LAVA FLOW MAPPING

LOCAL FIELD WORK REPORT

Submitted by;
Submitted to;
Yatindra Dutt
Prof. N. K. karmalkar
M.Sc. - I Sem.(Batch: 2009-2011)
Head,
Department of Geology
Department of Geology
The student of science lives in a world of fragments. Nothing in that
vast array of visible things that we call Nature appears to our restricted
vision as a complete picture. True Artist that He is, the Creator never
reveals the whole of His design at once. Like a child with a jigsaw
puzzle we try to piece together the fragments of the picture…

Prof. Birbal Sahni, 1940

 Certificate

This is to certify that Mr.. Yatindra Dutt has

participated and successfully completed the field
work at Diveghat on 7th October 2009 as a part
st
of syllabus of M.Sc.1 sem.,- led by the
Department of Geology, University of Pune, for
the academic year 2009-10.

Teachers in charge:-

Prof. N. R. Karmalkar
{1} Dr. Aditi Mookherjee Head,
Dept. Of. Geology,
{2}Dr. Milind.A.Herlekar University of Pune
 CONTENTS

Certificate
Contents

1. Acknowledgment………………………………………………………….
2. Aim………………………………………………………………………..
3. Location……………………………………………………………………
4. Physiography of the Diveghat area………………………………………..
5. Field features of basaltic flows…………………………………………….
6. Regional stratigraphy………………………………………………………
a) Lithostratigraphy………………………………………………..
b) Chemostrtigraphy……………………………………………….
7. Deccan traps province of Western and Central India………………………
8. Map of the study area………………………………………………………
9. Previous Works……………………………………………………………
10. Description of traverse…………………………………………………….
11. Lithosection of Deccan Basaltic Flow in Diveghat ……………………….
12. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………
13. References…………………………………………………………………
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

At the first instant I would like to acknowledge deep sense of gratitude to

the Ex-Head of Department, Prof. N. J. Pawar for his encouraging guidance &
suggestion for the field work and providing the requisite instrument facilities.
I would also like to thank the teaching faculty of the department, Dr. Aditi
Mookherjee, Dr. Milind Herlaker, for their company during field work as well as
valuable guidance in field and during writing this report.
I would like to specially thank all my classmates and senior students for
helping me in discussions as well as in making the report.

Name:
Class:
 AIM

 To know the basic procedures of orientation of toposheet in the field and to locate ones
position of field on the toposheet.

 To identify and describe the different types of lava flow.

 To record the readings of the features at different localities.

 To observe the megascopic characteristics of rock samples.

 To plot these observations on enlarged to toposheet and to prepare traverse geological

map.

 To learn the use of Brounton compass and GPS instrument on the field.
 LOCATION

Diveghat:-
Diveghat is located in the SSE direction of Pune city. It is accessible by the
Pune – Baramati road via Hadapasar. It is about 18 km from Pune city. It is included
in Survey of India toposheet no.47F/15 and 47 J/3, on the 1:25000 scale. It marks the
area between the latitude N 18° 24’ 13’’ and 18° 24’ 50’’ and Longitude E 73° 59’ 22’’
and 74° 00’ 05’’

PHYSIOGRAPHY OF DIVEGHAT AREA

It is part of a hill ranges which trends east-west. It has a maximum elevation

of 980 mts and minimum elevation of 640 mts. It is marked by a steep slope on its
Northern side, which also can be inferred from the closely spaced contours on
toposheet. While on its Small part it attains a plateau nature and hence shows
widening of contours. This hill range acts as a drainage divide between the drainage
basins of both the sides.

Drainage pattern on both sides is dominantly dendritic in nature. A water

body called Mastani Lake is present on the valley side of Diveghat, is one of the
historical sites in the study area.

