The Maikal plateau, located at the eastern margin of the Deccan Volcanic Province in Central India, represents a rare convergence of geological and cultural heritage, where tectonic, volcano-sedimentary, paleontological, archaeological, and sacred elements intersect. Based on field observations, we recognise 17 geosites (GS), including compound lava flows, lava cave, natural CO₂ sequestration zones, extensive columnar basalts and a recently exposed site of the Lameta inland basin. In addition to these, 10 geoheritage sites (GHS) were documented, encompassing temples, shrines, fortifications, and sacred water bodies that reflect the integration of geological features with long-standing religious and cultural practices. Many of these sites are located within the tribal-dominated landscapes inhabited by Gond, Baiga, Panika, and Agaria communities, whose cultural and ecological knowledge systems remain intimately connected to this plateau’s linked rivers, forests, and hills. Most of the sites are embedded within sacred landscapes visited annually by millions of pilgrims, yet their extraordinary geological features remain largely unrecognised. Despite their scientific significance, these geosites face increasing threats from deforestation, mining, urbanization, and unregulated infrastructure development. To address these challenges, we propose a 5G geoheritage management strategy encompassing Geoheritage, Geotourism, Geoparks, Geoconservation, and Geosacred sites. The idea of Geosacred is proposed to promote a culturally rooted conservation strategy for important geosites and to attract millions of pilgrims, tourists, and local people visiting geosacred sites with a limited understanding of the subject. By revealing the hidden geoscientific significance of revered landscapes, Geosacred sites inspire conservation through spiritual stewardship and foster grassroots participation in protecting Earth’s non-renewable geological legacy.

Understanding Earth’s geodynamo processes is challenging due to limited data and the inaccessibility of Earth’s deep interior. Investigations of the Virtual Dipole Moment (VDM) and magnetic field intensity (paleofield) from continental flood basalts, such as the Deccan Volcanic Province (DVP), serve as valuable proxies for understanding past magnetic field behavior and core-mantle boundary (CMB) interactions. This study presents the first attempt to determine flow-by-flow paleofield and VDM analysis through progressive AF and thermal demagnetization of 36 distinct lava flows from the Mandla lobe, eastern DVP. Reliable mean VDM and paleofield values were calculated based on specimens that met reliability criteria and were globally correlated with the PINT database. The mean VDM value obtained from the eastern DVP is 1.58 ± 0.43 × 1022 Am2, which aligns with VDM values reported from the Koyna region, western DVP, indicating a persistently weak Earth’s magnetic field across the DVP. The lowest VDM value of 0.62 ± 0.19 × 1022 Am2, obtained from eight physically distinct lava flows of intermediate polarity, suggests these flows erupted during periods of weak Earth’s magnetic field, implying non-sudden polarity reversals.

Oceanic core complexes (OCCs) are a fundamental component of slow-to-ultraslow spreading mid-ocean ridges, yet the processes that control OCC formation and evolution are poorly understood especially with respect to their high-temperature lithospheric roots. We present detailed analyses of high-temperature ductile deformation preserved in drill-core from IODP Hole U1601C, on the Atlantis Massif OCC (30°N, MAR). We show that gabbroic intrusions within peridotite accommodated significant high-temperature deformation, especially within Fe-Ti oxide-bearing assemblages. This deformation spatially localizes in zones of high lithological heterogeneity created by meter-to-submeter-scale gabbroic intrusions within peridotite. High-temperature ductile deformation often localizes close to, and/or along, intrusive contacts, accompanied by localized, evolved, melt-reactive porous flow (crystallizing Fe-Ti oxides), and followed by fluid-rock reaction that enhanced and sustained further ductile deformation. These spatially controlling relationships between magmatism, deformation, and late melt ± fluid infiltration are a direct consequence of the lithological heterogeneity within moderately-magmatic OCCs, which are the dominant style of OCC along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and other slow-spreading ridges.

