Peninsular Gneiss or Peninsular Gniessic Complex are the gneissic complex of the metamorphics found all over the Indian Peninsula, on top of which, the supra-crustal Dharwar System have been laid down. [1] The term was first fashioned by W.F.Smeeth of the Mysore Geological Department in 1916 based on the first scientific study of this rock exposure. One of the best exposures of this rock mass, dated 2.5 to 3.4 billion years, is located at Lal Bagh in Bangalore. [2] [3] The exposure is also called the Lalbagh rock. [4]
The Archean gneisses and schists, which are the oldest rocks of the Indian Shield, constitute a considerable area of Peninsular India. The Dharwar (Super Group) and the Peninsular Gneissic Complex are the classified groups of the Precambrian rocks of India. The extent of the Archean system is depicted as the dominant system of South India in the pictured Geological Map of India.
In most stratigraphic schemes, the peninsular gneisses are shown as the younger Archaean strata situated above the Sargur Group. Granitization of the older sedimentary–volcogenic sequence are reported as sources of the peninsular gneisses made up of polyphase migmatites, gneisses and granites ranging in composition from granodiorite to tonalite. [5]
The rocks of the Dharwar Group, which are mainly sedimentary in origin, occur in narrow elongated synclines resting on the gneisses found in Bellary district, Mysore and the Aravallis of Rajputana.
The supracrustal rocks of the Dharwar Group of the southern Indian Peninsula, as depicted in the geological map of South India, have the Peninsular Gneiss as the basement rock formation, also stated to be the remobilized basement. Migmatization of pre-existing metasedimentary and meta–igneous rocks are considered the contributors to formation of the composite gneiss. [3] [6]
The Lalbagh hill, which has been declared as a Geological Monument (plaque pictured) to represent the Peninsular Gneiss, has dark biolite gneiss of granitic to granodioritic composition containing streaks of biolite. Remnants of older rocks are seen in the form of enclaves. [2] The research information of the geological record of the gneisses, collated and reported in the publication "Geological Monuments of India" published by the Geological Survey of India, is quoted below to provide an undiluted version. [3]
A common enclave is a dark grey to black rock called amphibolite containing the minerals plagioclase feldspar and hornblende. Due to interactions with granite fluids, these enclaves have developed a border rich in biotite mica. Later magmatic activity represented by grey poryphiritic granite followed by pink massive granite is also seen at several places. The gneisses and granites have been profusely invaded by still younger veins of coarse grained pegmatite which have cut up the gneisses into several irregular and lenticular shapes.
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The earliest rock was a dark coloured amphibolite which was converted into grey biotite gneiss during migmatization. The grey biotite gneiss during migmatization was first intruded by grey porphyritic granite and later by pink granites. Pegamatities of several generations have traversed all these rocks.
Initial studies on the Gneiss samples of the Lalbagh hill and other locations in Bengaluru, carried out in the early 1970s, have attributed two major events of 2.9 –3.0 Ga and 2.5 Ga −2.6 Ga for development of the Peninsular Gneisses of Bengaluru. Recent studies carried out with precision techniques indicate that the gneisses have accreted in the following major episodes. [3]
Geological/Radiometric ages | Study Region/Belt |
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3.4 Ga. | The oldest Peninsular Gneiss found in areas in the Hosur – Gorur – Holenarsipur – Hunsur belt |
3.3–3.2 Ga. | The second generation Peninsular Gneiss found in the Bengaluru– Chickmagalur –Holenarsipur region |
3.0–2.9 Ga | a) Grandiorite facies in the Bengaluru Gneisses established by the Single Zircon Kober evaporation 207Pb/206 Pb data. b) In the Dharwar Craton studies done on the trondhjemites of Holenarsipur, major crust forming event are attributed through the Rb–Sr whole rock isochron ages. c) In Karighatta – Kunigal areas also, a similar age is indicated. In this case, data of U–Pb SHRIMP of Zircons from amphibolite facies gneisses from Kobaladurga and Kober single zircon evaporation ages of grey gneisses have been considered |
Thus, three major episodes, namely, 3.4 Ga., 3.3–3.2 Ga., and 3.0–2.9 Ga., are accreted to form the Peninsular Gneiss of the region, dated 2500 to 3400 million years. [2]
The Sargur schist belts within the Peninsular Gneiss could be the oldest suture zones in the Indian subcontinent. [7]
