Applications of Palynology in Stratigraphy and Climate Studies (Society of Earth Scientists Series)

This book highlights the importance of palynology in understanding floral biodiversity, paleoclimate and depositional environments in deep time and recent sediments. It includes contributions from renowned Indian palynologists who work on the applied aspects of palynology. The book focuses on the significance of palynology in solving various geological problems, ranging from the Precambrian to the Recent. This book will be useful to graduate and postgraduate students, researchers, and academicians working in geology and botany, as well as international researchers interested in palynological research work in India. Preface Acknowledgements Contents Editors and Contributors Precambrian Microfossils: Indicators of Early Life and Environments on the Earth 1 Introduction 2 Indian Archeozoic Microfossils 3 Indian Proterozoic Microfossils 4 Summary References Significance of Palynology in Understanding Age, Palaeoclimate and Correlation of Indian Gondwana Sediments 1 Introduction 2 Geological Setting 3 Methodology 4 Biostratigraphic Age Assessment of Indian Gondwana Sequences Using Palynomorphs 4.1 Talchir Formation (Early Permian, Asselian–Sakmarian) 4.2 Karharbari Formation (Middle Early Permian, Sakmarian–Artinskian) 4.3 Barakar Formation (Late Early Permian, Artinskian–Kungurian) 4.4 Barren Measures Formation (Middle Permian, Guadalupian) 4.5 Raniganj Formation (Late Permian–Lopingian) 4.6 Panchet Formation (Early Triassic, Induan–Olenekian) 4.7 Supra Panchet (Mahadeva/Parsora) Formation (Late Triassic/Jurassic, Carnian–Norian/Toarcian–Bajocian) 4.8 Jabalpur Formation (Early Cretaceous, Berriasian–Barremian) 5 Palynomorphology and Their Palaeoclimatic Implications from the Indian Gondwana Sequences 5.1 Evaluation of Morphographic Characters 5.2 Changing Composition of Morphographic Characters 6 Palaeoclimate and Palynofloral Structuring of Gondwanaland 7 Conclusion References Reappraisal of Permian and Early Triassic Palynoflora and Palynostratigraphy of Son-Mahanadi Basin and Their Climatic Implications 1 Introduction 2 Geology of the Son-Mahanadi Basin 3 Palynofloristics and Palaeoenvironment During the Deposition of Different Formations in Son-Mahanadi Basin 3.1 Palynofloristics and Vegetation of Talchir Formation (late Carboniferous to Early Permian) 3.2 Palynofloristics and Vegetation of Karharbari Formation (Early Permian, Sakamarian-Artinskian) 3.3 Palynofloristics and Vegetation of Barakar Formation (late Early Permian = Artinskian-Kungurian) 3.4 Palynofloristics and Vegetation of Barren Measures (middle Permian = Guadalupian) 3.5 Palynofloristics and Vegetation of Raniganj/Lower Kamthi Formations (Late Permian, Lopingian) 3.6 Palynofloristics of Panchet Formation and Equivalent Sequences of Triassic Period 4 Palaeoclimate 4.1 Palaeoclimate During the Deposition of Talchir Formation 4.2 Palaeoclimate During the Deposition of Karharbari Formation 4.3 Palaeoclimate During the Deposition of Barakar Formation 4.4 Palaeoclimate During the Deposition of Barren Measures 4.5 Palaeoclimate During the Deposition of Raniganj/Kamthi Formation 4.6 Palaeoclimate During the Deposition of Panchet Formation 5 Botanical Affinities 6 Concluding Remarks References An Overview of Upper Gondwana Rajmahal Flora and Its Significance 1 Introduction 2 Geological Setting 3 Age of Rajmahal Formation 4 Flora of Rajmahal Basin 5 Palaeofloral Zonation of Rajmahal Basin 6 Patterns of Floral Change in Rajmahal Basin Through Time 7 Conclusions References Palynology of Upper Cretaceous-Early Paleocene Deccan Volcanic Associated Sediments: Implication in Understanding Age, Climate and Depositional Environments 1 Introduction 2 Mega and Microflora from Deccan Volcanic Associated Sediments 2.1 Flora from the Lameta Sediments 2.2 Flora from the Intertrappean Sediments 3 Palynoflora and Age of the Intertrappean Sediments 4 Response of Flora to Changing Deposition Environments and Climate 5 Deccan Volcanic Associated Sediments and Evolution of Angiosperm Families 