Water that flows through permeable ultramafic rocks produces high abundances of molecular hydrogen (H-2), methane (CH4), and other small organic molecules. Such products can fuel life in the rocky subseafloor, be extracted for energy, and may have played a role in pre-biological chemical synthesis on early Earth or other planetary bodies. The International Ocean Discovery Program drilled a new 1268-m-deep borehole (U1601C) into serpentinized mantle with minor gabbroic rocks on the Atlantis Massif, similar to 800-m north of the Lost City hydrothermal field (30 degrees N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge). Measured temperatures of the disturbed borehole reached 91.3 degrees C, and equilibrated temperatures of the deepest section are estimated to be between 110 - 140 degrees C. Water collected every similar to 5-m during drilling operations had H-2 concentrations that were regularly > 200 nM and spiked to > 10 mu M at multiple depths. In these waters, carbon monoxide was only present in deeper, hotter sections, and potentially associated with gabbroic intrusions into the peridotite host. Open borehole fluids were sampled after drilling and samples recovered from the deepest portion contained elevated short-lived 222-Radon and strontium isotope ratios similar to Lost City fluids, pointing to the presence of in situ subseafloor formation waters that have equilibrated with the host rock. The deepest samples were actively degassing upon recovery and contained 740 +/- 360 mu M H-2, 340 +/- 36 mu M CH4, and 25.5 mu M & sum;formate (= formate and formic acid). The shallowest fluids from the open borehole also contain micromolar H-2 and & sum;formate concentrations, the presence of which cannot be attributed to the upward migration of the deeper, higher concentration fluids. We interpret these data as reflecting two distinct and interconnected regimes of fluid flow and composition. Deep waters that are channelized along faults, lithologic contacts, and other high permeability pathways host high H-2 and CH4 concentrations plus micromolar & sum;formate that closely mirror the chemistry and isotopic signatures of LCHF vent fluids. Pervasive fluid flow permeates the mesh texture and microfracture network of the serpentinized peridotite and sustains H-2 and & sum;formate even in the shallowest subseafloor intervals at mild temperatures. These findings demonstrate that both focused and pervasive fluid flow contribute to the transport, and potentially the generation, of reduced volatiles and C1 compounds within the Atlantis Massif.

The upper mantle is critical for our understanding of terrestrial magmatism, crust formation, and element cycling between Earth’s solid interior, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. Mantle composition and evolution have been primarily inferred by surface sampling and indirect methods. We recovered a long (1268-meter) section of serpentinized abyssal mantle peridotite interleaved with thin gabbroic intrusions. We find depleted compositions with notable variations in mantle mineralogy controlled by melt flow. Dunite zones have predominantly intermediate dips, in contrast to the originally steep mantle fabrics, indicative of oblique melt transport. Extensive hydrothermal fluid-rock interaction is recorded across the full depth of the core and is overprinted by oxidation in the upper 200 meters. Alteration patterns are consistent with vent fluid composition in the nearby Lost City hydrothermal field.

Abstract The Koyna borehole penetrated c. 1 km through the Deccan basalt units and into the cratonic basement beneath, thus providing a unique insight into the subsurface succession of the main Deccan province. Earlier studies focused on southwestern Deccan lava packages exposed in the Western Ghat escarpment, and resolved a well-constrained stratigraphy and key reference sections, but lacked supporting subsurface data. To construct the stratigraphy and correlate it with the main Deccan formations, we report flow-wise physical and chemical data of a c. 932 m-thick core. We document 37 lava-flow units and four lava-flow groups that have similar major-oxide contents. These groups fit into two of the recognized chemostratigraphic formations, and the transitional Poladpur–Ambenali lavas. In addition, data plots on Ba v. Sr; Ba v. Zr/Nb; Ba/Y v. Zr/Nb; and Ba, Sr, Ba/Y, Zr/Nb v. height bivariate diagrams confine them to the Poladpur and Ambenali formations. Lava flows match with the Khumbarli and Mahabaleshwar Ghat sections and Killari core. The granitoid basement–basalt and the Poladpur Formation v. Ambenali Formation contacts lie at −332.5 and c. 482 m above sea-level, respectively. Further, the new data endorse the southern overstepping of chemostratigraphic units and the asymmetry of the Deccan edifice due to the northward motion of the Indian Plate over the nascent Réunion plume (c. 67–64 Ma). For comparison, the oldest 66.4 Ma lava flow predates the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary (KPB) (66.052 Ma) by <0.35 Ma, with much of the Wai Subgroup erupted syn-KPB or >0.55 Ma post-KPB; however, the restricted lava thickness at the contact between the Poladpur and Ambenali formations provides a reference point in the Deccan stratigraphy.

