This book presents findings from research into the Precambrian history of the Indian shield obtained using state-of-the-art technology. It demonstrates a paradigm shift towards studying the Precambrian shield regions using petrological, geochemical, structural, metallogenic, sedimentological and paleobiological data from the rocks in the Precambrian shield area, and presents a collection of contributions on these diverse topics that help to reconstruct the Precambrian evolution of the Indian Shield.

Indian Shield: Precambrian Evolution and Phanerozoic Reconstitution highlights unique evolutionary trends covering a period of over 3,500 million years, from the oldest crust to the most recent geological activity of the Indian Subcontinent. The book discusses regional terrain geology in terms of the evolutionary history of the crust, describing how the Precambrian Shield evolved from a stable continental region to a tectonically unstable zone marked by frequent high-intensity earthquakes in a Plate-interior setting. It is a complete and readable account of the history of growth and evolution of the Indian Subcontinent, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan. The book is intended for graduate students, researchers, and teachers in the geosciences, especially geophysics, geomorphology and geology. The book also serves as an important resource for tectonics and petrology researchers, as well as those involved in exploration of mineral resources. Features comprehensive geological information on the evolution of the Indian Subcontinent, from the growth of early crust to the present day in a single volume Discusses different processes of post-Precambrian reconstitution of the Indian Shield that ultimately produced the present-day geomorphology as well as the tectonic character of the region Assesses the impacts and effects of the ongoing post-Himalayan tectonism on the Indian Subcontinent

The main goal of this book is to provide a modern comprehensive statement on the Earth's Precambrian crust. It uses geographic and tectonic location, lithostratigraphy, geochronology, and petrogenesis as a basis for considering Precambrian coastal evolution--including the role of plate tectonics. Detailed consideration is given to the endogenic and exogenic processes which formed the continental crust and also to its subsequent secular evolution across Precambrian time**An essential reference volume for every Precambrian geologist.

Progress in Precambrian geology has been exceptionally great, indeed quite striking for geologists of the older generation; only some 30-40 years ago the Precambrian appeared as an uncertain and even mystic prelude to geologic evolution. Even the very name - Precambrian - means some indi visible unit in the early history of the Earth, the beginning of which is poorly known. At the same time it was obvious that the Precambrian formations are of extremely varied and complex composition and poor knowledge and lack of reliable methods of division and correlation were to blame for the lack of significant progress in studies of this early evolutionary stage of the planet. Certainly, even at the very start of Precambrian studies, the results obtained were quite promising, lifting as they did the mysterious veil over the regional Precambrian; but they presented no general realistic picture of this early stage in the Earth's evolution at that time. Recently, this situation has completely changed, due to new methods of study of the older forma tions, and due also to the refinement of some well-known methods, in particular of division, dating, and correlation of "silent" metamorphic strata. Application of different isotope methods of dating was most impor tant in providing objective rock age and thereby the age of geologic events recorded in these rocks. Thus it became possible to reconstruct the oldest geologic period of our planet.