Sedimentological studies of Katesar Member (Late Jurassic), Jhuran Formation, Kachchh basin: An example of transition from Delta Front to Delta Plain settings

Poonam Mangtani; A V Joshi

doi:10.51710/jias.v43iI.456

Authors

Poonam Mangtani The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda
A V Joshi Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara-390002, Gujarat, India.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51710/jias.v43iI.456

Abstract

The Kachchh Basin of western India preserves a thick Mesozoic succession deposited in a pericratonic rift setting along the northern margin of the Indian plate. Within this succession, the rocks of Late Jurassic Jhuran Formation comprising 4 members: lower, middle, upper and Katesar records extensive siliciclastic deposition. The present investigation is aimed to understand the nature of sedimentation and decode sedimentary environment of Katesar member using facies analysis, petrography, heavy mineral assemblages, bulk mineralogy and geochemical proxies. The facies analysis of Katesar member indicates presence of hummocky cross-stratified sandstones, bioturbated ferruginous sandstones, thin-bedded sandstone–siltstone alternations, and gypsiferous shale reflecting deposition in a wave-dominated delta front environment under episodic storm influence. Heavy mineral suites and bulk mineralogical data indicate sediment derivation from felsic sources with evidence of recycling. The geochemical analyses of major, minor, and trace elements further support a continental arc to passive margin provenance with signatures of moderate chemical weathering in the hinterland. The results obtained from these proxies have provided a refined reconstruction of sediment dispersal pathways, provenance and depositional dynamics of the Katesar member. They further highlight the progressive transition from delta-front to delta-plain environments, offering new perspectives on deltaic evolution in the Kachchh basin during the Late Jurassic period.

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