6 Conclusions References Paleogene Indian Plate Dynamics and Palaeoclimate: A Review from Palynological Perspective 1 Indian Plate Dynamics During Paleogene 2 Palaeoclimate During Paleogene 3 Paleogene Palynology and Its Application 4 Indian Paleogene Deposits from Palynological Perspective 5 Evolution of Palaeogene Palynoflora in India 6 Conclusions References Palynological Perspective on Understanding Climate Change in India Over the Pre-industrial Common Era (CE; Past Ca. 2000 Years): a Comprehensive Review and a Critical Evaluation 1 Introduction 2 Palaeoclimatic Studies Over the Past 2 Millennia: Regional and Global Contextualization 2.1 Roman Warm Period (RWP) 2.2 Dark Ages Cold Period (DACP) 2.3 Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) 2.4 Little Ice Age (LIA) 2.5 Current Warm Period (CWP) 3 Conclusions References Palynology: A Tool to Decipher the Impact of Anthropogenic Activity on Palaeo-Vegetation—A Review Based on Fossil Pollen Records from India 1 Introduction 2 Distribution of Pollen Records Across India: Anthropogenic Indicator Pollen; Human Impact on Vegetation; Spatio-Temporal Disparities in Fossil Pollen Records 2.1 Northeast India 2.2 Eastern India 2.3 Central India 2.4 Western India 3 Indian Coastal Records 4 Discussion 4.1 Initiation of Human Impact; Common Periods in the Pollen Records 4.2 Tendencies in the Anthropogenic Pollen Preservation: The Indian Scenario 4.3 The Implications and Future Needs References Modern Pollen Assemblage and Micro-morphometric Analysis of Arboreal and Non-arboreal Taxa from Lucknow District of Central Ganga Plain, India: A Window to Palaeoclimatic Studies 1 Introduction 1.1 Geology and Geography 1.2 Soil and Climate 1.3 Vegetation 2 Material and Methods 2.1 Extraction of the Pollen/Spores from the Living Polliniferous Samples for the Pollen Morphological Studies 2.2 Extraction of the Pollen/Spores from the Surface Soil Samples for the Modern Pollen-Vegetation Relationship 3 Pollen Morphology 3.1 Results of Pollen Morphometry of Selected Plant Taxa 4 Results of Modern Pollen Rain 4.1 General Account of Pollen/Vegetation Relationship 4.2 Pollen Spectra (Forest Edge: Fig. 2) 4.3 Pollen Spectra (Open Land: Fig. 2) 5 Discussion and Conclusions 5.1 Overall Modern Pollen Deposition and Its Relationship with Extant Vegetation 5.2 Pollen Rain Along the Forest Edge 5.3 Pollen Rain Across the Open Land References Decoding Ancient Vegetation and Environment Using Potsherd Palynology: A Case Study from an Archaeological Site of Deltaic West Bengal, India 1 Introduction 2 Methodology 2.1 Sampling Site 2.2 Extraction of Microbotanical Remains 3 Results 3.1 Palynomorph and Non-pollen Palynomorph Analyses 4 Discussion 4.1 Microbotanical Remains from Tilpi Interpreting the Palaeovegetation and Palaeoclimate 4.2 Possible Age of the Pre-historic Settlement of Tilpi 5 Conclusion References Hydrocarbon Biomarkers in Elucidating Source Organic Matter and Palaeodepositional Environment: A Case Study from Cambay Basin, India 1 Introduction 2 General Geology 3 Samples and Methodology 3.1 Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) 3.2 Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (GC × GC-TOFMS) 4 Results 4.1 n-alkanes and Acyclic Isoprenoids 4.2 Saturated Hydrocarbon Biomarkers 4.3 Steranes 4.4 Unusual Saturated Hydrocarbon Biomarkers 4.5 Aromatic Hydrocarbons 5 Discussion 5.1 Source Organic Matter 5.2 Depositional Environment 6 Conclusions References Application of Palynology in Petroleum and Coal Exploration 1 Introduction 2 Application of Palynology in Hydrocarbon Exploration 3 Formation of Petroleum 4 Types of Kerogen 5 Thermal Maturation and Palynology 6 Palynofacies 7 Application of Palynofacies in Paleoenvironmental Studies 8 Application of Palynology in Coal Exploration 9 Formation of Coal 9.1 Biochemical Stage 9.2 Geochemical Stage 10 Coal Macerals 10.1 Vitrinite 10.2 Exinite 10.3 Inertinite 11 Palaeoclimate of Gondwana Sediments Using Palynology 12 Age and Coal Seam Demarcation Using Palynology 13 Coal Bed Methane (CBM) and Palynology 14 Summary References