FIELD FEATURES OF BASALTIC FLOWS

Terminology:

In field mapping of the Deccan Traps, several terminologies are in common

use. Lava flow refers to the product of a simple eruptive event. Lava flows are built of
flow units called lobes. Small lobes are called toes.
Lava flows are primarily of two types

1. AA
2. Pahoehoe
 IDENTIFICATION OF TYPES OF FLOWS IN DECCAN TRAPS:
AA LAVA FLOWS:
This is a Hawaiian term meaning ‘stony with

Aa flow rough lava’ or ‘to burn or blaze’. It is basaltic

lava, broken lava blocks called Clinkers. It
Bole horizon
possesses an autobrecciated flow at the top and a
Top:
Fragmentary base. A loose broken shiny, sharp surface is
breccia
(Vesicle-rich) formed. This is due to the cooling of the upper
surface as the lava moves quickly. This clinkery
Middle: surface covers a massive dense core. The core is
(Vesicle
poor)
the active part of the flow. As the lava moves
Columner down slope the clinkers are carried along at
jointed
surface. At leading edges however these cooled
fragment tumble down the steep front and over
Basal: clinkery buried by the advanced flow. Thus, learning a
and vesicular
bottom and the top clinkery crust. Some crustal
clinker is seen to have entrained in the dense
core. The vesicularity of Aa flow is about 5-20% and they are angular in nature. This type of
flow may also show columnar joints and entablature structure. Necklace joints also
distinctive of the dense core of the Aa flow. Red boles or red horizons are most of the times
associated with such flows.
PAHOEHOE LAWAS:
Pahoehoe is also a Hawaiian term meaning ‘smooth or unbroken’. It is basaltic lava that
has a smooth, billowing, undulating or ropy surface. The ropy surface is due to movement of
very fluid lava under a congealing surface crust. It typically advances as a series of small
lobes and toes that continually break out from cooled crust.
In a section it shows a lower and an upper vesicular zone. The Lower vesicular
zone (LVZ) is considerably thinner than the upper. The base of this LVZ is characterized by
a chilled margin. This forms due to the burning effect of the top part of the cooled lower
flow by the overlying layer, which is in a molten state. The LVZ shows about 10 to 30%
vesicles. They are mostly rounded in shape.
 This part is followed by an area having minimum number of vesicles (about 0 to 5 %)
called as the dense core. It is the thickest part of the flow. This zone shows some internal
differential structures like the vesicle Cylinders, & Horizontal vesicle sheets.
Above this dense
core lies the Upper Vesicular Zone
(UVZ). It has about 15 – 20 %
vesicles. It may show pipe
amygdaloidal structure along with
ropy structures. Platy joints may
be seen on the top part. Along
with these inflection cleft fills or
squeeze ups are distinctively seen
only in pahoehoe flows. This
crust may be filled by lava of the
same lobe or its next overlying
lobes. In such a case they are
defined as Compound flow lobes.
Transformation of pahoehoe to aa flows is evidenced by slabby pahoehoe flows
(Duraiswami et al. 2003). Lava flows are classified as simple or compound flows. Simple
flows consist of a single lobe. They have joints perpendicular to the lower contact. Compound
flows may be as thick as 100m may be made of lobes 10cm-10m thick, consisting pahoehoe
or Aa lavas. Compound flows show a wide variation in petrography and are extremely
widespread in Deccan Traps. A lava sequence consists of individual flows which are
distinguished by textures (aphyric, microphyric, porphyritic etc.), by phenocrysts (plagioclase,
pyroxene,olivine etc.) and by geomorphic expression (cuestas, hogbacks, cliff, deep valleys,
etc.)
The emplacement of
flow is through the process of flow called
inflation (Bondre et al.2004) which causes
the thickening of the lobes by continued
injection of lava. The flow front advances
through break out as lava toes. The flow
becomes convex up. Rising fluid causes
vesicle banding. Stagnation causes vesicle
cylinder and jointing. The common inflation
features are called as tumuli, which are
whale- back shaped mounds with axial
cracks. The tumuli are usually 50-100m long
and 10-20m tall.
 Their presence in Deccan lavas suggests comparison with Hawaiian lavas
where tumuli are widespread. Pillow lavas, pyroclastics and spiracles (steam injection
structures) suggestive of subaqueous origin are seen locally. Jointing types in lavas
are variously described as columnar, platy, hackly…among which the columnar joints
are most spectacular and wide spread. Sometimes genetic terms like colonnade and
entablature are used to describe the types of jointing. Lava flows develop preferred
pathways to deliver the lava from the vent to the flow front. These pathways occur in
the form of lava channels or lava tubes (Misra, 2002), forming an arterial system
around effusive centers. Pahoehoe flows are generally localized in tubes, whereas aa
flows prefer channels.
Giant Phenocryst Basalt (GPB) or megacrystic horizons are valuable
markers for mapping the lava stratigraphy. GPB are flow that contain unusually large
plagioclase phenocrysts (>30mm) which have an average compositional range of
An60-65.There is one view that GPB perhaps represent a dormant stage in the
fractionation process. Since the GPBs normally overlie red boles suggesting a pause
in volcanism, the dormancy view finds some support.
Bole beds are considered as marker horizons, which are valuable in
delineation of flows. They are commonly termed as red boles and green boles or
green earth. They are composed of pyroclasts of different shapes and sizes enclosed
within glass or fine ash particles (<10micrones). The pyroclasts having a thin
marginal crust and are often sintered. The glass may be devitrified. Red boles usually
contain nantronite, halloysite, iron oxide and silica .Green boles usually contain illite,
quartz and plagioclase. Bole beds are regarded as tuffs, the Red bole being a basic
composition and Green bole is of an acid to intermediate composition. After
eruptions of volcanic flows, pyroclasts are settled as ashes consolidated into bole
beds.
Zeolites occur as infillings in vugs, pipe amygdales and veins and they help
in the demarcation of flows. The distribution of Zeolites in to three zones was
proposed earlier as laumonite, scolecite, heulandite cutting across the basalt
stratigraphy, but later studies proved that it’s a random distribution. The common
Zeolite found in the Deccan basalts are heulandites, stilbite, mordenite and
apophyllite.
 REGIONAL STRATIGRAPHY

