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Terrestrial Martian Analog Heritage of Kachchh Basin, Western India

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Abstract

The Kachchh Basin is a peri-cratonic rift basin in western India, exposing a vast range of diverse geologic features representing the past 200 million years spanning from the Jurassic Period to the recent. The Basin represents highly rugged terrain in the form of the hilly ranges and pediment surfaces, while the flat terrain in the north is expressed by the low-lying Rann and Banni plains (mudflats, marshes, and grassland). This basin has preserved several classical terrestrial analog sites to study planetary science. Several potential localities in the basin provide opportunities to explore as Martian analogs. In the present study, we have proposed five analog sites from the Kachchh basin that has preserved classical geomorphic feature (volcanic and impact craters) as well as minerals (primary phyllosilicates, secondary hydrous sulfates, precipitated iron minerals, evaporite, and liquid brines like perchlorates) that tell the tale of the geological activity taken place on the Mars. The cultural and ecological aspects of the proposed sites and their hinterland are also discussed for the tourist attractions. All the proposed sites have ample geoheritage potential and need strong attention for conservation. Further, the establishment of geoparks and development of geotourism in the proposed area will enhance the Earth and Planetary Sciences scenario apart from boosting of local economy, including helping activities, research funding, and employment opportunities for locals that will play a significant role in the economic development of the region. To achieve such an ambitious program and accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals, these locations should be conserved and extended for geotourism.

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Fig. 1

modified from Biswas & Deshpande 1970). (1) Dhinodhar Hill, (2) Luna impact structure, (3) Matanomadh Jarosite locality, (4) Laiari Blueberries, (5) Dhordo (White Rann of Kachchh), (b) Location and route map of the proposed geosites and socio-cultural/ecological sites with major cities and availability of lodging facilities inset from a satellite image of Gujarat state

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Acknowledgements

This is a part of the doctoral work of Mr. Anil Chavan and Mr. Subham Sarkar. We are thankful to the CTX, MOLA, and HRSC teams’ support in making their data available. We are grateful to the anonymous reviewers and the editor for their constructive and insightful suggestions, improving our paper in its present form.

Funding

Subhash Bhandari acknowledges the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and MOM-AO Project for the financial support (ISRO/SSPO/MOM-AO/2016–17). Anil Chavan and Adarsh Thakkar would like to thank the SHODH-ScHeme Of Developing High quality research, Education Department, Gujarat State, for the financial support for Ph.D. work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Environmental Science, KSKV Kachchh University, Bhuj-Kachchh, 370001, India

    Anil Chavan, Subham Sarkar, Adarsh Thakkar, Jaymeet Solanki, Chirag Jani, Subhash Bhandari, Gaurav Chauhan & M. G. Thakkar

  2. Space Application Centre, Indian Space Research Organization, Ahmedabad, 380015, India

    Subham Sarkar & Satadru Bhattacharya

  3. Department of Geology and Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, 721302, India

    Satadru Bhattacharya & Saibal Gupta

  4. School of Petroleum Technology, Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU), Gandhinagar, 382426, India

    Bhawanisingh G. Desai

  5. Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, 380009, India

    Dwijesh Ray & Anil D. Shukla

  6. Department of Geology, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, 695581, India

    K.S. Sajinkumar

  7. Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA

    K.S. Sajinkumar

  8. Department of Geology, Presidency University, Kolkata, 700073, India

    Souvik Mitra

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  1. Anil Chavan
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Correspondence to Subhash Bhandari.

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Chavan, A., Sarkar, S., Thakkar, A. et al. Terrestrial Martian Analog Heritage of Kachchh Basin, Western India. Geoheritage 14, 33 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-022-00666-z

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