Lalbagh established by Hyder Ali based on Mughal Gardens at Sira is not only a famous botanical garden but has also a historical link. [8] The creation of the Bengaluru city in the 16th century is attributed to Kempegowda, the then feudal leader under the feudatory of the Vijayanagara empire, who established four cardinal towers setting limits to the growth of the city. One of the towers at the southern end of the city is the Lalbagh tower erected over the Lalbagh hill which is made up of Peninsular Gneiss, now identified as a National Geological Monument. The city has outgrown the limits set by Kempegowda many times and is now part of the downtown area. [9] The topographic setting of the Lalbagh rock, from a layman's interest, is that in the western and northern directions it slopes steeply while it merges gently with soil in the east and south. View from the North is impressive since the rock has retained its original form. The west or north–west view is panoramic and aesthetic, with grayish–white clean plates like appearance (see picture). The rock shines white after the rains and attracts attention of the visitors who excitedly climb the rock mass to the tower at the top to get a panoramic view of the gardens and the city. [4]
The monument, located in the southern part of Bengaluru, 4 kilometres (2 mi) from the Legislature office complex of the Karnataka Government (Vidhana Soudha) within the Lalbagh gardens is easily approachable by road (Metro Map of the city in the Info box gives exact location). Bengaluru is well connected by road, rail and air with the rest of the country and is also well known internationally. [8]
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Gneiss forms at higher temperatures and pressures than schist. Gneiss nearly always shows a banded texture characterized by alternating darker and lighter colored bands and without a distinct cleavage.
The Llano Uplift is a geologically ancient, low geologic dome that is about 90 miles (140 km) in diameter and located mostly in Llano, Mason, San Saba, Gillespie, and Blanco counties, Texas. It consists of an island-like exposure of Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks surrounded by outcrops of Paleozoic and Cretaceous sedimentary strata. At their widest, the exposed Precambrian rocks extend about 65 miles (105 km) westward from the valley of the Colorado River and beneath a broad, gentle topographic basin drained by the Llano River. The subdued topographic basin is underlain by Precambrian rocks and bordered by a discontinuous rim of flat-topped hills. These hills are the dissected edge of the Edwards Plateau, which consist of overlying Cretaceous sedimentary strata. Within this basin and along its margin are down-faulted blocks and erosional remnants of Paleozoic strata which form prominent hills.
Greenstone belts are zones of variably metamorphosed mafic to ultramafic volcanic sequences with associated sedimentary rocks that occur within Archaean and Proterozoic cratons between granite and gneiss bodies.
Lalbagh Botanical Garden or simply Lalbagh, is an botanical garden in Bangalore, India, with an over 200-year history. First planned and laid out during the dalavaiship of Hyder Ali, the garden was later managed under numerous British Superintendents before Indian Independence. It was responsible for the introduction and propagation of numerous ornamental plants as well as those of economic value. It also served a social function as a park and recreational space, with a central glass house dating from 1890 which was used for flower shows. In modern times, it hosts two flower shows coinciding with the week of Republic Day and Independence Day. As an urban green space along with Cubbon Park, it is also home to numerous wild species of birds and other wildlife. The garden also has a lake adjoining a large rock on which a watchtower had been constructed during the reign of Kempegowda II.
The geology of India is diverse. Different regions of India contain rocks belonging to different geologic periods, dating as far back as the Eoarchean Era. Some of the rocks are very deformed and altered. Other deposits include recently deposited alluvium that has yet to undergo diagenesis. Mineral deposits of great variety are found in the Indian subcontinent in huge quantities. Even India's fossil record is impressive in which stromatolites, invertebrates, vertebrates and plant fossils are included. India's geographical land area can be classified into the Deccan Traps, Gondwana and Vindhyan.
The Gascoyne Complex is a terrane of Proterozoic granite and metamorphic rock in the central-western part of Western Australia. The complex outcrops at the exposed western end of the Capricorn Orogen, a 1,000 km-long arcuate belt of folded, faulted and metamorphosed rocks between two Archean cratons; the Pilbara craton to the north and the Yilgarn craton to the south. The Gascoyne Complex is thought to record the collision of these two different Archean continental fragments during the Capricorn Orogeny at 1830–1780 Ma.
