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Petrological and Geochemical Characterization of Miocene Tipam Sandstone in Parts of Cachar Fold Belt, Northeast India

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Journal of the Geological Society of India

Abstract

Miocene Tipam Sandstone Formation in parts of Cachar Fold Belt, Northeast India has been studied using petrographic and geochemical attributes to investigate the composition, paleoweathering, tectonic setting, and source rock characteristics. It comprises of coarse to medium grained false-bedded multistoried ferruginous sandstone and variegated sandy clay. Petrographically, these sandstones belong to sub-lithic and lithic arenite varieties possessing an average recalculated modal composition of Q67F13R20. Geochemically, Tipam sandstones have high SiO2, more Na2O than K2O, and relatively low Fe2O3, MgO, MnO content in accordance with the modal composition. Weathering indices like CIA, CIW, PIA and ICV suggest derivation of sediments from low to moderately weathered source terrain bearing plagioclase feldspar in the range of An10–An55 comparable to granodiorite and granite composition. Dominantly a passive margin setup with high degree of sediment recycling has been envisaged during the deposition of Tipam Sandstone Formation.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank to the Director, CSIR–North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat, India for the permission to use SEM facility. The laboratory support extended by Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facility (SAIF), Guwahati University is duly acknowledged. Thanks, are also due to the Regional Laboratory, Oil & Natural Gas Commission, Sivasagar, Assam, for the necessary help during the preparation of thin sections. The microscopic facility provided by the Department of Earth Science, Assam University, Silchar is also gratefully acknowledged. Last but not the least; our thanks are also due to the anonymous reviewers for their insightful reviews in improving the quality of the manuscript.

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  1. Department of Geology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, 793022, India

    Meghali Baruah

  2. Department of Earth Science, Assam University, Silchar, 788011, India

    N. Pandey

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Baruah, M., Pandey, N. Petrological and Geochemical Characterization of Miocene Tipam Sandstone in Parts of Cachar Fold Belt, Northeast India. J Geol Soc India 99, 917–928 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-023-2413-y

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