A palynostratigraphic study of Lower Gondwana sediments from South Karanpura coalfield, Bihar, India

Abstract

South Karanpura Coalfield is one of the important coalfields in Damodar Valley. The coal bearing strata are dated to be Barakar (Lower Permian) III age. In the present work a comprehensive palynological investigation of these carbonaceous sediments has been done. The mioflora recovered is either dominated by the nonstriate-disaccate or striate-disaccate genera. On the basis of statistical analysis three Assemblage zones are recognized. The basal most ‘Assemblage Zone A’ is characterized by the dominance of Scheuringipollenites associated with Brevitriletes. The middle ‘Assemblage Zone B’ shows the increasing tendency of Faunipollenites and decline of Scheuringipollenites. The youngest ‘Assemblage Zone C’ shows the increase in the percentage of Scheuringipollenites and corresponding decline of Faunipollenites associated with Horriditriletes and Cyclogranisporites. The ‘Assemblage Zone A’ shows broad similarities with the Lower Barakar mioflora of Pench-Kanhan, Korba and Giridih coalfields and the Zone IV of Barakar mioflora of the type area and the mioflora of bore core KB21 (at 405·6 m depth) from North Karanpura Coalfield. The ‘Assemblage Zone B’ shows broad similarities with the Zone V of the Barakar Type area and the assemblage of bore core KBM19 (at 48 m depth) of North Karanpura Coalfield.