Palynology and palynofacies analysis of the Subathu Formation (Early Ypresian-Middle Lutetian) of Morni Hills, Haryana, India

Samir Sarkar; Marcela Svobodova; Suman Sarkar

doi:10.54991/jop.2024.1868

Authors

Samir Sarkar L-6/153, Sector-M, Aliganj, Lucknow 226 024, India
Marcela Svobodova Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic
Suman Sarkar Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, 53, University Road, Lucknow 226007, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54991/jop.2024.1868

Keywords:

Palynoflora, Facies, Subathu, Eocene, Morni Hills, Lesser Himalayas

Abstract

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.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Aggarwal N 2022. Sedimentary organic matter as a proficient tool for the palaeoenvironmental and palaeodepositional settings on Gondwana coal deposits. Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology 12: 257–278. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13202-021-01331-x

Aggarwal N, Jha N, Joshi H & Mishra S 2015. Dispersed organic matter studies in Permian succession of Mamakannu block of Godabari Graben of South India. Indian Geological Congress 7(2): 5–15.

Aggarwal N, Carvalho M, Jha N & Thakur B 2017. Palynology and palynofacies of the Permian strata in the Kothagudam subbasin, Andhra Pradesh, Southern India. Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India 62(2): 175–186.

Aggarwal N, Agrawal S & Thakur B 2019a. Palynofloral, palynofacies and carbon isotope of Permian coal deposits from the Godavari valley Coalfield, South India: Insights into the age, palaeovegetation and palaeoclimate. International Journal of Coal Geology 214: 103–285. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coal.2019.103285

Aggarwal N, Thakur B & Jha N 2019b. Palaeoenvironmental changes in the Lower Gondwana succession of the Godabari Graben (South India) inferred from palynofacies. Journal of Palaeolimnology 61: 329–343. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-018-0062-8

Ashraf AR 1979. Die räto–jurassischen Floren des Iran und Afghanistans. 6. Jurassische und unterkretazische Dinoflagellaten und Acritarchen aus Nordafghanistan. Palaeontographica, Abteilung B 169: 122–158.

Bagi H 1992. Contribution to the Ostracode and smaller Foraminiferal fauna of the Subathu Formation of parts of Shimla Hills. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, Panjab University, Chandigarh, pp. 1–265.

Batten DJ 1983. Identification of amorphous sedimentary organic matter by transmitted light microscopy. In: Brooks J (Editor)—Petroleum geochemistry and exploration of Europe. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Boston, Geological Society Special Publication 12: 275–287. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1144/GSL.SP.1983.012.01.28

Batten DJ 1996. Palynofacies and palaeoenvironmental interpretation. In: Jansonius J & Mc Gregor DC (Editors)—Palynology, principle and applications. American Association of Stratigraphy and Palynology 3: 1011–1064.

Berry CM 1989. Source rock palynology of Subathu sediments of Shimla Hills. Geophytology 19: 140–146.

Berry CM 1994. Hydrocarbon potential of Siwalik and Pre Siwalik sediments in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu Kashmir areas–A palynological perspective. Himalayan Geology 15: 321–328.

Berry CM, Pundeer S & Mukherjee BK 1998. Hydrocarbon potential of Subathu sediments in Jammu–Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Bulletin of ONGC 35: 1–16.

Boulter MC & Riddick A 1986. Classification and analysis of palynodebris from the Palaeocene sediments of the Forties Field. Sedimentology 33: 71–86. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3091.1986.tb00988.x

Burgees JD 1974. Microscopic examination of Kerogen (Dispersed Organic Matter) in petroleum exploration. In: Ducher R, Haquebard PA, Schof JM & Simon JA (Editors)—Carbonaceous materials as indicators of metamorphism. GSA Special Paper 153: 19–30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1130/SPE153-p19

Combaz A 1980. Leskérogènes vus au microscope. In: Durand B (Editor)—Kerogen: Insoluble organic matter from sedimentary rocks. Editions Technip, Paris, pp. 55–111.

De Wetering N, Mendonca Filho JG & Esterlee J 2013. Palynofacies changes and their reflection on preservation of peat accumulation stages in the Late Permian coal measures of the Bowen basin, Australia: a new system for coal palynofacies characterisation. International Journal of Coal Geology 120: 57–70. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coal.2013.09.004

Dutta SK & Jain KP 1980. Geology and palynology of the area around Lumshnong, Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, India. Biological Memoirs 5(1): 56–81.

