Name:-Gautam Auddy

Academic Qualification:-
Msc(Geography,CalcuttaUniversity),B.ed (David Hare Training College).
Ph no:- 8334030754
Geological Time Scale
Geological Structure and formation of
India
Module 3.Class 8
●Chronological dating of various geological formations (Geological strata) and life
according to their time and place of origin, evolution, and extinction. “Giovanni Ardunia
developed the Geological Time Scale in 1760”. Standard Geological Time Scale
developed in the International Geological Congress held in 1881, Italy.
●The Indian Geological Time Scale, advocated by T.S. Holland.
Geological History of India: The Geological Structure & rock systems of India analyzed
with reference to their geographical locations and their geological history. The following
physiographic divisions of India are used for referencing the geological formations:
●Peninsular India;

💦
●Extra Peninsular India
Major events in the geological history of India:-
●Peninsular India was a part of the old landmass since the formation of the Earth’s Crust.
●The Extra Peninsular India is the younger part. It includes-
■The upheaval of the Himalayas in the tertiary period.
■Aggradational formation of the Indo-Gangetic plain during the Pleistocene period. It
continues till today through sedimentation in the floodplains of the rivers and the lower
part of the Gangetic plain.

The Geological Survey of India has classified rock systems of the country into 4 major
divisions:

The Archaean Rock System

The Purana Rock System
The Dravidian Rock System
The Aryan Rock System

💦Archaean Rock System (Precambrian Rocks)

●Era:-Azoic Era.
●The earliest phase of tectonic evolution was marked by the cooling and solidification of
the upper crust of the earth’s surface in the Archaean era (prior to 2.5 billion years;
Precambrian Period) which is represented by the exposure of gneisses and granites,
especially on the Peninsula.
●These form the core of the Indian Craton (Block of Indian Subcontinent of
Gondwanaland).
●The term ‘Archaean’ introduced by J.D. Dana in 1782, refers to the oldest rocks of the
earth’s crust.
●The Archaean group of rocks consists of two systems-
(a) Archaean System: Granites and Gneisses,
(b) Dharwar System: First Sedimentary Rocks
Gneiss — Mineral composition varies from granite to gabbro.
Schists — mostly crystalline, include mica, talc, hornblende, chlorite, etc.

☆Archaean Gneisses and Schists

These rocks are:

●Oldest rocks [preCambrian era] [formed about 4 billion years ago].

●Rocks formed due to the solidification of molten magma – the earth’s surface was very
hot then.
●Known as the ‘Basement Complex’ [They are the oldest and forms the base for new
layers]
●Azoic or unfossiliferous,
●Foliated (consisting of thin sheets),
●Thoroughly crystalline (because they are volcanic in origin),

💦
●Plutonic intrusions (volcanic rocks found deep inside).
Two system:-
☆Archaean Gneisses and Schists
● Bengal Gneiss
○ aka Khondolites after Khond Tribes in Koraput and Balangir district.
○ first identified in Medinipur of West Bengal.
○ Distribution: Eastern Ghats, Odisha, Manbhum and Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand;
Nellore district Andhra Pradesh; Salem district of Tamil Nadu; Son valley, Meghalaya
plateau and Mikir hills.
● Bundelkhand Gneiss
○ Features:
■ coarse grained, looks like granite.
■ criss-crossed structure
characterized by Quartz veins.
○ Distribution: Bundelkhand (U.P),
Baghelkhand (M.P.), Maharashtra,
Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu.
● Nilgiri Gneiss (aka Charnockite series;
named after James Charnock)
○ Features:
■ Plutonic rock intruding into other
Archaean rocks.
■ bluish-gray to dark color rock.
■ medium to coarse grained structure.
○ Distribution: South Arcot, Palani hills,
Shevaroy hills, Nilgiri hills.
☆Dharwar System(Proterozoic Formation)
●Formation period ranges from 4 billion years ago to – 1 billion years ago.
●Highly metamorphosed sedimentary rock-system. [formed due to metamorphosis of
sediments of Archaean gneisses and schists].
●They are the oldest metamorphosed rocks.
●Found in abundance in the Dharwar district of Karnataka.
●Economically the most important rocks because they possess valuable minerals like
high-grade iron-ore, manganese, copper, lead, gold, etc.
●These are the first metamorphosed sedimentary rock systems known as the dharwar
system in the Indian Geological Time Scale, as they were studied for the first time in the
Dharwar district of Karnataka.
●They are composed largely igneous debris ,Schists and Gneiss.The Dharwar rocks
occur in scattered patches in -
a)Dharwar and Bellary district of Karnataka and extend up to the Nilgiris and Madurai
districts of Tamilnadu.
b)Central and Eastern parts of Chotanagpur Plateau ,Meghalaya plateau and Mikir Hills.
c)The Aravalli ,Rialo(Delhi series)from Delhi to the South of Alwar and the Himalayan
Region.
 💦 Purana Rock System
●The Cuddapah and Vindhyan rock systems are together known as the Purana rock
system.
●They are formed by the erosion and deposition of Archean and Dharwar rocks, the
process is believed to have taken place between 1400-600 million years ago.
●They are mostly sedimentary in nature.
☆Cuddapah System
●Named after the Cuddapah district of Andhra Pradesh, due to the large development of
outcrops of cuddapah rocks
●They were formed when sedimentary rocks like sandstone, limestone etc., and clay
were deposited in synclinal folds (between two mountain ranges).
●Outcrops best observed in Cuddapah district of Andhra Pradesh.
●These rocks contain ores of iron, manganese, copper, cobalt, nickel, etc.
●They contain large deposits of cement grade limestones.
☆Vindhyan System (1300-600 million years)
●This system derives its name from the great Vindhya mountains.
●The system comprises ancient sedimentary rocks (4000 m thick) superimposed on the
Archaean base.
●Mostly Unfossiliferous rocks and a large area of this belt is covered by the Deccan trap.
●The Vindhyan system has diamond-
bearing regions from which Panna and Golconda diamonds have been mined.
●It is devoid of metalliferous minerals but provides large quantities of durable stones,
ornamental stones, limestone, pure glass making sand, etc.