The Deccan volcanic have erupted through the Precambrian crust of

Dharwar, Bastar, Aravalli and Bundelkhand cratons as well as the Satpura mobile
belt. At place they are undrerlain by Cretaceous sediments (eg, Bagh, Lameta,
Dharangadhara and Wadhavan sequences), which are commonly described as
Infratrappean sediments or merely as infra-trappeans. The lava pile has also many
intercalated sediments and ash beds (red bole, green bole, green earths.etc.) which are
commonly known as inter trappeans.
Deccan basalts are nearly horizontal over vast areas, except where they are
tectonically disturbed in the West Coast, Western Ghat, Khambhat graben and Son-
Narmada (SONATA) rift. The lavas are thinnest in the east and they progressively
thicken to about 2km in the west. This variation is attributed to pre Deccan-
topography as well as renewed faulting and scarp development.
The Deccan Volcanic is classified into three stratigraphic units, the lower,
middle and upper, on the basis of inter-trappean beds, bolesand fossil content. Later
they were classified in to lower and upper divisions based independently on
magnetic reversals and chemical criteria. Recent geological surveys by the GSI and
geochemical mapping by a multinational team with IIT, Mumbai as the nodal agency
have significantly enhanced our knowledge of the Deccan traps and brought out new
stratigraphic schemes. These studies have also shown that the stratigraphy youngs
from west to east, rather than in the reverse direction (E-W) as postulated earlier.

Lithostratigraphy of Deccan volcanic consists of formation and subgroups.

A sequence of flows with similar field, petrographic and gross chemical and isotopic
features has been termed as a formation. Formational boundaries are defined by the
recognizable breaks, presence of marker horizons and chemical shifts over wide area
.The formations are clubbed together in to subgroups based on the type of flows,
geochemical variation and marker horizons. The different sub groups are combined in
to a group called as Deccan Basalt Group or Sahyadri Group.

Lithostratigraphy has been worked out in detail for western Maharashtra

from Tapti river in the north to Belgam in the south, and from Aurangabad in the east
to the west coast covering an area of 1,50,000sq. Km, about one-third of the exposed
area of DVP. Stratigraphic correlation over such a vast area has limitations such as
monotonous similarity of lava flows lack of marker horizons on such a large scale and
complexity erosion and structural disturbances. However, regional gradient of the
undisturbed areas and marker horizons such as GPB are successfully used to erect a
regional stratigraphic column, which was extended on a reconnaissance scale to the
rest of DVP.