Fisher MJ 1980. Kerogen distribution and depositional envrionments in the Middle Jurassic of Yorkshire, UK. In: Bharadwaj DC, Singh HP & Tiwari RS (Editors)—Proceedings of the 4th International Palynological Conference, Lucknow (1976–1977) 2: 574–580.

Hancock NJ & Fisher MJ 1981. Middle Jurassic North Sea deltas with particular reference to Yorkshire. In: Illing LV & Hobson GD (Editors)—Petroleum Geology of the continental shelf of North West Europe, Heyden, London, pp. 186–195.

Haq BU, Hardenobol J & Vail PR 1987. Chronology of fluctuating sea levels since the Triassic. Science 235: 1156–1167. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.235.4793.1156

Hart GF 1986. Origin and classification of organic matter in clastic systems. Palynology 10: 1–23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01916122.1986.9989300

Hermann SE, Kurosur WM, Hochuli PA, Boucher H, Ware D, Gondermand N & Roohi G 2012. Palynofacies analysis of the Permian Triassic transition in the AMB section (Salt Range, Pakistan): Implications for the anoxia on the south Tethyan margin. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 60: 225–234. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2012.09.005

Hore MK 1979. The geology of Tundapathar Group of rocks of Sherla area, Morni Hill tract, District Ambala, Haryana. Himayan Geology Sem. Geological Survey of India, Miscellaneous Publication 41: 251–257.

Huc AY 1988. Aspects of depositional processes of organic matter in sedimentary basins. Organic Geochemistry 13: 263–272. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-037236-5.50031-2

Jain KP & Tandon KK 1982. Dinoflagellate and Acritarch biostratigraphy of the middle Eocene rocks of a part of south–western Kachchh, India. Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India 26: 6–21.

Jaramillo CA & Oboh–Ikuenobe FE 1999. Sequence stratigraphic interpretations from palynofacies, dinocysts and lithological data of Upper Eocene–Lower Oligocene strata in Southern Missisippi and Alabama U.S., Gulf Coast. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 145: 259–302. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-0182(98)00126-6

Kar RK 1978. Palynostratigraphy of the Naredi (Lower Eocene) and the Harudi (Middle Eocene) Formation in the district of Kutch, India. The Palaeobotanist 25(1–3): 161–173. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54991/jop.1976.1007

Kar RK & Sharma P 2001. Palynostratigraphy of Late Palaeocene and Early Eocene sediments of Rajasthan, India. Palaeontographica Abteilung B 256(4–6): 123–157. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1127/palb/256/2000/123

Khanna AK 1978. Subathus–Stratigraphic status and nomenclature. Himalayan Geology 8: 209–223.

Khanna AK & Singh HP 1981. Environmental influence on the distribution of biofacies in the Subathu Formation, Shimla Hills. Contemporary Geoscientific Researches in Himalaya 1: 201–206.

Khanna AK, Singh HP & Sah SCD 1979. Palynostratigraphic correlation of the Subathu Formation, Simla Hills. Himalayan Geology 9: 255–272.

Khanna AK, Sarkar S & Singh HP 1985. Stratigraphical significance of dinocysts from the Subathu Formation of Jammu. Geoscience 6(1): 103–112.

Koshal VN 1980. Palynology of the Tertiary sub–surface of Dabka, Gujarat. Proceedings of the 4th International Palynological Conference, Lucknow (1976) 2: 616–620.

Kothe A, Khan AM & Ashraf M 1988. Biostratigraphy of the Surghar Range, Salt Range, Sulaiman Range and the Kohat area, Pakistan, according to Jurassic through Palaeogene calcareous nannofossils and Palaeogene dinoflagellates. Geologisches Jahrbuch B 71: 3–87.

Kumar R, Das N, Aggarwal N & Pandey B 2021. Palynofacies of Early Cretaceous sediments of Parihar Formation, Jaisalmer Basin, Rajasthan India: Palaeoenvironmental interpretations. Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India 66: 251–257.

Masran TC & Pocock SAJ 1981. The classification of plant derived particulate organic matter in sedimentary rocks. In: Brooks J (Editor)—Organic maturation studies and fossil fuel exploration. Academic Press, London, pp. 145–176.