💦Dravidian Rock System (Palaeozoic)

●The Paleozoic rock formation is known as Dravidian systems in India; during the
Paleozoic era i.e., 600-300 million years ago. It is also known as the Carboniferous rocks
System due to high-quality Coal formation in the World.
●These rocks are mostly found in the extra-Peninsular regions of the Himalayas and the
Gangetic plain and are very little in the Peninsular Shield (Umaria in Rewa).
●PirPanjal, Handwara, Lider valley, Annatnag of Kashmir, Spiti, Kangra & Shimla region
of Himachal Pradesh Garhwal & Kumaon of Uttarakhand are the major region of
Dravidian rocks.
●The Dravidian rocks mainly include shales, sandstones, clays, quartzites, slates, salts,
talc, dolomite, marble, etc.
●It marks the beginning of life on the earth’s surface. The rocks of this is the period saw
plenty of fossil evidence.
●These are seen in all geological formations from this period. They also indicated marine
conditions in these Paleozoic rocks in India.
●The Dravidian period was the beginning of coal formation ((high-Quality Carboniferous
coal) but these formations were not found abundantly in India.
●The Dravidian system of geological formations includes the rocks of the following
geological ages:
☆The Cambrian System;
☆The Ordovician Systems;
☆The Silurian System;
☆The Devonian System (fossils & corals) &
☆The Carboniferous Systems (Lower & Middle Carboniferous system).
Carboniferous rocks (350 million years)
●The Carboniferous rocks (350 million years) comprise mainly of limestone, shale, and
quartzite.
●Mount Everest is composed of Upper Carboniferous limestones.
●Coal formation started in the Carboniferous age.
●Carboniferous in geology means coal-bearing. [most of the coal found in India is not of
the Carboniferous period; High-quality coal of Great Lakes Region-USA, U.K and Ruhr

