Research

The thrust area of research under the UGC-CAS programme includes study of the nature and evolution of early lithosphere, atmosphere, biosphere and origin of mineral deposits in the early crust. Precambrian granite-greenstone terrain, cover sediments from Archean to Proterozoic and mobile belts bordering cratons are main areas of focus. Problems of general interest such as sediment transport mechanism, RS-GIS applications, functional morphology and taphonomy of invertebrates, and groundwater management are other areas of current interest.

Precambrian Crustal Evolution and Metallogeny:

• reconstruction of stratigraphy of the Precambrian successions in the Precambrian cratonic nuclei and mobile belts (EGMB).
• geochronology of selected granite-greenstone successions, Proterozoic cover sequences and EGMB using high precision radiometric methods.
• reconstruction of geodynamic setting of Archean greenstone belts and Proterozoic cover sequences from collective sedimentological studies, structural analyses and geochemical proxies.
• study of metallogeny in Precambrian cratons of peninsular India with special reference to BIF-hosted high-grade iron ores, sediment-hosted Base Metal and Uranium deposits.

Faculty members of the department also pursue research in other areas which includes research in the fields of:

• application of RS-GIS techniques in geomorphology & landuse, view-shed analysis, groundwater prospect mapping and hill slope stability, lunar geomorphology,
• experimental sedimentology for modeling of mass-flow processes,
• Jurassic-Cretaceous mafic volcanism in the Deccan Volcanic Province (DVP),
• Taphonomy, taxonomy and evolutionary paleobiology of Cenozoic mega-invertebrates with special emphasis on the Mollusca of Kutch, Gujarat.
• Environmental Systems Management study group focus on water quality (arsenic and fluoride), health-study (ergonomics) and environmental pollution.