Mentor’s Comment:

Introduction should explain about geological period. A geological period is one of several subdivisions of geologic time enabling cross-referencing of rocks and geologic events from place to place. These periods form elements of a hierarchy of divisions into which geologists have split the Earth’s history. Relate them to India as India is a land of diversity in its physiographic condition and various landforms which still is in the process of making.

Next mention Geological History of Earth especially focusing India. All geological timescale land forms are available like newest to oldest geological bodies, rock mass, mineral deposits, mineral fuels, various earth materials etc. have contributed enough in understanding the earth’s geology.

The stratigraphy of India can be divided into several divisions such as Archean System, Dharwar System, Cuddapah system, Vindhyan system, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Gondwana, Deccan Trap, Tertiary and Alluvial etc. which got formed in different timescale.

Further, mention about the mineral resources and its distribution. The distribution of mineral and energy resources is uneven. It’s because occurrence of mineral resources are associated with certain types of geological formation. The North-Eastern Plateau Region, The South Western Plateau Region, The North Western Region etc.

Bring conclusion mentioning geo-diversity of India as varied with examples of different existing landforms.

Model Answers:

The planet earth has undergone several changes during each geologic period. Great mountain ranges have been folded up in one period and eroded away in the following one. Many of them have been uplifted more than once. Some of them often got washed off into the adjacent depressed zones like basins and seas. India is a land of diversity in its physiographic conditions, geology & structure, natural resources like water, oil, minerals, forests, animal and human population. The topography, landforms, drainage systems, soil types, mineral and other resources all depend on the basic geology and structure of the Indian subcontinent.

India and Geological History of Earth:

• India is a country with oldest geological bodies and features.
• It has very unique geological and structural conditions of almost all ages of the geological time scale.
• All kinds of rock masses, mineral deposits, mineral fuels including coal and oil resources occur in India.
• About 100 years of geological investigations and exploration of various earth’s materials have yielded tremendous amount of data to know about the geology of India.
• Geologically, Indian subcontinent is called as a Craton. Indian craton is one of the constituent units of the Supercontinent-Pangaea and is existing, now, as a separate plate in the earth’s crust. The Indian plate got separated from Madagascar, about 90 million years ago, colliding with the Eurasian Plate. This tectonic movement has closed the Tethys Sea.
• The geology of India pertaining to the following ages are highlighted in this report:

1. Archaean Era (which includes the systems upto 2500 Million years)
2. Proterozoic Era (which includes the systems between 2500 and 570 Million years)
3. Palaeozoic Era (which includes the systems between 570 and 245 Million years)
4. Mesozoic Eraand (which includes the systems between 245 and 66 Million years)
5. Cenozoic Era (which includes the systems between 66 and 0.01 Million years).

• The stratigraphy of India can be divided into several divisions such as Archean System, Dharwar System, Cuddapah system, Vindhyan system, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Gondwana, Deccan Trap, Tertiary and Alluvial.
• The Geology of India is an essential aspect to be studied, in Earth Science and geography.
• The oldest known rocks in India are found to be 4500 Million years age.

Mineral Resources:

• India is endowed with a rich variety of mineral resources due to its varied geological structure.
• Bulks of the valuable minerals are products of pre-paleozoic age and are mainly associated with metamorphic and igneous rocks of the peninsular India.
• Minerals are generally concentrated in three broad belts in India. There may be some sporadic occurrences here and there in isolated pockets. These belts are :
• The North-Eastern Plateau Region covers Chotanagpur (Jharkhand), Odisha Plateau, West Bengal and parts of Chhattisgarh. It has variety of minerals viz. iron ore coal, manganese, bauxite, mica.
• The South-Western Plateau Region extends over Karnataka, Goa and contiguous Tamil Nadu uplands and Kerala. This belt is rich in ferrous metals and bauxite. It also contains high grade iron ore, manganese and limestone. This belt packs in coal deposits except Neyveli lignite. This belt does not have as diversified mineral deposits as the north-eastern belt.
• The North-Western Region extends along Aravali in Rajasthan and part of Gujarat and minerals are associated with Dharwar system of rocks. Copper, zinc have been major minerals.
• The distribution of mineral and energy resources is uneven.
• It’s because occurrence of mineral resources are associated with certain types of geological formation.
• Coal deposits are mostly associated with Gondwana system, Dharwad and Cuddapah systems contain resources of major metallic minerals like copper, lead, zinc etc and major non-metallic minerals like limestone, dolomite, gypsum, calcium, sulphate etc are found in Cuddapah and upper Vindhyan system.

The geodiversity of India is as varied as most other aspects of the country, with landscapes changing from the world’s greatest peaks to coastal dunes, large inland water bodies at the same time as wetlands and coral reef islands. These geological features and landscapes that evolved over billions of years tell us the spectacular stories of Earth’s origins. India’s tumultuous geological past is recorded in its rocks and terrains, and they should be considered our non-cultural heritage.