Mathur NS & Juyal KP 2000. Atlas of early Palaeogene invertebrate fossils of the Himalayan foothill belt. WIHG Monograph Series No. 1. Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun, pp. 1–257.

Medlicott HB 1864. On the geological structure and relations of the southern positions of the Himalayan range between the river Ganges and Ravi. Memoir Geological Survey of India 3: 1–206.

Medlicott HB 1879. A manual of Geology of India (Institute of Education) Government of India Press, Calcutta, pp. 1–524.

Mishra S & Singh VP 2018. Palynology, palynofacies and taphonomical studies of Kamthi Formation (Godavari Graben) Southern India: Implications to biostratigraphy, palaeoecology and depositional environment. International Journal of Coal Geology 195: 102–124. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coal.2018.05.011

Misra CM & Pundeer BS 1994. Palynofacies maturation and source rock potential in the well Jawalamukhi–B Himalayan foothills. In: Biswas SK et al. (Editors)—Proceedings of the Second Seminar on Petroliferous basins of India, Dehradun, India. Indian Petroleum Publishers 3: 161–171.

Murty S, Sarate OS & Aggarwal N 2019. Palynofloral and palynofacies evidences and its implications on the depositional environment from Wardha Valley Coalfield, Maharashtra. Journal of the Geological Society of India 93: 85–94. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-019-1126-8

Panwar R & Thakur OP 2018. Palynofacies analysis of Subathu sediments of Dogadda area, Pauri–Garhwal District, Uttarakhand: Implications for depositional environment. Journal of Advances and Scholarly Researches in Allied Education 15: 746–750.

Panwar R, Thakur OP & Dogra NN 2021. Palynological and palynofacies assemblage from the Subathu Formation (Eocene) of Northwestern Himalaya, Nilkanth, Uttarakhand, India. Current Science 121: 667–675. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs/v121/i5/667-675

Parry CC, Whitley PKJ & Simpson RDH 1981. Integration of palynological and sedimentological methods in facies analysis of the Brent Formation. In: Illing LV & Hobson GD (Editors)—Petroleum Geology of the continental shelf of North West Europe. Institute of Petroleum, Heyden, London, pp. 205–215.

Pocock SAJ, Vasanthy G & Venkatachala BS 1987. Introduction to the study of particulate organic materials and ecological perspective. Journal of Palynology 23–24: 167–188.

Poumot C 1982. Palynologie et palynofaciès des sédiments des maraissalants de salin–de–Giraud (sud de la France). Geologie Méditerranéenne 9: 551–562. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3406/geolm.1982.1225

Rao AR & Vimal KP 1952. Tertiary pollen from lignites from Palana (Eocene), Bikaner. Proceedings of the National Institute of Science India 18(2): 127–142.

Rullkötter J, Cornford C & Welte DH 1982. Geochemistry and petrography of organic matter in northwest African continental margin sediments: quantity, provenance, depositional environment and temperature history. In: Von Rad U, Hinz K, Sarnthein, M & Seibold E (Editors)—Geology of the Northwest African Continental Margin. Springer–Verlag, Berlin, pp. 686–703. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68409-8_28

Sah SC & Kar RK 1969. Pteridophytic spores from the Laki Series of Kutch, Gujarat, India. J. Sen Memorial Volume: 109–121.

Sah SC & Kar RK 1970. Palynology of the Laki sediments in Kutch–3, pollen from the boreholes around Jhuleri, Baranda and Panandhro. The Palaeobotanist 18(2): 127–142. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54991/jop.1969.826

Sah SC & Kar RK 1974. Palynology of the Tertiary sediments of Palana, Rajasthan. The Palaeobotanist 21(2): 163–188. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54991/jop.1972.1479

Samant B & Phadtare NR 1997. Stratigraphic palynoflora of the Early Eocene Rajpardi Lignite, Gujarat and the lower age limit of the Tarakeswar Formation of south Cambay Basin, India. Palaeontographica Abteilung B 245(1–6): 1–108.

Sarkar S 1997. Palynostratigraphy and palaeoenvironment of the Subathu Formation (Eocene) of Lesser Himalaya, Himachal Pradesh, India. Indian Journal of Petroleum Geology 6(1): 99–115.

