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Study on sequence stratigraphy in the Permian sediments of terrestrial sequences within the Chintalapudi sub-basin, Godavari Coalfield, Southern India: insight from palynology and geochemistry

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Abstract

The opening of Neo-Tethys within Gondwanaland during the Guadalupian (transition signified a pivotal transgressive event) in the Permian Period. Consequently, an attempt has been undertaken to elucidate the sequence stratigraphy and palaeodepositional settings of fluvial sedimentary deposits encompassing coal and shale sediments within the Godavari Valley Coalfield, South India. The Total Organic Carbon (TOC) content across the examined samples exhibits a discernible range from 0.07 to 65.53 wt%, with reactive carbon, measured as Pyrolyzable Carbon (PC), displaying variations from 0.02 to 15.93 wt% and non-reactive carbon, characterized, as Residual Carbon (RC), spans a percentage range of 0–66.86 wt% within the selected samples. The predominant organic matter manifests as type III kerogen, except Sh-47, where type II kerogen is identified. The combination of Rock–Eval pyrolysis alongside palynofacies analysis facilitates the differentiation of significant system tracts arising from relative sea level fluctuations within the deposited terrestrial sequences. These tracts include swampy and flooded palaeomires settings. Terminologies denoting system tracts within the sequences are indicted as T-lst, T-hst, T-tst and T-mfs corresponding to the Low Stand System Tract (LST), High Stand System Tract (HST), Transgressive System Tract (TST) and Maximum Flooding Surface (MFS) respectively. A noteworthy one and half cycles are discerned within the sequence, predicted on Amorphous Organic Matter (AOM), TOC, Hydrogen Index (HI), PC and Gelification Index (GI) values. In the initial cycle, T-mfs is identified based on the preponderance of fluorescent AOM, coupled with the highest value of HI and PC. The ratio of opaque/translucent phytoclasts serves as a discriminant in delineating the boundaries of T-lst, T-tst and T-hst within the sequences, corroborating the aforementioned observation. This research serves as a preliminary assessment of the system tracts within fluvial environments. A more intricate, high-resolution exploration of deeper sequences holds the potential to furnish comprehensive insights for subsequent studies.

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Data Availability

The data and materials are accessible at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Department of Science and Technology, Lucknow, India.

Abbreviations

AOM:

Amorphous organic matter

CH:

Charcoal/opaque phytoclasts

f-AOM:

Fluorescent AOM

GI:

Gelification Index

GVC:

Godavari Valley Coalfield

HI:

Hydrogen Index

HST:

High Stand System Tract

LST:

Low Stand System Tract

MFS:

Maximum Flooding Surface

nf-AOM:

Non fluorescent AOM

NSC:

Non-structured opaque phytoclasts

OI:

Oxygen Index

PC:

Pyrozable Carbon

PF:

Palynofacies assemblage

RC:

Residual Carbon

RHP:

Relative Hydrocarbon Potential

S1:

Free hydrocarbons

S2:

Heavy hydrocarbons

S3:

Residual hydrocarbon

SC:

Structured opaque phytoclasts

SP:

Spore/pollen

ST:

Structured phytoclasts/translucent phytoclasts

T-hst :

Terrestrial-High Stand System Tract

T-lst :

Terrestrial-Low Stand System Tract

T-mfs :

Terrestrial- Maximum Flooding Surface

TOC:

Total organic carbon content

TPI:

Tissue Preservation Index

TST:

Transgressive System Tract

T-tst :

Terrestrial-Transgressive System Tract

SB:

Sequence Boundary

TS:

Transgressive Surface

SCCL:

Singareni Collieries Company Limited

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their heartfelt gratitude to the Director of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences in Lucknow, India, for granting permission to publish the findings (BSIP/RDCC/Publication no. 04/2023-2024). The authors would also like to express gratitude to Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) for granting permission to collect the samples. The authors are grateful to the Learned reviewers and Editor for their valuable suggestions to enhance the quality of this manuscript.

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  1. Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, 53, University Road, Lucknow, 226007, India

    Neha Aggarwal & Divya Mishra

  2. Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Barwa Road, Dhanbad, 826015, India

    Bodhisatwa Hazra

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NA: conceptualization, data curation (palynofacies), formal analysis, interpretation, writing review, and editing. DM: conceptualization, formal analysis (Rock–Eval), interpretation, writing review and editing. BH: data curation (Rock–Eval).

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Correspondence to Neha Aggarwal.

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Aggarwal, N., Mishra, D. & Hazra, B. Study on sequence stratigraphy in the Permian sediments of terrestrial sequences within the Chintalapudi sub-basin, Godavari Coalfield, Southern India: insight from palynology and geochemistry. Environ Earth Sci 83, 233 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-024-11535-z

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