Mumbai: The Saurashtra Basin, spanning western Gujarat and north of Mumbai, formed from India’s separation from Madagascar about 100 million years ago, according to an ongoing study.
IIT Bombay and the National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS) are studying Saurashtra Basin sediments to understand the region’s paleogeography and geological history. The study aims to explore the minerals of the basin further to improve the understanding of the geological history of the region.
The 2,40,000 sq km basin, covered in volcanic rocks called Deccan Traps, hides the geological journey of the Indian sub-continent.
Dr Pawan Kumar Rajak from IIT Bombay, and the lead author of the study, said, “Saurashtra Basin was formed by the separation of India from Madagascar about 100 million years ago. Before the separation, India, Madagascar and the Seychelles were joined together. After the separation, the western margin of India became lowlands, while the north and northeastern parts of the study area acted as highlands.”
Significance Of Saurashtra
Saurashtra, along with Cambay, Kutch, and Narmada basins, is a potential hydrocarbon resource site. Understanding sediment origins can aid exploration and resource management.
Knowing the origin of these sediments can, therefore, assist in exploration efforts and better management of these resources. “The next plan is to work in the same area to refine our understanding of the source areas and paleogeographic changes of that time. We must check whether the sediments were also sourced from Madagascar and Seychelles,” Santanu Banerjee, professor at the Department of Earth Sciences at IIT Bombay, said.
In future, these findings could shed light on the paths of ancient river systems, the study added.
