Research Projects

The Neogene sediments of the Bengal Basin, equivalent siwalik rocks of the Eastern Himalaya, the accretionary fold-thrust belt in Mizoram and Tripura, and Bengal-Nicobar Fan have been studied extensively to understand their provenance and sedimentation. However, the Neogene succession of Mizoram and Tripura has received less attention. This proposal aims to generate first-order data on the petrography, clay mineralogy, geochemistry, and sedimentology of the surma and Tipam Group, exposed in Mizoram and Tripura. The project will examine the relationship between the sediments of the IMR and siwalik rocks in EHFB and the sediments of the BB and BNF, tracing the source-to-sink dispersal of Himalayan sediment and its relationship to the hinterland tectonics. The study will provide insights into the response of a basin to autogenic and allogenic forces, depositional systems, paleogeography, and the paleotransport direction, which is not yet well-studied for the Mizo-Tripura belt. The results of the proposed study on the Aizawl succession will enrich the data base of exploration geologists working in this belt. The Neogene surma Group of rocks around Aizawl in Mizoram is well-dated through paleomagnetic and detrital thermochronological studies, providing an ideal opportunity to study the stratigraphic pattern and facies architecture of the sediments.