Andhra Rocks Link India to Antarctica

Why this is here: Zircon crystals, known for surviving extreme conditions, helped researchers pinpoint events occurring hundreds of millions to billions of years ago within the Eastern Ghats province.

Researchers from several institutions including Presidency University in Kolkata and Queensland University of Technology in Australia studied rocks in the Vizianagaram-Salur region of Andhra Pradesh, India. They found evidence suggesting India and Antarctica were once connected as part of a larger mountain range called the Rayner-Eastern Ghats orogen. The team analyzed granulites, metamorphic rocks preserving ancient geological events.

These rocks share similar ages, chemical compositions, and mineral structures with those found in East Antarctica. Specifically, the rocks experienced three shared stages of geological history between 1,000 to 890 million years ago, including periods of intense heat and fluid movement. These shared characteristics indicate a past connection before the continents drifted apart roughly 130 to 150 million years ago.

The study does not fully explain the specific mechanisms driving the initial collision or the precise timing of the final separation. Further research will continue to refine the understanding of Gondwana’s breakup and the Eastern Ghats’ formation. The team hopes this work will help predict future geological activity.