Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences
Title : | Geochemistry, radiogenic Nd and stable Mo isotopic systematics of Banded Iron Formations from the Dharwar and Bastar cratons of India: Insights into depositional history and Neoarchean ocean-atmosphere redox conditions |
Area of research : | Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences |
Focus area : | Geochemistry |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. Ajay Dev Asokan, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, Gujarat |
Timeline Start Year : | 2024 |
Timeline End Year : | 2026 |
Contact info : | ajaydev35@gmail.com |
Details
Executive Summary : | The Earth's atmosphere was oxygenated during the Paleoproterozoic Great Oxidation Event (GOE) and the Neoproterozoic Oxygenation Event (NOE), but the exact processes behind this transition remain unclear. Precambrian paleosols, shale, and Banded Iron Formation (BIF) are key sources of understanding GOE, as they are chemically precipitated marine sedimentary rocks with alternating Fe and si-rich minerals. The stable isotope composition of redox sensitive elements in BIF suggests that Neoarchean oceans were oxygenated before GOE, attributed to oxygen oasis or oxygen whiff phenomena. However, the magnitude and duration of these oxygen whiffs remain unknown. The proposed study aims to understand the pre-GOE ocean-atmosphere system and investigate the causes of Neoarchean oxygen whiffs using geochemistry, radiogenic neodymium, and stable molybdenum isotopic compositions of Algoma-type and superior-type BIF from the Dharwar Craton and Bastar Craton. The study also aims to explore the source of solutes, origin of banding, and oxygenated shallow and deep marine water columns in Neoarchean oceans. |
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Organizations involved