Bangalore is situated in the southeast of the South Indian state of Karnataka. It is positioned at 12.97° N 77.56° E and covers an area of 2,190 square kilometres (850 sq mi). A landlocked city, Bangalore is located in the heart of the Mysore Plateau at an average elevation of 920 metres (3,020 ft). Bangalore district borders with Kolar and Chikkaballapur in the northeast, Tumkur in the northwest, and Mandya and Ramanagaram in the southeast.
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Sargur, is a small town located about 80 km from the town of Chamarajanagar And a Taluk of Mysore district of Karnataka, India. H D Kote (Heggadadevanakote) is about 12 km north of Sargur. It is 55 km from the city of Mysore. Bangalore International Airport is 200 km away. To be more elaborate, Sargur is 33.8 km from Nanjangud town (Karnataka), 35.1 km from Gundlupet town (Karnataka), 137.8 km from Udagamandalam town (Ooty) Valley and 38.8 km from Hunsur town (Karnataka).
Bugle Rock is a massive rock in the Basavanagudi area of South Bangalore, in the state of Karnataka. It is an abrupt rise above the ground of peninsular gneiss as the main rock formation and with an assessed age of about 3,000 million years. Bugle Rock has generated wide interest among the scientific community.
Natural Arch, Tirumala hills, a notified National Geo-heritage Monument, is a distinctive geological feature 1 km (0.6 mi) north of the Tirumala hills temple, near the Chakra Teertham in Tirupati district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. The arch is also called Silathoranam (శిలాతోరణం) in the local language. The arch measures 8 m (26.2 ft) in width and 3 m (9.8 ft) in height, and is naturally formed in the quartzites of Cuddapah Supergroup of Middle to Upper Proterozoic due to natural erosive forces.
Tirupati Eparchaean Unconformity, a notified National Geo-heritage Monument is a major discontinuity of stratigraphic significance that represents a period of remarkable serenity in the geological history of the Earth i.e. sudden changes and discontinuity in the rock layers in Earth's crust. It is seen at the steep natural slopes, road scars and ravines in the Tirupati – Tirumala Ghat road in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India.
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The Aravalli Mountain Range is a northeast-southwest trending orogenic belt in the northwest part of India and is part of the Indian Shield that was formed from a series of cratonic collisions. The Aravalli Mountains consist of the Aravalli and Delhi fold belts, and are collectively known as the Aravalli-Delhi orogenic belt. The whole mountain range is about 700 km long. Unlike the much younger Himalayan section nearby, the Aravalli Mountains are believed much older and can be traced back to the Proterozoic Eon. They are arguably the oldest geological feature on Earth. The collision between the Bundelkhand craton and the Marwar craton is believed to be the primary mechanism for the development of the mountain range.
Eoarchean geology is the study of the oldest preserved crustal fragments of Earth during the Eoarchean era from 4.031 to 3.6 billion years ago. Major well-preserved rock units dated Eoarchean are known from three localities, the Isua Greenstone Belt in Southwest Greenland, the Acasta Gneiss in the Slave Craton in Canada, and the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt in the eastern coast of Hudson Bay in Quebec. From the dating of rocks in these three regions scientists suggest that plate tectonics could go back as early as Eoarchean.
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The Baltimore Gneiss is a Precambrian geological formation in the Piedmont region of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
The Siilinjärvi carbonatite complex is located in central Finland close to the city of Kuopio. It is named after the nearby town of Siilinjärvi, located approximately 5 km west of the southern extension of the complex. Siilinjärvi is the second largest carbonatite complex in Finland after the Sokli formation, and one of the oldest carbonatites on Earth at 2610±4 Ma. The carbonatite complex consists of a roughly 16 km long steeply dipping lenticular body surrounded by granite gneiss. The maximum width of the body is 1.5 km and the surface area is 14.7 km2. The complex was discovered in 1950 by the Geological Survey of Finland with help of local mineral collectors. The exploration drilling began in 1958 by Lohjan Kalkkitehdas Oy. Typpi Oy continued drilling between years 1964 and 1967, and Apatiitti Oy drilled from 1967 to 1968. After the drillings, the laboratory and pilot plant work were made. The mine was opened by Kemira Oyj in 1979 as an open pit. The operation was sold to Yara in 2007.
The Dharwar Craton is an Archean continental crust craton formed between 3.6-2.5 billion years ago (Ga), which is located in southern India and considered as the oldest part of the Indian peninsula.