Early Palaeogene Climate Variability Based on <i>n</i>-alkane and Stable Carbon Isotopic Composition Evidenced from the Barsingsar Lignite-bearing Sequence of Rajasthan
Authors
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Organic Petrology Group, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, 53 University Road, Lucknow - 226 007
Runcie P. Mathews -
Organic Petrology Group, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, 53 University Road, Lucknow - 226 007
Rimpy Chetia
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Organic Petrology Group, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, 53 University Road, Lucknow - 226 007
Shailesh Agrawal
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Organic Petrology Group, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, 53 University Road, Lucknow - 226 007
Bhagwan D. Singh
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MPS Lab of Coal and Organic Petrology, Centre of Advanced Study in Geology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi - 221 005
Prakash K. Singh
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Organic Petrology Group, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, 53 University Road, Lucknow - 226 007
Vikram P. Singh
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Organic Petrology Group, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, 53 University Road, Lucknow - 226 007
Alpana Singh
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-020-1423-2Keywords:
No Keywords.Abstract
The assessment of variations and the reconstruction of palaeoclimate, based on the distribution of n-alkanes and stable carbon isotope data, during early Palaeogene have been made on the Barsingsar lignite-bearing sequence associated with Palana Formation (Bikaner-Nagaur basin). The distribution pattern of various n-alkanes and the derived indices/ratios have widely been used as palaeoclimate indicators in several depositional realms. The distribution of n-alkanes in the studied sequence varies from C13 to C34. The values of calculated n-alkane parameters range from 26.20-28.39 (aliphatic chain length (ACL) index); 0.32-7.21 (low-to-higher molecular weight (L/H) ratio); 0.42-0.85 (Proxy wax (Pwax)); 0.20-0.67 (Proxy aqueous (Paq)); 0.28-5.22 (terrigenous/aquatic ratio (TAR)); 0.16-0.79 (C23/C29 ratio); 1.14-6.31 (C27/C31 ratio) and 1.47-7.02 (C29/C31 ratio). The δ13C varies from -24.8 to -26.1 "° and the TOC varies from 9.6 to 69.5 wt.%. All these variations indicate the changes in palaeoclimate from dry and warm to cool and wet conditions during the deposition of this lignite-bearing sequence. Further, it is also suggested that the climatic condition was cooler than that of the Palaeocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) event.
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