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Geochemistry and detrital geochronology of sandstones of Barail Group of Indo-Myanmar Range, NE India

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Abstract

The sedimentary sequence of the Barail Group preserves the records of the depositional history of Indo-Myanmar Range during Eocene–Oligocene. Field investigation, geochemistry and detrital geochronology are used to study its geochemical characteristics, sediment provenance, paleoweathering condition, and tectonic setting. Major elements-based discrimination plots indicate that the sediments of this group were derived from quartzose sedimentary sources and were deposited in an active continental margin tectonic set-up. Barail sandstone displays a gentle sloping LREE and more or less flat HREE pattern and shows negative Eu anomaly and positive Sm anomaly. Paleoweathring indices indicate Barail sediments have undergone moderate to high weathering before deposition. Detrital zircon U–Pb reveal ages ranging from 3225 to 90 Ma, with clusters at 222–90 Ma, 1215–394 Ma, 1849–1364 Ma, 2500–2094 Ma and 3225–2094 Ma. These results indicate the majority of the sediments of the Barail Group of Indo-Myanmar Range were sourced from the Tethyan Sedimentary Sequence and Trans-Himalayan granitoids. They were deposited in shallow marine to deltaic environment and were deposited by the Brahmaputra River system.

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Data availability

All the datasets generated during this study are related to this work and have been included in this manuscript as a table and Supplementary Table. They are available for public access.

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Acknowledgements

The manuscript is the result of the Geological Survey of India (GSI)’s Annual Field Season Project id FSP Code: RP/NER/MNG/2015/006. The authors would like to thank the Additional Director General & HoD, GSI, NER, Shillong, for his encouragement in submitting the manuscript and the Deputy Director General, GSI, SU: Manipur – Nagaland, for administrative and technical support during the execution of the project. Special thanks to the officers of Chemical Laboratory, GSI Shillong and GSI, Kolkata, for the chemical analysis of samples for this work. JP also thanks the officers of Geochronology and Isotope Geology Division, GSI, CHQ Kolkata, for their support and help during the Zircon U-Pb analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geological Survey of India, Jaipur, 302004, India

    Chubala Shijoh, C. D. Singh & Vekhoto Shijoh

  2. Geological Survey of India, SU: Manipur–Nagaland, Camp Office, Imphal, 795004, India

    James Pebam & L. Somorjit Singh

  3. Geological Survey of India, SU: Manipur–Nagaland, Dimapur, 797113, India

    Savio Vales

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  1. Chubala Shijoh
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CS: fieldwork, geochemistry and U–Pb sample collection and processing, interpretation and initial manuscript writing. JP: U-Pb sample processing and analysis, interpretation, initial manuscript writing, finalisation and revision. SV: field work, geochemistry and U–Pb sample collection and processing, interpretation and initial manuscript writing. LSS: initial manuscript writing. CDS: supervision of the project, fieldwork, manuscript finalisation and revision. VS: interpretation and initial manuscript writing.

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Correspondence to James Pebam.

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Communicated by M. V. Alves Martins

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Shijoh, C., Pebam, J., Vales, S. et al. Geochemistry and detrital geochronology of sandstones of Barail Group of Indo-Myanmar Range, NE India. J. Sediment. Environ. 8, 471–490 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43217-023-00142-w

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