Palynology and palynofacies analysis of the Subathu Formation (Early Ypresian-Middle Lutetian) of Morni Hills, Haryana, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54991/jop.2024.1868Keywords:
Palynoflora, Facies, Subathu, Eocene, Morni Hills, Lesser HimalayasAbstract
Palynofossils and sedimentary organic matter recovered from two well exposed stratigraphic sections of the Subathu Formation (early Ypresian to middle Lutetian) outcropping in the Morni Hills, Haryana (Lesser Himalayas) are evaluated to interpret the depositional environment. The Morni Hills’ palynofloral assemblage consists of dinocysts, spores, pollen grains, fungal spores and ascostromata, and freshwater algae. Among these the significant palynotaxa are Pediastrum diffusus, P. angulatus Achomosphaera ramulifera, Adnatosphaeridium multispinosum, A. vittatum, Areoligera senonensis, Cleistosphaeridium diversispinosum, Cordosphaeridium fibrospinosum, C. gracile, Glaphyrocysta exuberans, Homotryblium abbreviatum, H. pallidum, H. tenuispinosum, Hystrichokolpoma salacium, Hystrichosphaerdium tubiferum, Lingulodinium machaerophorum, Operculodinium centrocarpum, Thalassiphora pelagica, Lygodiumsporites lakiensis, Todisporites major, Pteridacidites sp., Podocarpidites couperi and Neocouperipollis brevispinosus, etc. Five assemblage zones along with one barren zone are recognized on the basis of restricted species and variable abundance data of the examined palynofossils. Dinoflagellate cyst associations show a remarkable change from the older to younger horizons in the present succession. Variation in the composition of the assemblages from lower to upper horizons of the present succession might have been governed by several factors, viz. change in salinity concentration, decrease in water depth, and increase in proximity to the shoreline. Different types of organic matter types were also characterized, whose relative proportions in a vertical succession in both the sections, show changing depositional environmental gradients in this area. The study indicates that the basal carbonaceous shales seem to have been deposited in a freshwater swamp environment. Later, an open lagoon followed by closed lagoon and tidal flat environments are interpreted during the progradational sequence of the regressive phase.
सारांश
हरियाणा (लघु हिमालय) स्थित मोरनी हिल्स के सुबाथू फॉरमेशन (प्रारंभिक यप्रेशियन से मध्य लुटेशियन) की दो भली-भाँति उजागर स्तरिकीय अनुभागों से प्राप्त परागाणु जीवाश्म तथा अवसादी जैविक तत्वों का मूल्यांकन निक्षेपण पर्यावरण की व्याख्या करने हेतु किया गया है। मोरनी हिल्स के परागाणुपुष्पीय समुच्चयों में डायनोसिस्ट, बीजाणु, पराग कण, कवक बीजाणु तथा एस्कोस्ट्रोमेटा एवं मीठे पानी के शैवाल शामिल हैं। इनमें से महत्वपूर्ण पैलिनोटैक्सा हैं: पीडियास्ट्रम डिफ्यूसस, पी. एंगुलाटस, अकोमोस्फेरा रामुलीफेरा, एडनाटोस्फेरिडियम मल्टीस्पिनोसम, ए. विटेटम, एरिओलिजेरा सेनोनेसिस, क्लीस्टोस्फेरिडियम डायवर्सिसपिनोसम, कॉर्डोस्फेरिडियम फाइब्रोस्पिनोसम, सी. ग्रेसिल, ग्लैफिरोसिस्टा एक्सुबेरन्स, होमोट्रिब्लियम एब्रेविएटम, एच. पैलिडम, एच. टेनुइस्पिनोसम, हिस्ट्रिकोकोल्पोमा सैलासियम, हिस्ट्रिकोस्फेरिडियम ट्यूबिफेरम, लिंगुलोडिनियम मैकेरोफोरम, ऑपरकुलोडिनियम सेंट्रोकार्पम, थैलासिफोरा पेलाजिका, लाइगोडियमस्पोराइट्स लैकिएंसिस, टोडिस्पोराइट्स मेजर, पेरिडेसिडाइट्स एसपी., पोडोकार्पिडाइट्स कूपेरी तथा नियोकोपरिपोलिस ब्रेविसपिनोसस आदि। परीक्षण किए गए परागाणु जीवाश्म की सीमित प्रजातियों तथा परिवर्तनीय बहुलता आंकड़ों के आधार पर पांच समुच्चय क्षेत्रों के साथ-साथ एक अनुर्वर क्षेत्र की पहचान की गई है। वर्तमान अनुक्रमण में पुरातर से नवीनतर स्तर तक घुर्णीकशाभपुट्टी संयोजन में उल्लेखनीय परिवर्तन देखने को मिलता हैं। वर्तमान अनुक्रमण के निम्न से उच्च स्तरों तक के समुच्चयों की संरचना में विभिन्नता कई कारकों द्वारा नियंत्रित हो सकती है, जैसे लवणता, सांद्रता में परिवर्तन, जल गहराई में कमी, तथा तटरेखा से निकटता में वृद्धि। विभिन्न प्रकार के जैविक तत्व को भी चिह्नित किया गया, जिनके दोनों अनुभाग में ऊर्ध्वाधर अनुक्रमण में सापेक्ष अनुपात, इस क्षेत्र में परिवर्तित निक्षेपण पर्यावरणीय प्रवणताओं को दर्शाते हैं। अध्ययन से संकेत मिलता है कि मूल कार्बनमय शेल्स मीठे पानी के दलदली वातावरण में निक्षेपित हुए होंगे। इसके पश्चात प्रतिगामी चरण के अग्रगामी अनुक्रम के दौरान खुले लैगून के उपरांत बंद लैगून तथा ज्वारीय समतल वातावरण की विवेचना की गयी है।
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