Recently, systematic geochemical mapping using similarities and

differences in chemical abundances and ratios as well as isotopic signatures have
been used to work out a chemo-stratigraphic column for the western DVP(Cox and
Hawkesworth,1985)especially in the well exposed sections in the Western Ghats
from Nashik to Mahabaleswar and from Pune to the west Coast for the length of the
Western Ghats of 500km and approximate area of30,000sqkms. The chemo-
stratigraphy was extended to the area in the South and the East by the reconnaissance
chemical mapping types, defined as one or more members having same chemical
composition.

Sub-provinces-:
DVP is broadly divided into 4 sub-provinces
 Main Deccan plateau,
 Malva plateau,
 Mandla plateau,
 Saurashtra plateau

Main Deccan plateau:

The best-studied area of Deccan basalts is the Western Deccan

Province covering mainly the Western Ghats. The type stratigraphy of the DVP is
extended to the central, Southern and South Eastern sections of the Main Deccan
Plateau on reconnaissance scale.
Lithostratigraphy:
The lithostratigraphic scheme praposed for western Maharashtra by
Godbole et al.(1996), suitably to confirm to stratigraphic coded is given below:

Group Subgroup Formation Thickness(m)

Mahabaleshwar 600
Wai Purandargad
Diveghat 900
Sahyadri Lonavala Karla
Indrayani 700
Kalsubai Ratangad
Salher ~1500

Chemical Stratigraphy:
The inter-university team (Subbarao et al. 2000) divided the Deccan Basalt Group
into twelve formations, which are combined into three subgroups.

Group subgroup Formation Magnetic polarity

Desur Normal(N)
Panhala N
Wai Mahabaleshwar N
(~500m) Ambenali Reverse(R)
Poladpur R
Deccan basalt

Lonavala Bushe R
(525m) Khandala R
Bhimashankar R
Kalsubai Thakurwadi R
(2000m) Neral R
Igatpuri R
Jawahar R
 DECCAN TRAP PROVINCE OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL
INDIA

The Deccan Trap province occupies more than 5 lac Sq.Km. areas in
part of Western and Central India, in the state of Maharastra, Andhra Pradesh,
Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhypradesh. Maharashtra hosts the greatest aerial coverage of
these basaltic rocks. This is the third continental flood basalt province in terms of the
exposed area.
The Deccan trap provience is constituted dominantly of tholeiitic lava
flow stacked one above the other. A few units of giant phenocrysts bearing basaltic
lava and olivine basalt are recorded from this sequence. The basaltic flow have been
intruded by doloritice dykes (some of which are speculated to represent the feed dyke)
and occational alkaline intrusion (particularly along the western coastal trac and in
Narmada valley) Western part of the province, particularly in Gujarat & in the
Narmada Valley. Laterites & Quaternary alluvial cap the Deccan Trap flows in
Western & Southern Maharashtra.

Subbarao, et al., 2000 & many others classified the Deccan Traps based on
the combination of field mapping with petrochemical & isotopic studies. This is
known as the Chemostratigraphic classification.
 Lithological classification of Deccan Trap Province is given by
Godbole at 1998 & Chemostratigraphic classification is given by cox & Hawkeswarth
1988, Subbara & Hooper 1988.

Lithostratigraphy Chemical Stratigraphy

Super
Group Group Subgroup Formation Sub-group Formation

Mahabaleshwar Desur
M4 Panhala
Mahabaleshar
Wai Wai
Purandargad Ambenali
D
E Diveghat Poladpur
C
C S
A A Karla Bushe
N H Lonalvala
Lonavala
Y Indrayani
A - Khandala
T D M3
R R
A I
P
Upper Ratangad Bhimashankar

M2 Thakurwadi
Lower
Ratangad Neral
Kalsubai Kalsubai
M1
Igatpuri
Salher
Jawhar
 Map of the Study Area

