ORCID

Abstract

The Cauvery Basin is an important rift margin basin on the east coast of India. It's long research history began in the mid-nineteenth century with the pioneering work of H.F. Blanford. While much of the Cretaceous succession in the basin is fault-controlled, some of the recorded events represent global sea level changes, especially in the mid-Cretaceous. Macrofossils (ammonites, bivalves, etc.) and foraminifera are abundant throughout, and there is an important occurrence of fossil wood and ‘log-grounds’ in the Turonian-Coniacian. The basin is sub-divided into a series of sub-basins (known as depressions in the earlier literature) which - in places - have their own distinctive depositional history.The results of our collective fieldwork have provided a re-assessment of the lithostratigraphy, biostratigraphy and the tectono-stratigraphical history of the Ariyalur outcrop. Three sedimentary units have been identified; the syn-rift Gondwana Group (of early Cretaceous age), the syn-rift Uttatur Group (of Albian to Coniacian age) and the post-rift Ariyalur Group (of Santonian to Maastrichtian age). Both microfossil and macrofaunal information have been integrated in order to construct a biostratigraphical framework for the basin and develop a tectono-stratigraphical model. Structures exposed onshore, which have occasionally been interpreted as Albian reefs, are thought to be irregularly shaped, limestone olistoliths and olistostromes produced by significant intra-Cretaceous faulting and slumping within the basin.

Publication Date

2024-09-05

Publication Title

Geological Society Special Publication

Volume

545

Issue

1

ISSN

0305-8719

Acceptance Date

2024-05-16

Deposit Date

2024-06-18

Embargo Period

2025-06-06

Funding

Archana Joshi (née Tewari) acknowledges receipt of a Nehru Centenary British Fellowship from the British Council (1992–96). MBH and MPW acknowledge financial assistance from The Royal Society in support of fieldwork. MBH was also awarded an exchange award by The Royal Society and the Indian National Science Academy. RV wishes to acknowledge the financial assistance received during a visit to the UK and at the Cretaceous Stage Boundaries Meeting in Brussels. In addition, RV also wishes to acknowledge the financial support received from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India for the Sponsored Research Projects Nos SR/S4/ES-314/2008 and INT/RFBR/P-55/2009-10, and Periyar University, Salem for extending support to carry out these projects. LH acknowledges the financial support of Department of Science and Technology–Junior Research Fellow to carry out her research work.

First Page

515

Last Page

544

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