💦
region is Carboniferous coal].
Aryan Rock System
●The beginning of the Upper
Carboniferous period to Holocene, known as the Aryan Group, has come to the
threshold of the last, longest, and most eventful era, extending from Upper
Carboniferous to the Holocene period.
●Pangaea was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic
eras.It assembled from the earlier continental units of Gondwana, Euramerica and Siberia
during the Carboniferous approximately 335 million years ago, and began to break apart
about 200 million years ago, at the end of the Triassic and beginning of the Jurassic.
●The Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea came into being during the Cretaceous or early
Tertiary period after disintegration
of Gondwanaland.
●The Aryan Group of Rock Formation classified in the following Group:
☆Upper Paleozoic Era—- Upper Primary Epoch– Upper Carboniferous & Permian Period
formation
☆Mesozoic Era-—Secondary Epoch -Triassic, Jurassic & Cretaceous period
Formation(Gondwana Rock system, Deccan trap, Jurassic system)
☆Cenozoic Era-—Tertiary Epoch – Paleocene,Eocene,Oligocene,Miocene & Pliocene
Period
☆Neozoic Era— Quaternary Epoch– Pleistocene & Holocene/recent Period.
¤Gondwana System
●The Gondwana System [derives its name Gonds, the most primitive people of Telangana
and Andhra Pradesh]
●They are deposits laid down in synclinal troughs on ancient plateau surface.
●As the sediments accumulated, the loaded troughs subsided.
●Fresh water and sediments accumulated in these trough and terrestrial plants and
animals thrived.
●This happened since Permian period (250 million years ago).
¤Gondwana Coal
●Gondwana rocks contain nearly 98 per cent of India’s coal reserves.
●Gondwana coal is much younger than the Carboniferous coal and hence it’s carbon
content is low.
●They have rich deposits of iron ore, copper, uranium and antimony also.
●Sandstones, Slates and Conglomerates are used as building materials.
¤Jurassic System
●The marine transgression in the latter part of the Jurassic gave rise to thick series of
shallow water deposits in Rajasthan and in Kachchh.
●Coral Limestone, Sandstone, Shales,
Conglomerates occur in Kachchh.
●Another transgression on the east coast of the Peninsula is found between Guntur and
Rajamundry.
¤Deccan Trap
●Period:-Cretaceous period
●Volcanic outburst over a vast area of the Peninsular India from the end of the
Cretaceous till the beginning of the Eocene gave rise to Deccan Traps.
●Basaltic lava flowed out of fissures covering a vast area of about ten lakh sq km.
●These volcanic deposits have flat tops and steep sides and are therefore called ‘traps’
meaning a ‘stair’ or ‘step’ in Swedish.
●The process of weathering and erosion (denudation) since millions of years has
reduced the Deccan Trap to almost half of its original size.
●Present Deccan Trap covers about 5 lakh sq km mainly in parts of Kachchh, Saurashtra,
Maharashtra, the Malwa plateau and northern Karnataka.
●Thickness of the Deccan Traps is 3,000 meters along the west which is reduced to
600-800 meters towards the south, 800 meters in Kachchh and only 150 meters at the
eastern limit.
●The weathering of these rocks for a long time has given birth to black cotton soil known
as ‘regur’.
♧The Deccan Trap has been divided into three groups:
☆The Upper Trap:- Maharashtra and Saurashtra.
☆The Middle Trap:- Central India and Malwa.
☆The Lower Trap
¤Tertiary System
✓Era:-Cenozoic Era.
✓Cenozoic’ means recent life.
• It has two periods- 1. Tertiary & 2. Quaternary.
●Eocene to Pliocene about 60 to 7 million years ago. Characterized by two events- the
final breaking up the old Gondwana land and the upliftment of Tethys geosynclines or
Himalayas.
•Himadri Himalaya:-Eocene period
•Lesser Himalaya:-Miocene period
•Shiwalik Himalaya.:-Pliocene period.
●The tertiary is the most significant period in India’s geological history because the
Himalayas were born and India’s present form came into being in this period.
●The Tertiary Succession are fully spread over the Bengal and Ganges delta, East coast
and the Andaman Islands. They are also found in the Salt Range, Potwar Plateau, Outer
Himalayan regions of Jammu and Punjab, Assam, Sind, and Baluchistan.
●Important rock systems include Karewas
of Kashmir, Bhangar, Khadar of the
Gangetic plains etc.
¤ Quaternary:-
✓Era:-Neozoic Era.
✓Epoch:-Pleistocene and Recent origin .
✓The Moraine deposits and Karewa formation of Kashmir valley of the Pleistocene
Epoch.
✓The Lacustrine deposits of the
Pleistocene period consists of Sand, Clay,
Silt. The Pampore and Pulwama Karewas are well known for the cultivation of Saffron,
Almond and Walnut.
✓During upper and Middle Pleistocene period old Alluvial soil is known as Bhangar and
the formation of the alluvial soil began at the end of the Pleistocene period and it is still
going on the present Holocene period is known as Khadar .
✓The Northern plain of India came into existence during the Pleistocene Epoch in
Quaternary period of Cenozoic Era./
Neozoic Era.
✓The Rann of Kutch was previously a part of the ocean.It was Filled by the sedimentary
deposits during the Pleistocene to Holocene Epoch.
Mcq:-
1)Which among the following rocksystem
in India is also known as a storehouse of minerals?
[A] Archaean Rock system
[B] Dharwar system
[C] The Cuddapah system
[D] The Vindhyan System

Ans:-B

2)The Deccan trap was formed by which of the following activity?

