Amiya Kumar Samal
BHU, Varanasi
Amiya Kumar Samal has been an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geology at Banaras Hindu University since 2017. He specializes in the fields of igneous petrology and geochemistry. He has carried out research towards understanding the subcontinental lithospheric mantle below different Archean cratons of the Indian Shield, particularly the Dharwar craton, during the Precambrian through systematic studies on distinct generations of Paleoproterozoic mafic dyke swarms. His research is focused on identifying Precambrian large igneous provinces through geochemical and isotopic characterization together with U-Pb geochronology of mafic dyke swarms. Additionally, he conducts geochemical studies on the rare earth element potential of the Ambadungar alkaline carbonatite complex in Gujarat, India. He has authored 30 research papers and has received the Young Scientist Award from NASI and the National Young Geoscientist Award from the Ministry of Mines, Govt of India in 2022. Selected as Associate in 2022.
Session 2C - Lectures by Fellows and Associates
Somdatta Sinha, IISER, Mohali
Large igneous provinces of the Indian shield: Insights and perspectives
Large igneous provinces (LIPs) are a fascinating geological phenomenon that refers to massive outpourings ofmantle melts (magma) over a relatively short geological time(< 5 million years) on a continental scale, occurring away from the plate boundaries. Apart from the ea. 66-65 Ma Deccan Volcanic Province, the Indian Shield hosts several remarkable Precambrian LIPs distributed over its Archean cratons. A total of 16 (3 Archean and 13 Proterozoic) distinct LIPs are identified in the Indian Shield. The identification of most of these LIPs relies on precisely dated mafic dyke swarms (mostly by the U-Pb baddeleyite ID-TIMS method), their mineralogical-chemical compositions, trends, and cross-cutting relationships with each other and country rocks. These Precambrian LIPs offer valuable insights into the geological history of the Indian Shield and its long and complex evolution. They are crucial for understanding the tectonic and magmatic processes that have shaped the Indian subcontinent over billions of years. Many of these Precambrian LIPs belong to the DHABASI megacraton (a newly identified large landmass in the Indian Shield) and are linked to different mineral systems. Many of these mafic-ultramafic units of LIPs are supposed to be potential targets for mineralization of the Cu-Ni-Co-platinum group elements, F e -Ti-V and Cr-both as oxides and sulphides. The identified LIP events of the Indian Shield are supposed to be an integral part of most of the known supercontinents, such as Kenorland/Superia, Columbia/Nuna, Rodinia, Gondwana/Pannotia, and Pangea, in Earth's evolution.