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GEOLOGICAL FIELD TRIP TO DEHRADUN

(1s to 4th
December, 2014)

Trip Led by Prof. Dr. Alok Singh and guided by


Dr.R.J. Azmi. Accompained by Dr. U.S Prasad

Submitted byRAVI SHANKAR


MPE14-001

INTRODUCTION
A geological trip to study of Himayalayan geology led by Prof.
(Dr.) A.K Singh to Dehradun. The trip guided by Dr. R.J Azmi
and accompanied by Dr. U.S Prasad. The trip was organized for
four day study tour of field exposure of different stratigraphic
sequence, sedimentology and tectonic settings of himayalayan
region of Dehradun Mussoorie sector of Garhwal region consisting
of the lesser Himalayan and Sub-himalayan .

DAY- 1
MALDEVTA AREA, DEHRADUN

Stop1: Maldevta Area (near Som River)


Here we examine Main thrust boundary (MTB) b/w Shivalik hills
and lower Himalayan hills. There is fault along Som River. Strike is
310 along NW-SE and dip is 60 degree long N-E. Drop stone found
which evidence of glaciations. It is a great event of freezing in
which entire earth was freezing. On river bed we found boulders
of krol (limestone) and there is angular fragment inside clay
matrix.

Stop2: Chandpur
The Chandpur Formation is exposed along this mule track from
the Toll barrier to Pathanghat for about 1.5km. The sequence
consists of black to grey argillites with interbedded sandstone and
siltstone. Sandstone and siltstone within the argillites are 2 to 15
em thick and show laminations. The sandstone gets relatively
thicker in the upper part and can be traced for few hundred
meters. These sandstones show laminations and pass upward into
Nagthat Formation. The scale of lamination, continuity of thinly
bedded units and straight planar contacts between layers indicate
their deposition under low energy conditions, most probably in
lagoons in the nearshore shelf.
Stop3: Naghathat (middle shivalik)
The Nagthat Quartzite occurs for a distance of about 750 meters
at Pathanghat. The thinly bedded Chandpur Formation passes
transitionally into thinly to thickly bedded sequence of siltstone
with interbedded argillites (mudstones) in the lower part. It shows
laminations and is grey to purple coloured. Higher up, thinly
bedded quartzite sandstone with interbedded shale pass into
thickly-bedded grey to white quartzite. Locally gritty quartzite is
p'resent. Near the contact of Blaini Formation glauconitic and
pyritebearing quartzite is present. Trough cross stratification,
ripple be.dding and parallel lamination are commonly observed.
Interbedded siltstone and mudstone show sharp contact
relationship. The mixed type of facies (interbedded quartzite,
siltstone and rarely shale) have been deposited in mixed to sandy
tidal flat environment (Singh, 1978).
Stop4: Bandel River
These are evidence of a source existence. Plenty of limestone are
founded. Sandy matrix rocks are also be found. crol D limestone
are present. Microbial activity is very high. We get salt
psuedomorphous. We saw shale with organic content (high
phosphorous phosphate).

DAY- 2
RISHIKESH

Stop 1: On the bank of Chandrabagh river


We travelled 40 km east of Dehradun and our first stop was at the
right bank of Chandrabhaga river. Again we are standing on the
side of Sub-himalaya and the river bed lies on the Main Boundary
thrust. On the left bank we can see the Lesser himalyas. Prolific
growth of Sal trees is noticed on the Shiwalik hills. These belong
to siwalik Himalayan i.e low vegetative low hills. Higher
Himalayan cant be seen from here. Up liftment is being there
along fault. MBT separate lesser Himalaya from siwalik. Many
river can be seen along such region. Shall forest are main
characteristic of such regions. Siwalik is on the front side and
lesser Himalaya is a back. We found black grey shale (infracrol) on
the right bank of Ganga River. It consists of dark grey to black and
greenish grey shales and slates, with few quartzite beds. It oftenly
bleaches to ash-black colour. Both are thinly laminated. At places,
pyritiferous carbonaceous shale is present. This is supposed to be
a good source facies for hydrocarbon generation in Lesser

Himalaya. Black carbonaceous shale with pyrite indicates a very


low energy restricted basin with seasonal fluctuations as
represented by quartzose laminae.
Stop2: Shivpuri near sintali marine drive
At Simtali we saw a good outcrop of Quartz arenite elonging to
the Upper Tal formation. Beds are 1 m thick white in color. Its
age is estimated at 520 Ma. Upper tal Formation is chjaracterised
by massive arenaceous unit. It includes cross-bedded whitish
togrey quartzite with prominent thin parting of shales. We saw
bedding plane of sandstone (pure silica). These have quartz
arenite. Rocks present are softer than Naghathat formation rock.
No fossils and no minerals are founded here. These are a part of
lower Cambrian Rocks present were good in glass industry
because it is pure silica. Quartz arenite has been seen. We saw
fossil in limestone mark in black dot on limestone rock which is 65
m. y old. The place is syntaline. Limestone has shale and fossil in
them.

