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Palaeocurrent and environmental implications from anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS): a case study from Talchir and Barakar formations, Raniganj Basin, West Bengal, India

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Abstract

Oriented cylindrical cores of rock samples were collected from the Talchir and Barakar formations of the Lower Gondwana Supergroup of the Raniganj Basin exposed in and around Kalyaneshwari and Maithon areas. The cores (2.54 cm diameter and 2.2 cm height) were studied in the low field anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) measurement to determine the nature of magnetic fabrics, to correlate it with the sedimentological characteristics and to determine the palaeocurrent patterns. The results derived from the statistical parameters (especially the q-factor), the shapes of the susceptibility ellipsoids and directional data of the AMS indicate that the magnetic fabrics within the studied units are primary (depositional) and are correlatable form the palaeoenvironmental features. The orientation of the maximum (K1), intermediate (K2) and minimum (K3) susceptibility axes is dispersed on the lower hemisphere equal area diagram rather than strong clusters which is not because of secondary (tectonic) influence but due to the moderate to high-energy environment of deposition of the sediments in the studied units. Based on the q-factor (which is 0.581 for Barakar Formation and 0.565 for Talchir Formation which are both < 0.7), it is suggested the AMS indicates that the imbrication of the K1 axis is the indicator of palaeocurrent. Also, the magnetic foliation (average value = 1.255) exceeds the magnetic lineation (average value = 1.107) and the shape parameter exceeds 0 in most cases pointing towards an oblate fabric. The palaeocurrent in the present study as indicated by the K1 axis imbrication is very similar in both the units under study and is due SW. However, apart from this precise palaeocurrent direction, there exists a certain degree of randomness of the susceptibility axes which are very clear indication of corresponding depositional environments.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Department of Geological Sciences, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, for providing the scopes for the present research work. SM thankfully acknowledges the Department of Science and Technology (DST-Purse-II Research Scheme) for providing financial supports during the field work. PD and PP expresses deep gratitude to Kapil Singh and Debesh Gain for the assistance during field works. SC acknowledges Susmita Ganguly and Angikar Roy (Jadavpur University) for helping with the field photographs and Sudeshna Sarkar for moral supports during the tenure of the work. Finally, we acknowledge Dr. Abdullah M. Al-Amri and Dr. Domenico Doronzo for the editorial assistance and the anonymous reviewers for their useful and valuable comments which improved the paper.

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  1. Department of Geological Sciences, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700032, India

    Saurodeep Chatterjee, Supriya Mondal, Punyotoya Paul & Pritwish Das

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  1. Saurodeep Chatterjee
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Correspondence to Saurodeep Chatterjee.

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Chatterjee, S., Mondal, S., Paul, P. et al. Palaeocurrent and environmental implications from anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS): a case study from Talchir and Barakar formations, Raniganj Basin, West Bengal, India. Arab J Geosci 11, 288 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-018-3644-x

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