Nagaland University researchers published a study on the geological evolution of the upper Disang formation.
Share
DIMAPUR — Nagaland University researchers have conducted an integrated geological investigation of the upper Disang formation in Nagaland, generating new insights into the origin, transport, and evolution of ancient sediments deposited along the eastern boundary of the Indian tectonic plate.
According to an update from the university, the findings help improve scientific understanding of basin evolution, sediment dispersal, and tectonic processes within the Indo-Myanmar sedimentary domain. The study was supported by the Start-up Research Grant of Nagaland University.
It maintained that while earlier geological studies on the upper Disang formation were largely concentrated in upper Assam and other parts of Northeast India, limited geological information was available from this region of Nagaland.
The present research addressed this gap through an integrated approach combining petrography, heavy mineral analysis, and studies of post-depositional changes in sediments.
The findings were published in Evolving Earth, a multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed, open-access journal that publishes research on Earth system science, planetary evolution, and global environmental change.
Also read: Nagaland University documents Sonowal Kachari medicinal knowledge
Nagaland University study calls for scientific approach to address soil erosion
The paper was co-authored by Dr. SK Srivastava, Dr. Amitava Patra, K Swuro, and V Kirha from the Department of Geology, Nagaland University, and Dr. Shyam Kanhaiya, Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at VBS Purvanchal University, Uttar Pradesh.
Elaborating on the study, Dr. Srivastava from the Department of Geology, Nagaland University, said, "Our study revealed that the upper Disang sandstones were derived from multiple and compositionally diverse sediment sources, including igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary terrains. We also identified signatures of tectonically active depositional settings and drainage reorganisation during sediment accumulation."
Highlighting the importance of the findings, Dr. Amitava Patra, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geology, Nagaland University, said, "The geological data generated through the study could support future tectonic reconstruction models, basin evolution studies, sediment provenance analysis and regional geological correlation across Northeast India and adjoining regions."
The researchers also documented diagenetic features preserved within the upper Disang sandstones, indicating that the sediments largely underwent shallow burial changes after deposition. These post-depositional signatures provide clues about the thermal history, compaction processes, and fluid interactions that affected the basin over geological time.
Another outcome of the study is the identification of evidence pointing to sediment supply from both nearby and distant geological sources, reflecting dynamic sediment transport and rapid basin evolution during the middle to late Eocene period.
The researchers observed that the sediments were deposited in an active-margin tectonic setting linked to the convergence of the Indian and Burma plates, helping scientists understand the closure history of ancient oceanic domains and the geological evolution of the Indo-Myanmar ranges.