WADKI NALA

JADHAVWADI
 Previous works

The early pioneer Geologists who laid the foundation for the study of
Deccan volcanic are T.J.Newbold, Blanford, P.N. Bose, L.L. Feror, C.S. Fox and
W.D.West. Multi-institutional international team co-ordinated by K.V. Subbaro
brought about a sea change, in our understanding of Deccan Traps. A large
volume of literature exists on the Deccan traps, the most important among them
being the edited volumes of Bulletin volcanogique, Subbarao (1988, 1994, 1999),
Project CRUAMSONATA (1995) AND Deshmukh and Nair (1996). Godbole
(1988), Hooper(1999), Walker(1999), Subbarao et.al. (2000), Nair and
Chandrasekharam (2003). Alkaline rocks of DVP are summarized by Gwalani
Krishnamurty (1988) and Srivastava and Hall (1995)
 DESCRIPTION OF FIELD TRAVERSE

Location 1
Latitude- 18° 25’18” N
Longitude- 73° 58’ 59” E
Locality-Near green Kashmir hotel at turning point

Figure 1 -Dyke Figure 2-Phenocrysts present in the dyke

This is located at a left turn near wadaki nala on Hadapsar-Saswad road. One can
get a bird’s eye view and also estimate the overall physiography of the area. Exposure was not
in a position that one can specify that it is in which part of flow. It may be top or basal part of
the aa flow also. Abrupt change in the lithology indicates that it may be the presence of the
intrusive body. Weathering pattern also varies which indicates the presence of the discordant
body. On the basis of these factors this discordant is identified as dyke. At the point of contact
of the host rock and the dyke, chilled margins were observed. Color of the dyke material is
dark and can be called as melanocratic. At the margin of the dyke, rock showed very fine
grained aphanitic texture, formed due to the sudden cooling. In the middle area of the dyke
some phenocrysts are also seen in it, which are about 0.5 Cm-1Cm in length, the texture
changes from aphanitic to partially porphyritic. The dyke showed three sets of jointing, which
were formed by the cooling process. The vertical set of the joint is of 220-40, the horizontal is
of 280-100 and inclined set is of 305-125 and also the thickness of the dyke decreases with
increase in the elevation.
 Location-2
Figure 3-Pipe amygdales (vesicle cylinder)
Figure 4-Chilled margin
Figure 5- Inflation Cleft
Latitude-18° 25’ 15” N
Longitude-73° 58’ 59” E
Elevation- 654m from MSL
The flow was identified as compound
pahoehoe flow with a number of sub units or
lobes. A lobe is a lava entity surrounded by its
own chilled margins. Upper part of lava lobe
shows red color chilled margin above this zone
there were a number of pipe amygdales and
vesicles found.
Inflation cleft makes the upper lobe
surrounded by its own chilled margin, show the
bun like feature, hence the flow become
convex up. Vesicle cylinder is also present
here. Hence this zone may be the basal zone,
which then followed above by the jointed lava
core which is nearly devoid of vesicles may be
the lava core. Vesicles again increase at the
upper portion indicates the lava crust;
subsequently increase in red color indicates the
change in flow.
 Location-3
Figure 6-Purple color chilled margin
Figure 7-flow showing entablature
Latitude-18° 25’12” N
Longitude-73° 59’20” E
Elevation-682m from MSL
Locality-19.2km mile stone SH-64
New flow is separated from
lower pahoehoe flow irregularly spread
purple color chilled margin with
greenish amygdaloidal material. Above
this there is a closely space, jointed more
altered rock is present joints get widen
due to the deep rooted plants. Such
material get slumped down due to slope
instability and jointing called rock fall.
As we walked further we got the
colonnade and the entablature structure
formed due to the disturbance in the
isotherm because of the rain water at the
time of eruption surface temperature was
more, in such cases rain water drops the
temperature which produced the hackly
joints called colonnade. Hence the flow
identified as simple flow because we did
not get clinkery base. Core sample of
this flow contains porphyritic texture
and is of melanocratic nature. The
phenocryst present may be of
plagioclase.
Figure-8 Flow shows large vesicles which are filled with the secondary minerals.

