Offshore Extension of Deccan Traps in Kachchh, Central Western India: Implications for Geological Sequestration Studies
- IITM, Centre for Climate Change Research (India)
- National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (India)
The Deccan basalts in central western India are believed to occupy large onshore-offshore area. Using geophysical and geological observations, onshore sub-surface structural information has been widely reported. On the contrary, information about offshore structural variations has been inadequate due to scarcity of marine geophysical data and lack of onshore-offshore lithological correlations. Till date, merely a few geophysical studies are reported that gauge about the offshore extent of Deccan Traps and the Mesozoic sediments (pre-Deccan). To fill this gap in knowledge, in this article, we present new geophysical evidences to demonstrate offshore continuation of the Deccan volcanics and the Mesozoic sediments. The offshore multi-channel seismic and onshore-offshore lithological correlations presented here confirm that the Mesozoic sedimentary column in this region is overlain by 0.2-1.2-km-thick basaltic cover. Two separate phases of Mesozoic sedimentation, having very distinctive physical and lithological characteristics, are observed between overlying basaltic rocks and underlying Precambrian basement. Using onshore-offshore seismic and borehole data this study provides new insight into the extent of the Deccan basalts and the sub-basalt structures. This study brings out a much clearer picture than that was hitherto available about the offshore continuation of the Deccan Traps and the Mesozoic sediments of Kachchh. Further, its implications in identifying long-term storage of anthropogenic CO{sub 2} within sub-basalt targets are discussed. The carbon sequestration potential has been explored through the geological assessment in terms of the thickness of the strata as well as lithology.
- OSTI ID:
- 22043930
- Journal Information:
- Natural Resources Research (New York, N.Y.), Vol. 20, Issue 1; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2011 International Association for Mathematical Geology; http://www.springer-ny.com; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1520-7439
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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