The key objective of the present study is to estimate the surface displacement and to understand/monitor the active deformation pattern in the Kachchh region post the 2001 Bhuj Earthquake by implementing the Persistent Scatterer Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (PSI) and Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) techniques. We employed the ENVISAT ASAR (15 images), ALOS PALSAR (6 pairs) and SENTINEL-1A (117 images) data sets acquired during the periods 2003–2005, 2007–2009, and 2016–2020 respectively. The PSI results of the Envisat dataset reveals that the Kachchh mainland region has undergone an average surface deformation of ± 22 mm/yr during 2003–2005. The maximum displacement observed from the ALOS PALSAR data sets (Window-1 to 6) during the period 2007–2009 is ∼ ± 1.2 cm. Further, the ground displacement observed from the Sentinel-1A dataset during the period 2016–2020 is ±16 mm/yr for the west-central region and 6 mm/yr uplift and 8 mm/yr subsidence in the eastern Kachchh mainland region. Surprisingly, high rate of deformation is detected towards the Pachham Island, Banni, Rann and the eastern region of the Kachchh after the 2001 Bhuj event. Correlating the results of different data sets, it is concluded that the deformation is high near the vicinity of the fault zones indicating the tectonically active nature of the faults. From the obtained results, we infer that, post the 2001 Bhuj earthquake, the surface displacement in the Kachchh mainland region is escalated till 2009 which is due to continuous aftershock activity and then started declining because of the ongoing seismic settlement. The acquired deformation rates are correlating well with the GPS derived displacement rates. Further, our results will assist in accurately demarcating the extent of the fault zones and also helps in precisely marking the areas undergoing active deformation, which will aid in micro zonation studies, mitigation planning and also for the preparation of an active tectonic map for the region.

As per the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the Kachchh region of the western peninsular India falls under seismically active region, where the faults experienced existence of several moderate to high magnitude earthquakes in the historic past. The present-day seismicity is mainly concentrated toward the eastern part of Kachchh Mainland Fault (KMF). Even though, the western segment of the KMF does not exhibit seismicity at present, but the tectono-geomorphology of this segment reveals various active geomorphic features which indicates its active nature. In this study, we are focusing on the distribution of neotectonic variability between the western segment of the KMF and the Vigodi Fault (VF), as the detailed geomorphometric studies is lacking in this region, believing that the area is not promising for such studies because the lack of seismicity. Therefore, we applied the conventional morphometric parameters to assess the neotectonic behaviour of the study area. The computed morphometric parameters had been grouped and mixed to create the Relative Index of Active Tectonics (RIAT), Furthermore, we used DInSAR results to estimate the active vertical displacement in between the fault zones which ranges from 0.15 to 0.28 cm. The results of each geomorphic indices indicates active deformation within the central portion of the western KMF and VF zone. This study would be certainly beneficial for seismic hazard assessment and future infrastructure planning of the region.

The intraplate Kachchh Rift basin has been hit by several devastating earthquakes in the historic past including the 1819 Allah Bund Earthquake and the 2001 Bhuj earthquake. The source region of these earthquakes, within the basin have been studied by several workers in the last two decades to understand their potential for earthquake recurrence. However, very little information is available on the palaeoseismic and geomorphic characterization of Kachchh Mainland Fault (KMF). Therefore, in the present study, six trenches were excavated across the KMF, between Lakhpat and Nirona to understand ground deformation pattern and timing of the historic earthquakes. Based on geomorphic and palaeoseismic investigations, five palaeoearthquakes of Early to Late Holocene have been identified between 10,000-890 yrs. Apart from the Holocene, an earthquake of Late Quaternary period was also identified, which possibly occurred around 19,800 yrs BP. Fault related parameters were analyzed to understand the geometry of the active fault scarp along KMF. The results of the analyzed fault geometric parameters show that the vertical displacement along the KMF is higher than the horizontal displacement. The slip rate of the KMF from the western portion to the middle portion decreases from 0.08 to 0.04 mm/yr, and increases towards east from 0.22 mm/yr to 0.36 mm/yr. As the Kachchh district of the Gujarat state is rapidly developing in terms of infrastructural development, the outcome of this research might provide significant inputs for micro zonation studies and also in the evaluation of the seismic hazard in the Kachchh region.