DAY- 3
MUSSOORIE

Stop1: Shansai ashram


This stop is located at Amba Devi temple, near Shahanshahi
Ashram at Rajpur. Here, argillite/phyllite of Chandpur Formation of
Lesser Himalaya is separated from the Middle Siwalik sediments
of Outer Himalya by a thrust plain, referred to as the Main
Boundary Thrust (MBT). The thusted contact between the two is
evident as Chandpur Phyllite overrides the Siwaliks, and the the
Chandpur sediments are are highly crushed and myolinised. At
this stop, variations in the lithofacies of Chandpur Formation can
be observed. We went to old root of reaching Musoorie. It divide
the siwalik and lesser Himalayan. The presence of fault and joints
can be seen through little tilting of temple present there from
horizontal. Foliation plane and low grade metamorphic can be
found here. Naghathat are above this region. The thinly bedded
Chandpur Formation passestransitionally into thinly to thickly
bedded sequence of siltstone with interbedded argillites

(mudstones) in the lower part. It shows laminations and is grey to


purple coloured. Higher up, thinly bedded quartzite sandstone
with
interbedded shale pass into thickly-bedded grey to white
quartzite. Locally gritty quartzite is p'resent.
Stop3: 9R
A transitional passage from Infra Krol-Lower Krol can also be seen
on Dehra Dun-Mussoorie highway stop 9R near Kolukbet Toll
Barrier between 13 and 14 kilometer stones.
Stop4: 13R
The stop is located at Mussoorie-Tehri road at about 125m
distance from the Mussoorie-Tehri road diversion. At this stop the
uppermost Krol (Krol E) is represented by wellbedded argillaceous
dolomite which grades into mainly thinly bedded, chert bed (45
m) of Lower Tal. The Krol/Tal contact is characterized by a few
limonitic layers with rare occurrence of phosphatic bands. Other
interesting notable features in this section (Fig. 38} are the
occurrence of 1 m thick bioherm of stratified and do mal
stromatolites in highly shattered cherts, about 25 m above the
Krol/Tal contact, and one meter thick friable yellow sandstonesiltstone bed occurring 9 m below the contact. This yellow sandy
bed, in
general appearance, looks to be of aeolian origin but there is no
definite evidence to substantiate or otherwise.
Stop5: Khollu khet and Masarana
It is 3800 ft above mean sea level. We saw bleach shale of infra
krol. It is black due to organic content. On upper hill we found
young rock (crol to tal). This region have dipping in southern
direction. We saw abundance of chert(lower tal). Fossil also found
in this region which is 542 m. y old. Little phosphate has been
seen. Fossil are also present. We saw micaseous siltstone. We saw
traces of fossil on sandstone. Imprints of animal walk can be seen
on some rocks. Ripple mark can be seen clearly in this region. We
found weathered limestone of light brown colour. Limestone found
have oxidizing character and are shale type. We found chert and
phosphate (lower tal ) of black color.

DAY- 4
SAHARANPUR DISTRICT

Stop1: 2A
Stop 2A is located on culvert No.164/3 at ,...., 21.8kilometer from
Dehra Dun on the Mohand-Dehra Dun road. A spectacular scarp
face of northeast dipping sandstones occurs in a minor tributary
of the Mohand Rao.The sandstones are grey and medium-grained.
They contain isolated clasts of rounded quartzite.
Megascopically,quartz and micaceous minerals are identifiable.

Stop2: 2B
Stop 2B is located at the Iron Bridge (21.6 km from Dehra Dun)
and Mohand Rao intersection (Fig. 2). There are cliff-forming
sandstones on the southern bank of the river. Low-lying river-bed
outcrops trending 110"-390 are, however, the subject of interest
at this outcrop. The extent of these low-lying exposures is 40 m

SUMMARY
The lithofacies and palaeoenvironments emphasized in the Siwalik
Group are: sandstone mudstone units of channelbar-flood plain
origin (Stop 1), multistoried sandstone bodies of major channel
belt (Stop 21. Fining upward sandston~ (channel bars) of sandy
braided
streams
(Stop
3),
sandstone-pebbly-sandstoneconglomerate sequences representing the transition from a sandy
braided fluvial system to a gravel bedload braided fluvial system
(Stop 4) and conglomerate-sandstone beds representing distal
alluvial fan deposits (Stop 5). In the Lesser Himalayan sequence,
the lithofacies and paleo-environments emphasised are: very
thinly laminated siltstone and sandstone of Chandpur Formation
representing a muddy near-shore shelf sequence (Stop 6),
crossbedded and laser-bedded quartzites' of Nagthat Formation
representing coastal sandbar complex of a shallow tidal sea (Stop
7), immature polymictic conglor6erates of Blaini Formation
repre~enting debris flows in a shallow sea (Stop8). interbedded
siltstone and sandstone of Infra-Krol Formation representing nearshore shelf facies, thinly bedded marl and limestone of basal part
of Krol Formation (Krol A) indicating predominantly carbonate flat
facies (Stop 9), green and red shale of Krol B (Stop 10),, Upper
Krol carbonates (Krol C, D and E) representing intertidalSupratidal
flats of a tidal sea (Stop 1Q-13) and siltstonemudstone- sandstone
and quartzite of the Tal Formation representing the deposits of a
shallow tidal complex (Stop14).

-THE END

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