Sarkar S & Prasad V 2000a. Palynological and depositional environment of the Subathu Formation (Late Ypresian–Middle Lutetian), Morni Hills, Haryana, India. Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India 45: 137–149.

Sarkar S & Prasad V 2000b. Palaeoenvironmental significance of dinoflagellate cyst from the Subathu Formation (Late Ypresian–Middle Lutetian) of Koshalia Nala Section, Shimla Hills, India. Himalayan Geology 21(1–2): 167–176.

Sarkar S & Singh HP 1988. Palynological investigation of the Subathu Formation (Eocene) in the Banethi–Bagthan area of Himachal Pradesh, India. Palaeontographica Abteilung B 209: 29–109.

Sarkar S, Saxena RK & Sarkar S 2014. Palynology of the Eocene sediments of the West Garo Hills, Meghalaya, NE India: Biostratigraphic and Palaeoenvironmental implications. Journal of the Palaeontological Society of India 59(2): 199–212.

Singh HP, Khanna AK & Sah SCD 1978. Palynological zonation of the Subathu Formation in the Kalka–Simla area of Himachal Pradesh. Himalayan Geology 8: 33–46.

Singh HP & Sarkar S 1992. Palynology and palaeoenvironment of Lower Tertiary sediments around Garkhal, Himachal Pradesh, India. In: Venkatachala BS, Jain KP & Awasthi N (Editors)—Proceedings of the Birbal Sahni Birth Centenary Palaeobotanical Conferences, Geophytology 22: 181–191.

Singh YR, Dogra NN & Thakur OP 2007. Ecostratigraphy of Subathu Formation, Solan District, Himachal Pradesh. Himalayan Geology 28: 11–20.

Sladen CP & Batten DJ 1984. Source area environments of Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous sediments in Southeast England. Proceedings of the Geologists Association 95: 149–163. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7878(84)80002-4

Slater SM & Wellman CH 2015. A quantitative comparison of dispersed spores/pollen and plant megafossil assemblages from a middle Jurassic plant bed from Yorkshire, U.K. Paleobiology 47: 640–660. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/pab.2015.27

Staplin FL 1969. Sedimentary organic matter, organic metamorphism and oil and gas occurrence. Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology 17: 47–66.

Thakur OP & Dogra NN 2011. Palynofacies characterization for hydrocarbon source rock evaluation in the Subathu Formation of Marhighat, Sirmaur District, Himachal Pradesh. Journal of Earth System Science 120: 933–938. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-011-0110-5

Tripathy A 1997. Palynostratigraphy and palynofacies analysis of subsurface Permian sediments in Talchir Coalfield, Orissa. Palaeobotanist 46(3): 79–88. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54991/jop.1997.1351

Tyson RV 1993. Palynofacies analysis. In: Jenkins DJ (Editor)—Applied Micropalaeontology. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, pp. 153–191. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0763-3_5

Tyson RV 1995. Sedimentary organic matter: Organic facies and palynofacies. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 615 pp. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0739-6

Tyson RV 2000. Palynofacies prediction of distance from sediment source: a case study from the Upper Cretaceous of the Pyrenees. Geology 28: 569–571. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2000)028<0569:PPODFS>2.3.CO;2

Whitaker MF 1984. The usage of palynostratigraphy and palynofacies in definition of Troll Field Geology. In: Offshore Northern Seas–Reduction of uncertainties by innovativev reservoir geomodelling, Norwegian Petroleum Society Paper G6, 44 pp.

Williams GL, Lentin JK & Fensome RA 1998. The Lentin and Williams Index of fossil dinoflagellates, 1998 Edition. AASP Contribution Series Nr. 34: 1–817.

Venkatachala BS 1981. Hydrocarbon source rock evaluation: A new palynological approach. Petroleum Asia Journal 4: 80–93.

Venkatachala BS 1984. Finely divided organic matter: its origin and significance as a hydrocarbon source material. Bulletin of ONGC 21: 23–45.

Venkatachala BS & Kar RK 1969. Palynology of the Tertiary sediments of Kutch–1, Spores and pollen from borehole no–14. The Palaeobotanist 17(2): 157–178. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54991/jop.1968.792

Zarei E 2017. Palynofacies analysis and paleoenvironmental interpretation of the Dalichai Formation, north east Samnan. Geopersia 7: 27–34.