Lava Flow Transition in Pahoehoe-Dominated Lower Pile of Deccan Traps from Manmad-Chandwad Area, Western Maharashtra

Authors

  • Bibhas Sen
     Geological Survey of India, NER, Nongrim Hills, Shillong – 793 003

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-017-0600-4

Abstract

Morphological evolution of classical pahoehoe to transitional flow-type in a compound basalt flow occurring in the lower pile of Deccan traps is described here from the southern slope of Mesan Dongar in Manmad-Chandwad area, western part of Maharashtra plateau, India. The transitional flow lobes, largely identified as rubbly pahoehoe-type, are characterized by a crust of breccias, with thickness ranging from 10 to 20 m. The breccia is generally a welded one and consists of mm to m-size, angular to sub-angular basaltic clasts that vary in vesiculation (vesicle size, shape and population). The crust, at times, is supported by an inner vesicular zone coherently developed above a persistent core that varies in thickness from 10 to 15 m. Base of these lobes is smooth, sparsely vesicular, without any basal breccia.

Many of the transitional lobes of Mesan Dongar, however, shared a few common morphological traits with slabby pahoehoe and this inherent uncertainty in classifying them as rubbly pahoehoe has been greatly reduced using the semi-quantitative tool of Keszthelyi (2002). Moreover, it is also proposed that this morphological evolution of flow lobes in Mesan Dongar represents a NW-SE trending, southerly propagating and at least four kilometre long flow-front of pahoehoe lava. Identification of flow fronts is important, even in this ~65 Ma old, dissected Deccan flood basalt province, as these can reveal vital information on flow dynamics, slope and cooling histories of individual flows/lobes.

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Issue

Volume 89, Issue 3, March 2017 Pages (229-356)

Section

Research Articles

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Published

2017-03-01

How to Cite

Sen, B. (2017). Lava Flow Transition in Pahoehoe-Dominated Lower Pile of Deccan Traps from Manmad-Chandwad Area, Western Maharashtra. Journal of Geological Society of India, 89(3), 281–290. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-017-0600-4
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