Recent studies in the proterozoic sedimentary belt of Himalaya

Abstract

This paper summarises the work done during last four years on stratigraphy and biostratigraphy of the Proterozoic sedimentary deposits of Himalaya. The Palaeoproterozoic and Mesoproterozoic sediments are more or less restricted to the Lesser Himalayan belt but the Neoproterozoic rocks are known from all the sectors of the Himalaya including Tethyan Himalaya. The Lesser Himalayan succession has been sudivided into Outer Lesser Himalayan Belt and Inner Lesser Himalayan Belt. Attempt has been made to correlate the stratigraphic units of these belts on the basis of lithology, structural setting, isotope geochemistry and biostratigraphy. The Pre-Ediacaran sediments of the Lesser Himalaya of NW and NE were studied for microbial life, stromatolites and isotope chemostratigraphy. Astrobiological implications were also considered for the microfossil community discovered from the chert deposits of the ancient rocks. Palaeoclimate for the Proterozoic era of the Himalaya is established for the first time.