Depositional environments of Bathonian sediments from the Jaisalmer Basin, Rajasthan, western India

The pericratonic sedimentary Jaisalmer Basin, west of the Aravalli Ranges, on the westerly dipping eastern flank of the Indus Shelf, is a principal structural element of Rajasthan. Jurassic sediments in the SE comprise non-marine sandstones and conglomerates to nearshore, brackish to marine sands, silts, clays and carbonates, grouped lithostratigraphically into the Lathi, Jaisalmer, Baisakhi, and Bhadasar formations. The Late Bajocian to Oxfordian Jaisalmer Formation is divided, in ascending order, into the Hamira, Joyan, Fort, Badabag, Kuldhar, and Jajiya members. Fossil records providing a Bajocian to Bathonian age for the lower and middle parts of the formation include: a Late Bajocian coral Isastraea bernardiana (d’Orbigny) in the uppermost Joyan Member; Bathonian ammonite Clydoniceras in the basal part of the Badabag Member; Bathonian foraminiferal/bivalve assemblages in the Fort Member. The topmost bed of the Joyan Member represents the peak of first marine transgression of the Jaisalmer Basin, probably contemporaneous with the Late Bajocian one in the neighbouring Kachchh Basin. Based on faunal studies Bajocian to Bathonian sediments of the Jaisalmer Basin can be broadly correlated with those of the Kachchh Basin. The Fort and Badabag members represent the following depositional environments, in chronological order: (a) brackish to shallow fully marine; (b) fully marine with rapidly fluctuating water energy and sedimentation rates; (c) near-shore to lower shoreface with fluctuating energy conditions, salinity and sedimentation rates; (d) near-shore to shoreface channels and storm-dominated marine above fair-weather wave-base; (e) lagoon with fluctuating low to moderate energy, salinity and sedimentation rates; (f) stormdominated shelf to lower shoreface.     

Depositional history of the early part of the Jurassic succession on the Rajasthan Shelf, western India

Part of the lowermost deposits of the Triassic to Earlymid Jurassic (up to Bajocian) sedimentary succession spread across the Rajasthan shelf on the western part of the Indian craton is found in the Jaisalmer Basin east of Jaisalmer with the best exposed sections along the Jodhpur-Jaisalmer Highway. Based on lithostratigraphic characteristics, the succession is divided into four: Odania and Thaiat members, Lathi Formation; and Hamira and Joyan members, Jaisalmer Formation. Six facies are defined from microfacies, sedimentary structures, biotic components and depositional environments: (1) ferruginous, pebbly, cross-bedded sandstone—high-energy, fluvial; (2) cross-bedded, poorly sorted, fossil wood-bearing sandstone—highenergy, terrestrial, with high influx of sediment and warm and humid climate; (3) cross-bedded to rarely bioturbated, alternating silt to fine-grained sandstone—fluctuating sedimentation rates and energy—nearshore, mesohaline embayment to lagoonal; (4) partly bioturbated, storm-dominated, mixed siliciclastic-carbonate facies—fully marine; (5) low angle cross-laminated, silt to fine-grained sandstone—nearshore shallow water, above fair weather wave base; and (6) thick rudstones with mega-ripples and reworked coral heads-storm deposits representing the peak of first major marine transgression across the basin.     

A review of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoparticles

Climate change and the consumption of non-renewable resources are considered as the greatest problems facing humankind.Because of this,photocatalysis research has been rapidly expanding.TiO2 nanoparticles have been extensively investigated for photocatalytic applications including the decomposition of organic compounds and production of H2 as a fuel using solar energy. This article reviews the structure and electronic properties of TiO2,compares TiO2 with other common semiconductors used for photocatalytic applications and clarifies the advantages of using TiO2 nanoparticles.TiO2 is considered close to an ideal semi- conductor for photocatalysis but possesses certain limitations such as poor absorption of visible radiation and rapid recombination of photogenerated electron/hole pairs.In this review article,various methods used to enhance the photocatalytic characteristics of TiO2 including dye sensitization,doping,coupling and capping are discussed.Environmental and energy applications of TiO2, including photocatalytic treatment of wastewater,pesticide degradation and water splitting to produce hydrogen have been summarized.     

Depositional history of the early part of the Jurassic succession on the Rajasthan Shelf, western India

Part of the lowermost deposits of the Triassic to Earlymid Jurassic (up to Bajocian) sedimentary succession spread across the Rajasthan shelf on the western part of the Indian craton is found in the Jaisalmer Basin east of Jaisalmer with the best exposed sections along the Jodhpur-Jaisalmer Highway. Based on lithostratigraphic characteristics, the succession is divided into four: Odania and Thaiat members, Lathi Formation; and Hamira and Joyan members, Jaisalmer Formation. Six facies are defined from microfacies, sedimentary structures, biotic components and depositional environments: (1) ferruginous, pebbly, cross-bedded sandstone—high-energy, fluvial; (2) cross-bedded, poorly sorted, fossil wood-bearing sandstone—highenergy, terrestrial, with high influx of sediment and warm and humid climate; (3) cross-bedded to rarely bioturbated, alternating silt to fine-grained sandstone—fluctuating sedimentation rates and energy—nearshore, mesohaline embayment to lagoonal; (4) partly bioturbated, storm-dominated, mixed siliciclastic-carbonate facies—fully marine; (5) low angle cross-laminated, silt to fine-grained sandstone—nearshore shallow water, above fair weather wave base; and (6) thick rudstones with mega-ripples and reworked coral heads-storm deposits representing the peak of first major marine transgression across the basin.     

Depositional environments of Bathonian sediments from the Jaisalmer Basin, Rajasthan, western India

The pericratonic sedimentary Jaisalmer Basin, west of the Aravalli Ranges, on the westerly dipping eastern flank of the Indus Shelf, is a principal structural element of Rajasthan. Jurassic sediments in the SE comprise non-marine sandstones and conglomerates to nearshore, brackish to marine sands, silts, clays and carbonates, grouped lithostratigraphically into the Lathi, Jaisalmer, Baisakhi, and Bhadasar formations. The Late Bajocian to Oxfordian Jaisalmer Formation is divided, in ascending order, into the Hamira, Joyan, Fort, Badabag, Kuldhar, and Jajiya members. Fossil records providing a Bajocian to Bathonian age for the lower and middle parts of the formation include: a Late Bajocian coral Isastraea bernardiana (d’Orbigny) in the uppermost Joyan Member; Bathonian ammonite Clydoniceras in the basal part of the Badabag Member; Bathonian foraminiferal/bivalve assemblages in the Fort Member. The topmost bed of the Joyan Member represents the peak of first marine transgression of the Jaisalmer Basin, probably contemporaneous with the Late Bajocian one in the neighbouring Kachchh Basin. Based on faunal studies Bajocian to Bathonian sediments of the Jaisalmer Basin can be broadly correlated with those of the Kachchh Basin. The Fort and Badabag members represent the following depositional environments, in chronological order: (a) brackish to shallow fully marine; (b) fully marine with rapidly fluctuating water energy and sedimentation rates; (c) near-shore to lower shoreface with fluctuating energy conditions, salinity and sedimentation rates; (d) near-shore to shoreface channels and storm-dominated marine above fair-weather wave-base; (e) lagoon with fluctuating low to moderate energy, salinity and sedimentation rates; (f) stormdominated shelf to lower shoreface.