Location-4
Latitude-18° 24’59” N
Longiude-73° 59’33” E
Elevation-745m from MSL
Locality-20.2km milestone

Clinkary base

Red bole

Fragmentary
top of Lower
flow

Figure-9 Red Bole horizon separates two different flows; also leaching of the Red Bole
material in to the top part of the lower flow is visible.
The flow can be identified as Aa flow as it has a fragmentary top. Flow started from
red bole horizon, of thickness ranging between 1 ft-3ft. Contact between second and third
flow is gradational. Pyroclastic material sinks in loosely packed fragment. These flows
possess amygdales in its lower portion. Massive core is devoid of vesicles.
Location-5
Latitude-18° 24’51” N
Longiude-73° 59’52” E
Elevation-766m from MSL

Figure-10 Figure-11
The flow can be identifid as Aa flow as it has clinkery base which posses melanocratic to
mesocratic with yellow colored plagioclase crystals showing vesicles. At the top of this flow
the presence of the autobrecciated fragments also noted,which confirms the flow type as Aa
flow. At the top slope wash is present-somekind of muchthicker deposit of recent origin.
Then the base of the flow is marked by red bole horizon.

Figure-12. These are some secondary minerals found in the cavities of the flows.
Location-6
Latitude-18° 24’82” N
Longiude-73° 59’96” E
Elevation-787m from MSL

Figure-13. AA flow, which is showing clinkery base and the Red Bole horizon.
This flow starts from 787m elevation as we again moved towards the Saswad.
Contact between fourth and fifth flow marked by the presence of the red bole horizon. It also
contains a clinkery base and the top consists of the fragmentary appearance. Core part shows
jointing pattern. He joints are of les thicker than core of previous flow. Hence we concluded
it as AA flow.
Location-7
Latitude-18° 24’91.5”N
Longiude-73° 59’98”E
Elevation-802m from MSL

Figure-14.
This contact with lower flow is marked by the brown color horizon which also can
be called as the brown Bole horizon. This Aa flow completely exposed at the curvature. It is
marked by the clinkery base containing vesicles. This zone is followed by the massive core
with fragmented top and necklace joints formed due to the contraction during cooling. At the
same location seventh flow is identified by the presence of red bole at the base but the top
cannot be clearly identified. Another important character present in this area is inter-
trappean beds just below the upper and lower flows.
Lithosection of Deccan Basaltic flow in Diveghat

Aa flow-4b Fragmentary top

Brown bole
Columner core with necklace jointing
Aa flow-4a
Basal clinker zone
Clinkery top i.e., fregmentary

Aa
Core with small size jointing pattern
flow-3

Basal clinker iter mixed with red bole

Aa Fregmentary top surface

flow-2
Core

Basal clinker
Entablature

Aa Core with columner jointing

flow-1

Thin basal clinker

Pahoehoe
flow-2 Core

Pipe amigdals of the BYZ

Lobe with spheriodal weathering,
Pahoehoe lower vesicular, dence core, chilled
Flow-1 margin, inflection cleft & jointing
pattern
Dyke

Fig : Lithosection of lava flow mapped in Devighat

 CONCLUSION

Diveghat is a best place near the Pune city to study the types of lava flows, which

exsist in DVP. As here both types of flows are exposed in a very short distance of 3-4Kms

along the Pune – Baramati road .The flows in the Dive Ghat area, as the description says, are

of two types, Pahoehoe and Aa. The place near Wadki Nala, from where we started the field

work, contain an intrusive body and two Pahoehoe flows, which are exposed here at base of

the hill, in this locality , which is then followed by five AA type of flows, between the

elevation 682 MSL-802 MSL. At places these AA flows are separated from one another by

the presence of Red Bole. The base of seventh flow shows presence of Brown Bole. These

are identified by the particular characters which are described in the field features of basaltic

flow in the beginning.

 References:-

 G.G. Deshpande(1998). Geology of Maharastra, Geological Survey of India, pg.223

 Godbole, S.M., Rana, R.S. and Natu, S.R. (1996), Lava stratigraphy of Deccan
Basalts of Western Maharashtra, Gond. Geol. Mag., Spl.Vol.2, pp.125-134.

 Najafi, S.J., Cox, K.G. and Sukheswala, R.N. (1981). Geology and Geochemistry of
Basalt flows (Deccan Traps) of the Mahad-Mahabaleshwar Section, India, Geol. Soc
India.Vol-1, pg.113-116

 Subbarao, K.V., Hooper, P.R. (1988). Reconnaissance map of the Western Deccan
Province, In Geol. Soc. India.Vol-2, pg.891-902