History of Gondwana

• Subsequent to the deposition and upliftment of the vindhyan rocks during

precambrian era the indian peninsula witnessed no furthur deposition for a long
time.
• During the Upper Carboniferous Period there started a rock cycle of sedimentation
in the interconnected inland basins of fluviatile and lacustrine origin and continued
upto the end of late Cretaceous period.
• The sediments exhibit all characteristics of having been formed under a shallow
water in river and lake basins and constitutes a total thickness of about 20,000 to
30,000 feets.
• The enormous thickness of the sedimentary column led to gradual sinking of the
basin along with deposition of more sediments.
• This inland sediments of upper – Carboniferous to lower – Cretaceous age occupy
a vast area of the Indian peninsula and together constitutes the Gondwana system.
• During the period of deposition of
gondwana sediments the surface of
the globe was quite different from
now.
• The southern continents of the
present day namely South America,
Africa, India, Australia and
Antarctica during the Gondwana
period were united together to form
one continuous landmass known as
Gondwana landmass.
• Therefore the fluviatile and
lacustrine deposits of Gondwana
age occurs not only in India but also
in all southern continents of the
present day.