Vol. 2, Issue 7, Part D (2016)
Clay mineralogy of the Late Miocene Baripada Beds (Mayurbhanj District, Orissa): Palaeoclimatic implications
Clay mineralogy of the Late Miocene Baripada Beds (Mayurbhanj District, Orissa): Palaeoclimatic implications
Author(s)
K Milankumar Sharma, Rajeev Patnaik and Ningthoujam Premjit Singh
Abstract
Although the Late Miocene Baripada Beds are well known for their wealth of fossil vertebrates and invertebrates, very little is known about their palaeoclimatic condition of deposition. Here, we present X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis ofnineteen samples collected from a 14 m thick Baripada Bed Section at Mukurmatia. We have used this XRD result to interpret the relationship between clay mineralogy and palaeoclimatic condition prevailed during the deposition of these fossiliferous deposits. The major clay minerals from the study area consist of smectite, kaolinite and illite. However, chlorite is totally absent in all the samples analysed. The abundance of smectite may indicate presence of monsoon type of climate and deposition under relatively low energy condition. The clay mineralogical proxy data and its comparison with other proxy records from different parts of the subcontinent allows us to suggest that the area witnessed a tropical to subtropical climate with an annual precipitation in the range of 50-150 cm, in the Late Miocene time.
How to cite this article:
K Milankumar Sharma, Rajeev Patnaik, Ningthoujam Premjit Singh. Clay mineralogy of the Late Miocene Baripada Beds (Mayurbhanj District, Orissa): Palaeoclimatic implications. Int J Appl Res 2016;2(7):217-223.