The landform aggradation in an arid climatic region is often regulated by external forces, that provide signatures of climate and tectonic perturbations. The landforms in the central segment of Northern Hill Range (NHR), which marks the surface expression of Kachchh Mainland Fault (KMF), are investigated in this study to understand the role of climatic changes and tectonic activity during the time of aggradation and incision. Geomorphologically, the KMF is expressed by the presence of ∼80–150 m high E-W trending escarpment. The central segment of KMF preserves the alluvial fan surfaces which have been truncated at several places with anomalous incision. Conventional morphometric analyses indicate that the KMF is affected by tectonic activity in recent times. The optical chronology of oldest alluvial fan dated from back limb and forelimb of an anticline was around 28 ka (with gradual onset of aridity) and 25 ka (with peak aridity). This arid phase is correlated with enhanced tectonic uplift along the KMF, which is manifested in the form of strath terraces and incision of river valleys. The oldest activity pre-dated to 25 ka and continued till 14 ka and there was a tectonic stability between 14 and 8 ka. The younger activity began soon after 8 ka and continuous till today, which is most likely caused by the manifestation of the Early Holocene climatic optima that lead to severe erosional processes. The younger Middle Holocene (4.3 ka) event is correlated with enhanced uplift and was accountable for the down cutting of the fill sediments and the Mesozoic bedrock. The study suggests that the deformation pattern close to KMF is the result of localized compressive stress generated between two fault segments.

Application of geomorphology in understanding tectonic processes in the active belts like the Himalaya is a well understood concept from the past decades. Identification of tectono-morphic features in a climatically induced and tectonically driven Himalayan system is the main focus of the present study. The parameters used in morphometric analysis i.e., Stream length gradient index (SL), steepness index (ks), and hypsometric curves (HC) are suitable in bringing immediate data for considering the tectono-climatic coupling within Soan Dun. This analysis further identified the potential zone of Holocene deformation which was additionally supported by field study along Soan Thrust (ST) in the northern margin of Soan Dun. The field study exemplifies the presence of fault scarps, triangular facets, transverse faults, V-shaped valley, and folded Quaternary sediments. These tectono-morphic features suffice the sole purpose of this study and signifies the Holocene crustal deformation in the frontal sub-Himalayan zone of Himachal segment.

Previous water-CO2 interaction studies have studied few basalt types (rich in Ca, Mg, and Fe cations) to determine pyroxene, olivine and plagioclase reaction rates; however, limited research has examined the Deccan basalt. Therefore, in this study, basalt-CO2-water-saturated interaction experiments and numerical simulations were performed under hydrothermal-like conditions. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) data revealed the appearance of calcite, aragonite, ankerite, huntite and siderite; additionally, smectite, chlorite, smectite/chlorite mixed layers and chabazite were also formed. SEM images showed that tiny calcite crystals developed over larger calcite crystals, incipient-disordered calcite formed with imperfections on its crystal faces and cubic chabazite crystals were bounded by smectite grains. Furthermore, these observations were confirmed by EDS analyses and mineral formulae calculations. Major shifts in the carbonate peaks observed at 155 and 282, 178, and 849 cm(-1) on Raman spectra confirmed the formation of calcite, dolomite and aragonite, respectively. Mixing trends between basalt and Ca-Mg-Fe carbonates and chlorite/smectite were observed in the case of phyllosilicates. However, ankerite, calcite and siderite recorded the enrichment of (i) Ca, (ii) Fe-Mg and (iii) Fe. High degrees of carbonation and progressive mineral growth were observed with the increasing pH of the solution. The formation of secondary carbonates predominated over that of silicates in short-term experiments; however, with increasing reaction time, the carbonates no longer persisted in the system, as they were dissolved and replaced by silicates. However, the degree of carbonation increased with the increasing pCO(2) and pH of the solution.Transition-state-theory (TST)-based numerical simulation models do not agree well with the results of experiments, as carbonate growth was greater in the former case. These models work well to predict the dissolution rates of most minerals but overpredict the growth of non-hydrous Mg carbonates at low temperatures. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract Flow-by-flow palaeomagnetic measurements of 37 lava flows in the 900 m-thick, isolated lava pile around Mandla in the eastern Deccan Volcanic Province (DVP) reveals multiple magnetic polarity events: implying C29n–C28r–C28n magnetostratigraphy. Magnetic polarity results when traced out from section to section, maintaining the order of superposition, show juxtaposition of lava packages with distinct characters near Deori (e.g. flows 1–4 abated against flows 5–14) and the Dindori areas. At Dindori and towards its south, the distinct lava packages (e.g. flows 15–27 and flows 28–37) are juxtaposed along the course of Narmada river. It is explained by the presence of four normal post-Deccan faults in the Nagapahar, Kundam–Deori, Dindori and Badargarh–Amarkantak sectors: thus, signifying structural complexity with vertical shifts or offset of 150–300 m. Magnetic chron reversals in conjunction with field and chemical data support these findings. Further, these lavas are compositionally akin to Bushe, Poladpur, Ambenali and Mahableshwar Formational lavas, and follow the same stratigraphic order as in the Western Ghats. Alternating field (AFD) and thermal demagnetizations (THD) isolate the normal mean direction of the Mandla lobe: D=344.5° and I=−30°, where D and I are the mean declination and inclination of the each lava flow (α95=8.2; K=72.6; N=17, where α95 is the half-angle of the cone of 95% confidence about the mean direction, K is the precision parameter and N is the number of flows). The Virtual Geomagnetic Pole (VGP) position determined for these lavas, when compared with the Deccan Super Pole, indicates concordance with the main Deccan volcanic province, thus assigning a shorter period of eruption close to the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary (K/PB) for the eastern and western Deccan Traps.

