Scientists from Hyderabad’s National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) have revealed a historic collision between India and East Antarctica over a billion years ago. Their findings, including a hidden ridge in Andhra Pradesh’s Darsi and Addanki regions, suggest significant geological shifts. Seismic data reprocessing uncovered Proterozoic sediment layers, shedding new light on India’s eastern coast evolution. Published in the Journal of Pure and Applied Geophysics, this research enriches the understanding of ancient Indian subcontinent ties to Antarctica.
The NGRI team, comprising Dr. K Chandrakala, OP Pandey, Biswajit Mandal, K Renuka, and N Prem Kumar, discovered a hidden ridge beneath Andhra Pradesh’s Darsi and Addanki regions, linked to the ancient collision, indicating a tilting of the Cuddapah basin towards the south.
By reprocessing seismic data along a 325-kilometer profile from Alampur to Ganapeswaram, the team investigated the subsurface crustal seismic structure of the north Cuddapah basin, uncovering a thin layer of alluvium underlain by Gondwana sediments and Proterozoic sedimentary layers.
The study revealed extensive Proterozoic sedimentation, with both upper and lower Proterozoic Cuddapah sediments directly overlying the crystalline basement. This finding offers new insights into the geological history of India’s eastern coast during the Proterozoic era.
These discoveries highlight the role of the Gondwana supercontinent, which included present-day South America, Africa, Arabia, Madagascar, India, Australia, and Antarctica, in the geological evolution of these regions, marking a significant contribution to the understanding of ancient geological events shaping the Indian subcontinent and its connections with Antarctica.
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur was a pioneering Indian politician and activist, known for her significant contributions…
The Earth's atmosphere is divided into several layers, each with its own unique characteristics. Among…
Har Gobind Khorana was a pioneering Indian-American biochemist. He made groundbreaking contributions to the field…
Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, has once again…
Doordarshan, India’s esteemed public service broadcaster, marks its 65th anniversary on September 15, 2024. Established…
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that India’s forex reserves jumped USD 5.248 billion…