The protocontinental growth of the Indian Shield and the antiquity of its rift valleys

Abstract The evolution of the Indian Shield has been envisaged from the analysis of available tectono-lithostratigraphic, geochronological, geochemical and geophysical data. It appears that the Dharwar schist belts and their equivalents, except the Kolar schist belt, are not typical greenstone belts, but are representative of a transitional era of rapid transformation from simatic to sialic crust. In the Archaean—Proterozoic tract of India, relics of rocks older than 3.0 b.y. are identified in five widely separated regions of distinct tectono-litho-stratigraphic assemblages which probably represent the primordial continental nucleii. It is suggested that the growth of the Indian Shield has taken place through nucleation, accretion and merger into three protocontinents named Dharwar, Aravalli and Singhbhum. The cratonisation of the Indian unit seems to have been rapid and almost completed by the middle Proterozoic, as there is no significant variation in the composition of the clastic sediments and basalts from middle Proterozoic onwards. The continental nucleii appear to merge along the deep-seated lineaments, which are reflected on the tectonic map of India. Further, the Dharwar, Aravalli and Singhbhum protocontinents also seem to merge along a Y =shaped Narmada—Son—Godavari lineament which along with the Mahanadi lineament, between the two continental nucleii of the Singhbhum protocontinent have later developed into rift valleys.