A)Dharwar vulcanicity
B)Paleozoic vulcanicity
C)Mesozoic vulcanicity
D)Cretaceous vulcanicity

Ans:-D

3)Which one among the following systems contains the oldest rock formation of
India?
(a) Aravalli System
(b) Archean System
(c) Cuddapah System
(d) Vindhyan System

Ans:-B

4)Which of the following rock systems in India is the latest one?

A)Vindhyan
B)Cuddapah
C)Dharwar
D)Gondwana

Ans:-D

5)Which one of the following is the correct order of formation of the geological
system in India in terms of their age? (Starting with the oldest)

(a) Dharwars – Aravallis – Vindhyans – Cuddapah

(b) Aravallis – Dharwars – Cuddapah – Vindhyans
(c) Vindhyans – Dharwars – Aravallis – Cuddapah
(d) Cuddapah – Vindhyans – Dharwars – Aravallis

Ans:-B

6)Damodar and Sone river valley and Rajmahal hills in the eastern India are depository of
the______?

A)Cuddapah Rock System

B)Dharwar Rock system
C)Gondwana Rock system
D)Vindhyan Rock system

Ans:-C

7)Consider the following statements about geological formation of India:

1. Geological time scale divides India into four parts with respect to rock system.

2. Gondwana rock system is famous for coal formation in India.

3. Deccan Trap / Deccan lava plateau is made-up of cretaceous rock system.

Choose the incorrect statement(s)

A)1 and 2 only

B)2 and 3 only
C)None
D)All
Ans:-C

8)Which one of the following is the appropriate reason for considering the Gondwana
rocks as most important of rock systems of India ?
A)More than 90% of limestone reserves of India are found in them

B)More than 90% of India's coal reserves are found in them

C)More than 90% of fertile black cotton soils are spread over them

D)None of the reasons given above is appropriate in this context.

Ans:-B

9)Which river valley has Gondwana rocks ?

(A) Ganga

(B) Brahmaputra

(C) Damodar

(D) Sutlej

Ans:-C

10)The Dravidian rock system is found in ——— region.

(A) Krishna Valley (B) Chotanagpur Plateau (C) Spiti Valley (D) Damodar Valley

Ans:-C

11)The chief coal bearing formation in India is known as the

(A) Siwaliks

(B) Gondwanas

(C) Vindhyans

(D) Cuddappahs

Ans:-B

12)Which of the following statements relating to Dharwar geological system are

correct? [UPSC CAPF 2016]
1. They belong to Archaean geological period.
2. They are metamorphosed sedimentary rocks.
3. They are of great economic importance for its mineral resources.
4. They are found predominantly in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and
Jharkhand.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(a) 1, 2, 3 and 4
(b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 3 and 4
(d) 1 and 2

Ans:A

13)Which rock system has the maximum concentration of minerals?

A) Cuddapah system
B) Dharwar system
C) Gondwana system
D) Vindhyan system

Ans:-B

14)The palaeomagnetic results obtained from India indicate Indian

landmass has moved which of the following directions?
A] northward
B)Southward
C)Eastward
D)Westward
Ans:-A
15)Dharwar system of rocks is famous for
A)Manganese Reserve
B)Iron ore Reserve
C)Bauxite
D)Limestone
Ans:-B
16)Rajasthan desert or Thar desert is the expanse of which of the
following?
A)Pliocene
B)Paleocene
C)Pleistocene and Recent origin
D)Oligocene
Ans:-C
17)Peninsular India comprises of
A)Archaean rocks
B)Tertiary rocks
C)Pleistocene rocks
D)Recent Deposits
Ans:-A
18)
Match List I with List II and select the correct answer by using the code given.

List I List II

A. Deccan Traps 1. Late Cenozoic

B. Western Ghats 2. Precambrian

C. Aravalli 3. Cretaceous Eocene

D. Narmada-Tapi alluvial deposits 4. Cambrian

 5. Pleistocene

A-3, B-5, C-1, D-4

A-3, B-1, C-2, D-5

A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4

A-1, B-4, C-2, D-5

Ans:B

19)The Vindhya range is made up of what type of rocks?

A)Igneous rocks

B)Sedimentary rocks

C)Metamorphic rocks

D)None of the above

Ans:-B

20)Granites and gneisses of Dharwarian age are found in :

(A) Siwalik Hills
(B) Deccan Plateau
(C) Chotanagpur Plateau
(D) Kirthar Range
Ans:-C

21.)Which one of the following is the oldest rock found in India?

A)Granite

B)Bauxite

C)Khondalite

D)Andesite

Ans:-C