India has similar geologic history to parts of South Africa, Australia: Study

India hosts well-preserved volcanic and sedimentary rocks as old as 3.5 billion years, and has similar geologic history to parts of South Africa and Australia

India hosts remarkably well-preserved volcanic and sedimentary rocks as old as 3.5 billion years, and has similar geologic history to parts of South Africa and Australia, a study has found.

Researchers from the Wits University, the University of Johannesburg (UJ), both in South Africa, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, examined volcanic and sedimentary rocks from the Daitari greenstone belt in the Singhbhum Craton in east India that were formed approximately 3.5 billion years ago.

Cratons are pieces of ancient continents that formed several billions of years ago. Their study provides a window into how processes within and on the surface of Earth operated in the past.

The team conducted detailed field-based studies and precise Uranium-Lead (U-Pb) radiometric-age dating to evaluate the geology of the ancient greenstone rocks.

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The study, published in the journal Precambrian Research, established key geological timelines that illustrate the tectonic evolution of the Daitari greenstones.

"The Daitari greenstone belt shares a similar geologic make-up when compared to the greenstones exposed in the Barberton and Nondweni areas of South Africa and those from the Pilbara Craton of north-western Australia," said Jaganmoy Jodder of the Wits University.