Research Projects

Continental flood basalt provinces (CFB) or large igneous provinces (LIP) are large-volume lavas erupted on continents in a short time span, governing tectonics, metallogeny, and global environmental, climate, and biotic changes. The origin of these extensive volcanic provinces is a critical question being addressed by geologists worldwide. Different models have been proposed to explain the origin of these extensive volcanic provinces, including decompression partial melting of hot mantle plumes, partial melting of the enriched sub-lithospheric mantle in a lithospheric pull-apart tectonic setting at cratonic boundaries, edge-driven convection cells, and the volatile influx of the continental lithospheric mantle. The Phanerozoic LIPs, known from the Indian shield, include the Permian Panjal Traps from the Kashmir valley, Early Cretaceous Abor volcanics in the northeastern Himalayan range, Early Cretaceous Rajmahal-sylhet Traps in eastern India, and end-Cretaceous Deccan Traps and Rajahmundry Traps in central-west and southeastern India. The proposed project aims to study the petrology, geochemistry, and geochronology of the Panjal Traps from different localities of the Kashmir valley to understand the spatiotemporal variation in the geochemistry of the lava flows and decipher the time duration of the eruption. Comparing the obtained data on equivalent lava flows, mafic dykes, and gabbros from the Tibet and Lhasa terranes will provide significant insights into the origin and geodynamic significance of this widespread flood basalt province.