Deccan flood basalt records immense accumulation (1.5 X 10(6) km(2) area) of tholeiitic magma in a relatively short time span. For mineral carbonation study and long-term storage of CO2, massive tholeiitic basalt from the Mandla lobe of the eastern Deccan volcanic province was considered as it contains a high amount of reactant minerals such as Ca, Mg and Fe rich silicates. Main objective of the present study is to understand effects of CO2 concentration on conversion of Ca, Mg and Fe bearing silicate minerals in to stable carbonate minerals such as calcite, dolomite, magnesite and siderite. Computer based computation details of chemistry of basalt-water-CO2 interaction, under laboratory induced hydrothermal-like conditions, form the basis of the treatment of basalt specimens. Grain surface area value = 23,000 cm(2)/g was maintained throughout the experiments. A series of experiments were performed at accelerated conditions of 5 and 10 bars pCO(2), while vessel pressures were maintained at 10 and 20 bars at 100 and 200 degrees C temperatures for 50, 60, 70 and 80 hours, respectively. XRD and SEM-EDS results show presence of calcite (Ca-0.29 C-0.79 O-6), aragonite (Ca-0.43 C-1.19 O-9), siderite (Fe-0.45 C-0.79 O-6) and magnesite (Mg0.11C0.79 O-6) in the treated samples. It is also observed that mineral carbonation accompanied by dissolution reactions led to rise in the pH (7.42) of the solution, when treated for 80 hours at 100 degrees C temperature and 5 bar pCO(2) pressure. A sudden decrease in the pH (6.85) is also noticed in case of a specimen treated similarly, but at elevated (10 bar) pCO(2). Bulk of the neo-formed secondary product is mainly composed of clay minerals. Present experimental results correspond largely to those obtained from kinetic modelling of basalt-water-CO2 interaction. Results indicate presence of similar carbonate minerals such as calcite, aragonite, siderite and magnesite. Details pertaining to mineral carbonation related phase transformations are discussed in the paper.

Rock specimens from Deccan flood basalts have been reacted in the laboratory under high pCO2 (5 and 10 bars), total pressure (vessel pressure between 10 and 20 bars), and temperature (100 and 200°C) conditions for 50, 60, 70, and 80hours. XRD and SEM-EDS analyses show that calcite, aragonite, siderite and magnesite, and clays are derived from the alteration of Deccan basalts under water-saturated, hydrothermal-like conditions. Alteration reactions were accompanied by significant variation in the pH of the reacting aqueous solution, dependent upon time, pCO2, and temperature variables of the experiment. Neo-formed secondary products also include significant amounts of smectite, chlorite, and smectite/chlorite mixed layer clays.

The interesting finding in the present work is thriving of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans at an alkaline pH (8-8.5). The heavy metal concentrations (Iron, Lead, Copper) is high. The iron ion may have utility for metabolic activity of the organisms. The calculated Water Quality Index lies in the range for excessive to moderate pollution and since there is presence of the organism in all the samples - Microbiological screening could be an indicator of extent of Mine Water Pollution.