSPORE GENERA IN THE YIELDING SAMPLES UNDER STUDY, UMARIA COALFIELD GENERA/SAMPLE No. ]WALA UMRAR RIVER SECTION UMARIA MUKHI COAL TEMPLE South of Rly. bridge Rly. bridge MINE U1/I +2 GI5 GI4 GI3 G9 G4 5 Leiotriletes 3.0 1.0 0.5 Callumispora 30.0 21.0 7.0 4.0 4.0 1.0 Hennellysporites 1.0 1.0 2.0 1.0 1.0 Cydogranisporites 1.0 Verrucosisporites 0.5 Lopbotriletes 1.0 2.0 1.0 Brevitriletes 5.0 1.5 1.0 1.0 7.0 12.0 2.0 Pseudoreticulatispora 1.0 Horriditriletes 3.0 1.0 M icrobaculispora 5.0 16.0 23.0 6.0 2.0 lndotriradiles 9.0 Potonieitriradites 11.0 2.0 Jayantisporifes 31.5 47.0 56.0 40.0 Parasaccites 2.5 5.0 2.0 24.0 33.0 6.0 5.0 Caheniasaccifes 2.0 0.5 Potonieisporites 2.0 Vestigisporites 1.0 1.0 2.0 5.0 1.0 1.0 Plicalipolleniles 1.0 9.0 9.0 2.0 1.0 Crucisaccifes 1.0 Virkkipolleniles 1.0 0.5 4.0 1.0 Plafysaccus 1.0 1.0 2.0 11.0 3.0 Strialiles 14.0 4.0 Primuspollenites 5.0 Rhizomaspora 0.5 LlIhirites 8.0 $Irialopodocarpiles 1.0 1.5 8.0 7.0 Hindipollenites 1.0 Faunipollenites 1.0 0.5 1.5 11.0 8.5 llliniles 1.0 2.0 2.5 Vesicasporll 5.5 1.0 1.0 4.0 5.0 9.0 17.5 Scheuringipolleniles 0.5 2.5 3.0 24.0 lbisporites 1.0 1.0 Tiwariasporis 4.0 2.0 Ginkgocycadophylus 7.0 1.0 2.0 1.0 3.0 Pilasporiles 1.0 2.0 1.0 2.5 3.5 2.0 0.5 Maculatasporifes 0.5 Leiosphaeridia 3.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 2.0 ~ PALYNOLOGICAL SUCCESSION pol!enites, Ibisporites, Tiwariasporis, Cink gocycadophytus, Pilasporites, Maculata The palY,10fo3sils recov~red consist of sporites and Leiosphaeridia following 38 genera: Of all the above genera Callumispora, Leiotriletes, Callumispora, Hennelly- Jayantisporites, Parasaccites and Scheurin sporites, Cyclogranisporites, Lophotriletes, gipol/enites play an imp;)rtant role being Verrucosisporites, Brevitriletes, Pseudoreticu the dominant ones. The other genera in latispora, Horriditriletes, Microbaculispora, order of dominance are _. BreJlitriletes, Microjoveolatispora, Potonieitriradites, Indo Microbaculispora, Potonieitriradites, Indotri triradites, Jayantisporites, Parasaccites, radites, Plicatipollenites, Striatites, Striato Caheniasaccites, Potonieisporites, Vesfigis podocarpites and Faunipollenites. On the porites, Plicatipollenifes, Crttcisaccites, blSis of the quantitative distribution four Virkkipollenites, Platysaccus, Striatifes, miofloral zones have b;:en distinguished. Primuspollenites, Rhizomaspora, Lahirites, Miofloral Zone 1 - This is characterised Sfriafopodocarpites, Hindipollenites, Fauni by the dominance of the genus Jayantis pollenites, Illinites, Vesicaspora, Scheuringi- porites. This taxon is present up to 31 per 30 THE PALAEOBOTANIST cent in Sample no. UJ/1+2, increases to and hence a quantitative estimation of the 56 per cent in Sample no. G14, declines mioflora could not be made. However, to 40 per cent in Sample no. G 13 and finally the genera identified among them resemble disappears in the younger sediments. qualitatively with the known Talchir Callumispora shows its maximum frequency miofloras. Lele and Chandra (1972) also in Sample no. UJ/l +2 (30 %) and then made similar observation from the marine declines gradually in the younger sediments.