Geological Heritage Sites of Himalayan Region of India

Why in news?

• Geological Survey of India (GSI) has identified two geological heritage sites in the Indian Himalayan Region of India.

About Geological Heritage Sites:

• With inclusion of these two sites, there are 34 Geological Heritage Sites in India.
• Geo-heritage refers to the geological features which are inherently or culturally significant offering insight to earth’s evolution or history to earth science or that can be utilized for education.
• Geological Survey of India (GSI) is the parent body which is making efforts towards identification and protection of geo-heritage sites/national geological monuments in the country.
• The details of the two sites identified by GSI in the Himalayan Region are as follows:

Siwalik Fossil Park:

• State-Himachal Pradesh
• The Siwalik Fossil park displays a rich collection of vertebrate fossils recovered from the Siwalik rocks of the area of Plio-Pleistocene age.
• The deposition of Siwalik sediments took place in the narrow linear depression, called the 'fore deep', which started developing in front of the Himalayas since the inception of its uplift in the middle Miocene.

Stromatolite bearing Dolomite Limestone of Buxa Formation:

• State: Sikkim
• The Geoheritage site at Mamley exposes lithounits of Buxa Formation, Daling Group of Proterozoic age.
• The dolostones are profusely stromatolitic (Precambrian algal structures). This site provides one of the rare examples of early life in Sikkim Himalaya.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Which of the following are the Geological Heritage Sites identified by Geological Survey of India?

1. Lonar Lake

2. Varkala cliff section

3. Siwalik Fossil Park

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1,2 and 3

Answer