State

Name of the site

Location

Brief description of the site

Andhra Pradesh

Volcanogenic bedded Barytes

Mangampeta, Cuddapah Dist

One of the largest baryte deposits of the world, formed through precipitation from volcanic vapours under submarine conditions and subaerial showering of ash and molten baryte lapilli. It has a reserve of over 74 million tonnes, constituting about 98% and 28% of the total known reserve of India and the world, respectively.

Andhra Pradesh

Eparchaean Unconformity

Namalagundu, Anantapur District

Separates the Proterozoic Nagari Quartzite from the oldest Archaean granite, representing a time gap of over 800 Ma. It signifies a period of remarkable quiescence in Earth's history with minimal structural disturbance and igneous activity.

Andhra Pradesh

Natural Geological Arch

Tirumala hills, Chittoor District

A unique geological marvel sculpted by geological agents like wind and water over thousands of years. The natural arch, measuring 8 meters in width and 3 meters in height, has been carved out of quartzite of the Cuddapah Supergroup over a long period of several thousand years.

Andhra Pradesh

Erra Matti Dibbalu

Vishakhapatnam

Rare red sand dunes formed over millions of years of geological processes. The dunes are located between Vishakhapatnam and Bhimunipatnam and consist of fragile reddish-brown concretion-bearing sand units, vulnerable to natural degradation.

Kerala

Laterite

Angadipuram, Malapuram Dist.

Laterite derived from acid charnockite, significant from an economic perspective due to associated mineral deposits of aluminum ore (bauxite), iron ore, and nickel ore.

Kerala

Varkala Cliff Section

Thiruvanatapuram Dist.

Exposes sedimentary rock formation of the Mio-pliocene Age, unique in the west coast of India.

Tamil Nadu

Fossil wood park

Tiruvakkarai, Villupuram District

National Fossil Wood Park with 200 fossil trees lying horizontally embedded in Cuddalore Sandstone of Mio-Pliocene age.

Tamil Nadu

National fossil wood park

Sattanur, Perambalur Dist.

Contains large trunks of petrified trees of Upper Cretaceous age, belonging to conifers that dominated the land vegetation during that period.

Tamil Nadu

Charnockite

St. Thomas Mount, Madras

Typical exposure of quartz-feldspar-hypersthene rock, believed to have important implications for the primordial crustal evolution of the earth.

Tamil Nadu

Badlands of Karai Formation with Cretaceous fossils along Karai

Kulakkalnattam Section, Perambalur District

Karai Formation exposed as badlands with conical mounds separated by gulleys, aiding in subdividing geologic history based on sedimentary breaks.

Gujarat

Sedimentary Structures Eddy Markings

Kadan Dam, Panch Mahals Dist.

Exposed eddy current markings believed to result from the dragging of a small limb of a larger floating log caught in a vortex or eddy current of a stream, or from the movement of a pebble.

Rajasthan

Sendra Granite

Pali Dist.

Unique granite formation sculpted by wind and water over millions of years.

Rajasthan

Barr Conglomerate

Pali Dist.

Composed of pebbles of quartzite and granite gneiss, set in a fine-grained pelitic matrix.

Rajasthan

Stromatolite Fossil Park

Udaipur Dist.

Largest and richest deposit of phosphorite associated with stromatolite, preserving evidence of early life on earth.

Rajasthan

Gossan in Rajpura-Dariba Mineralised belt

Udaipur Dist.

Resulted from extensive chemical weathering and oxidation of sulfide-sulphosalts ore bodies over prolonged geological periods under favorable climatic conditions.

Rajasthan

Stromatolite Park

near Bhojunda, Chittaurgarh Dist.

Exposure within the Bhagwanpura Limestone of the Lower Vindhyan age, showcasing stromatolites, structures produced by blue-green algae.

Rajasthan

Akal Fossil Wood Park

Jaisalmer Dist.

Petrified wood fossils of Lower Jurassic period, offering insights into the region's past vegetation and climate.

Rajasthan

Kishangarh Nepheline Syenite

Ajmer Dist.

Pluton emplaced along the core of an antiform of metamorphites, dated to 1590 million years to 1910 million years.

Rajasthan

Welded Tuff

Jodhpur Dist.

Product of volcanic emanations, composed of glass, quartz, and feldspar.

Rajasthan

Jodhpur Group – Malani Igneous Suite Contact

Jodhpur Dist.

Marks the last phase of igneous activity of Precambrian age in the Indian Subcontinent.

Rajasthan

Great Boundary Fault at Satur

Bundi Dist.

Characterized by a faulted boundary between Pre-Aravallis and Upper Vindhyans, exhibiting a zone of disruption constituted by parallel and oblique faults.

Rajasthan

Ramgarh crater

Baran district

3.5 km diameter crater suspected to have developed due to the impact of a large meteorite on Deccan Basaltic rocks of Cretaceous age.

Rajasthan

Zawar lead-zinc mine

Udaipur district

Major lead-zinc mine in Udaipur district.

Maharashtra

Lonar Lake

Buldana Dist.

Nearly circular crater suspected to have developed due to the impact of a large meteorite on Deccan Basaltic rocks of Cretaceous age.

Chhattisgarh

Lower Permian Marine bed at Manendragarh

Sarguja Dist.

Unique exposure of fossiliferous marine Permian rocks of Talchir Formation belonging to Gondwana Supergroup, with marine fauna dominated by pelecypods/lamellibranchs like Eurydesma and Aviculopecten.

Karnataka

Columnar Basaltic Lava, St Mary Islands

Udupi Dist.

Majestic array of multi-faced columns developed in the basalts of Deccan Trap, representing nature's exquisite handiwork.

Karnataka

Pillow lavas near Mardihalli

Chitradurga Dist.

Best example of pillow lavas formed when hot molten lava erupts under water and solidifies into roughly spherical or rounded pillow-shapes.

Karnataka

Peninsular Gneiss

Lalbagh, Bangalore

Exposes gneisses and related granitoids, dating back to 2500 to 3400 million years, significant for understanding the evolution of the terrain.

Karnataka

Pyroclastics & Pillow lavas, Kolar Gold fields

Kolar Dist.

Welded agglomerate of large fragments of various rocks, forming pyroclastic rocks.

Himachal Pradesh

Siwalik Fossil Park, Saketi

Sirmur District

Displays a rich collection of vertebrate fossils from Siwalik rocks of Plio-Pleistocene age.

Odisha

Pillow Lava in Iron ore belt

Nomira, Keonjhar dist.

Well-preserved pillow structures in basic lava, underlain by quartzite and overlain by shale, chart-shale, and banded hematite jasper.

Jharkhand

Plant Fossil bearing Inter-trappean beds of Rajmahal Formation

Sahibganj dist.

Exposes Gondwana Supergroup with fluviatile and lacustrine sediments, significant for understanding the continental sedimentary sequence of the region.

Nagaland

Nagahill Ophiolite

Site near Pungro

Represents an ophiolite complex in Nagaland.

Sikkim

Stromatolite bearing Dolomite/Limestone of Buxa Formation

Mamley, near Namchi, South District

Exposes dolomites profusely stromatolitic, providing insights into early life in Sikkim Himalaya.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.  Discuss the significance of Geo-Heritage Sites (GHS) in India and their role in promoting geotourism and scientific research. How can the preservation and promotion of GHS contribute to sustainable development? Illustrate with examples. (250 Words)